How To Paint Wine Bottles (& Champagne bottles) + 5 Easy Ideas (2025)

Got empty wine bottles at home? Don’t toss them—turn them into art! 🎨✨ In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through the simple steps of painting glass bottles (yes, champagne bottles too!). You’ll learn how to prep the surface, choose the best paint, master easy techniques, and decide whether sealing is necessary.

Plus, I’ll share five creative bottle painting ideas to inspire your next up-cycled masterpiece!

How To Remove Labels From Glass Bottles

If you’re painting the entire bottle and need to remove the label, the best method I’ve found is using hot water. Carefully pour boiling water into an empty wine bottle (wear oven mitts for safety) and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Another option is to soak the bottle in a sink filled with hot, soapy water for the same amount of time.

After 15 minutes you should be able to peel the label right off. The heat helps loosen the glue, it easier take off. If any sticky residue remains, a quick scrub with hot soapy water and an SOS pad should do the trick!

You can also use this method if removing labels from glass and plastic jars for mason jar painting projects.

Label Removal Steps

1. Pour Boiling water in wine bottle and let sit for 15 minutes
2. Carefully peel label off
3. Use SOS pad and warm soapy water for any extra glue residue

Preparing Wine Bottles For Painting

For the best paint adhesion on glass, wipe the bottle down with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to remove any oily residue. This helps ensure the acrylic paint sticks properly to the glass.

What’s the best paint to use on glass bottles?

Acrylic paint, spray paint and chalk paint work beautifully on glass bottles—they’re my go-to for glass painting projects! While stores do sell specialized ‘glass paint,’ it can be pricey.

The good news?

If you properly prep your bottle and seal it at the end, regular acrylic or chalk paint will work just as well—while saving you money!

The main difference between acrylic paint and chalk paint is coverage. Acrylic paint typically needs 3-4 coats to achieve the same opacity as 1-2 coats of chalk paint, which has a thicker, creamier consistency.

If you’re short on time or painting multiple bottles, chalk paint is the faster option.

But if you’re using acrylic paint, there’s a simple hack to speed things up—apply it with a sponge! Sponging on the paint naturally creates a thicker first coat compared to using a brush, helping you get full coverage in just 1-2 layers.

For quick, streak-free coverage, you can also use opaque spray paint—it’s a fast and easy option!

Base Coat Your Wine Bottles

Use a Sponge for Base Coat

For the sponging method, a regular kitchen sponge works perfectly—no need for a special painting sponge! Just dip it in paint and gently dab all around the bottle, working your way up for even coverage.

You’ll notice that this technique gives the bottle a bit of ‘stipple-like’ texture when it’s dry, which is really pretty.

Use a brush for base coat

If you’re using a brush for your base coat, apply the paint in up-and-down strokes to minimize streaks. Keeping your brushstrokes in the same direction is key for a smooth finish. If you’re painting a bottle without removing the label—like for gifting an unopened wine bottle—cover the label with masking tape first to make painting easier.

With a brush and regular acrylic paint, the first coat will go on thin, and streaks will be visible. But don’t worry! As you add more layers, the streaks will even out. I found that 3-4 coats of acrylic paint provide the best smooth and solid coverage.

Tip: for multiple coats, make sure the paint layer below is bone dry before applying next coat. If the layer is even a bit wet it might peel and lift off (picture below).

Do you need to seal your painted bottles?

People often ask if they need to seal their painted bottles, and the answer is—it depends! If you’re gifting or selling your creation, sealing is a must to protect the paint from peeling or scratching. But if it’s just for home decor and won’t be handled much (like sitting on a shelf), you can skip this step.

Sealing also enhances the look of your bottle. A glossy sealer gives a beautiful shine, making colors appear brighter and more vibrant. But if you prefer a matte finish, you can still seal your design using a matte sealer to keep it protected without the shine.

The sealers I use personally for my glass projects are: Mod Podge Gloss, DecoArt DuraClear Gloss Varnish, Rust-oleum Chalked Matte Clear, Liquitex Gloss Varnish.

Tips for sealing

• Apply brush-on sealer in very thin layers
• Use up-and down strokes (in same direction)
• Don’t overlap and over brush sealer
• Let each layer completely dry before the next
• Use light and gentle pressure when brushing (otherwise paint below might lift)
• If using spray-on sealer, do this outside in a well ventilated area.

Easy Painted Wine Bottle Ideas

Below are some easy and fun bottle painting ideas you can make with simple acrylic paint. You can find the video instruction for these projects on my Youtube channel. If you’re interesting in how to paint Champagne bottles (with the label on) then you can check out this video here.

Keep in mind, you don’t have to cover the entire bottle with paint! You can incorporate the clear (or tinted) glass into your design and paint only certain areas. I did this with my sunflower and daisy-painted wine bottles, and it created a beautiful effect!

Adding Fairy Lights to Your Bottle

Leaving some clear glass in your design has another perk—you can add fairy lights inside! ✨ This instantly transforms your bottle into a charming piece of room decor or a stunning party centerpiece. It’s such a popular DIY that Amazon even sells fairy lights made specifically for wine bottles!

1. Sunflowers with Fairy Lights Bottle

2. Aesthetic Pink Sunset with Q-tip Clouds

3. Blue Wine Bottle With Easy Daisy Flowers

4. Abstract Roses With Lettering on Champagne Bottles

5. Funky Graffiti Heart Art Wine Bottles

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