Wine-ding Down

This year I knew from the start that I was blessed with my room moms, Mrs. C and Mrs. S. Mrs. C was instrumental in getting my first three Donor's Choose projects funded and has always been there for me at the drop of a hat. She was that perfect combination of involved and helpful without going overboard. This year was a tough one for so many of us with new legislation, budget cuts and general craziness. She was always there to show her support, be a cheerleader and always a voice of reason. She took on tasks that made life a little easier for me and though she claimed it was no big deal, I know it was.

I also had an angel co-room mom, Mrs. S, who was just so amazingly normal and down to earth and had no problem with my last minute pleas for help. I'm thinking that she has never heard the snarky phrase "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Well, either that or she just muttered it under her breath instead of shouting it at me! She also helped spread the word about Donor's Choose and was super involved without being intrusive.

Both of these women were people who I could easily see myself being friends with if I had met them in some other context, just normal people who support teachers and public schools and want to do their part to ensure the happiness and success of their children. I found myself in the enviable position of running out of ways to say thank you to both of them by the end of the year. So, as the last day of school came barreling down on me, I was consumed with thoughts of what special token of appreciation I could present to them.

After LOTS of ideas rattling around in my already cluttered mind, I came up with these personalized wine bottles! (Click on the pic to see them a big larger. Older eyes like mine will appreciate this little tip)

If you feel strange about giving alcohol as a gift at school, you can always go with a sparking apple cider. Since I knew these ladies pretty well, I felt comfortable with the wine. I usually feel pretty comfortable with wine, but that's just me ;) Here's a little how-to if you're interested:

First, make your wine selection. You can use almost any bottle that has a removable label and a straight non-funky shape. I like to leave the back label on so they know what kind of mystery liquid I've given them. I also try to match the wrapper on the top to the label colors. For this one, I chose a Kendall Jackson with a purplish top. It was about $16, but you can easily find a less expensive bottle. My hubs seems to think they won't open the bottle anyway, so the quality of the wine isn't so important. He's probably right, but just in case, I wanted to give them something more like wine and less like vinegar. (Hey, vinegar... that gives me an idea for a whole new set of personalized labels!) I used to soak the bottle and then peel off the label, but I've realized that it's pretty easy to use a razor scraper to remove most of the label. I just used a little pledge to get off the remnant sticky stuff, but stubborn spots would easily glide off with some Goo Gone.

Then, cut the label and run it through your Xyron. What? You don't have one yet?? I could not live without mine as I've shared before in my Altoid tutorial. You can usually use the craft store coupons on the Xyron products and they are sooooo worth it!  In the dark ages before I owned this little miracle machine, I found the best alternative was spray adhesive. Use a plastic fork to hold the label (kind of like a flower pick holds a card in the bouquet) and use the spray in short bursts OUTSIDE...trust me on that one. Here's a copy of the label. I'm not sure if you can edit from Google Docs, if not, I'd be happy to personalize one for you and email you a copy :)

When adhering your label to the bottle, start with the middle and then smooth it out from the middle to the sides. You have a much better chance of it being even and without wrinkles this way.

Now for the finishing touches. I decided to keep it simple and sparkly. I used some of these rhinestone stickers. These things are awesome and actually relatively inexpensive. They peel off of the backing in one piece and really stick well. I chose a nice clear rhinestone cluster and wrapped it around the neck of the bottle. I finished it off with another one of my crafty secret weapons - Stickles. If you're thinking, "Oh, I have glitter glue" just stop.right.there. This is no ordinary glitter glue. It is superfine glitter in a thin glue that you can use for the most detailed accents to add just a little sparkle. Ok, I'm a bit of a craft snob, but there's good reason. I've tried the cheapy substitute craft stuff and sometimes it's ok and sometimes it's just so not. In the picture you can barely notice where I outlined the label with the Stickles, but in person it gives a subtle little sparkle without the look of a glittery name on a Christmas stocking.

I've done these labels for all kinds of gifts and they are especially great hostess gifts. Look at me going all Martha Stewart with my "hostess gift" idea! But really, they add a nice personalized touch to the standard bring along wine bottle. Hope you can find some use for this one either personally or professionally, after all...

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. - Benjamin Franklin

and who am I to argue with Ben Franklin?