Cooler Painting!

(The gold background and purple writing looks much better in person!)

 

Phew! I'm finally finished with the cooler I painted for Chris. Let me tell you, it was hard work. I wasn't expecting it to be so hard, but it was also really fun! I'm definitely going to make him another next year. I wanted to share with you all the finished product - it's nowhere near perfect, but for my first cooler, I'm pretty happy! I'm definitely not an artist and sometimes have trouble keeping a steady hand with the paint, but Chris absolutely loves it and that's what matters. We brought it to Canada and everyone was going crazy over it! Cooler painting isn't popular in Washington, so Chris is really one of the only guys in his house who's had a girl paint them a cooler. I'm so relieved they all love it!

If you looking to paint a cooler, for yourself, a friend, a big/little, or whoever else, I recommend joining the Cooler Connection Facebook page! There are plenty of links to help a newbie through the process and a files tab that includes information on anything you could need! Girls also post photos of the coolers they painted, serving as a great place to ask questions and gain inspiration. I also used Sarah's "Fraternity Cooler Painting 101" post to guide me through! 

Here's a simple breakdown on how to paint a cooler!

1. Pick out your cooler - I bought mine at Walmart! Try to find one that would be easy to paint and doesn't have very many divits or logos to fill in.
2. Sand, sand, sand! Using an electric sander is so handy. If you don't sand your cooler, it will chip and you might not even finish it because it'll chip before you're done!
3. Prime all surfaces that you're going to paint! This will help the paint adhere to your cooler and create bright colors.
4. Paint! Acrylic paint is pretty much what everyone uses. I had to paint multiple layers for my backgrounds - around 4 or 5 layers - so be patient. I Modge Podged between my background and image layers! 
5. Modge Podge and seal over the finished product! This will help seal the paint, protect it, and make it smooth!

Obviously I'm not the best, but I'm happy with mine. For more in depth directions, visit Sarah's link or the Cooler Connection page!

I hope you enjoy the cooler! I'm pretty proud of it. 

Have you painted a cooler? Send me pictures if you have!

Cheers!