It’s cooler painting season and ladies, it’s time to pull out your paint brushes! If you haven’t been working on a cooler yourself, you’ve probably passed by a girl or two sanding, priming and painting a cooler for banquet.
If you’re anything like me, you love these kind of things. I love anything and everything having to do with designing and creating, but when it comes to painting a cooler, things can get a bit tricky.
This year was the first time I’ve ever attempted to paint a cooler. I had a little too much fun with mine considering I’ve been so into it that it has kept me awake and painting in my dorm on a Saturday night until 2 a.m. Yes, I’m serious.
But while it’s been fun, it’s been a struggle just the same. I purchased my first cooler at Walmart and hand-sanded and primed it to perfection. And guess what? My first cooler got stolen! Yes, stolen. If anybody’s cooler was going to get stolen it’d be mine, and nobody can admit they didn’t laugh when reading that. I mean, a stolen cooler? Really? I’m telling you, there are more struggles to this art of cooler painting than you may initially think.
I bought my second cooler and was excited to get to work on it right away. My friends thought I was absolutely crazy when I told them my ideas for the design of my cooler, and when the top of the cooler itself solely took nine hours in total to complete, I believed their accusations.
But here’s a few tips for all you ambitious cooler painters who may be happening to read this.
Firstly, sanding your cooler is going to take time. If you know somebody with an electric sander or if you’re willing to buy one, DO SO. It will save you time and sanity, and you won’t be wanting to throw in the towel on banquet all together by the end. Believe me, I hand-sanded mine and by the end I had lost not only an hour of my life but the top layer of skin on my palms.
Secondly, when it comes to picking out designs, think simple. Less is sometimes more unless you’re going to be dedicated enough to spend your Friday and Saturday on your dorm room floor with your paint pens and palettes instead of having fun nights out with your friends. Pick your poison!
Additionally, be careful where you paint. If you decide to paint your cooler on the sidewalk, you’re going to get in trouble. Trust us! We know, we just know.
Next, if you’re really not artistic but you’ve been invited to banquet, you have some choices to make. I have a friend who actually paid somebody to paint hers for her. Shh, nobody will figure out your secret! But if it comes to employing others for a helping hand, then so be it! “Do it for the cooler” as my friends and I have been saying.
What about details? Include the fraternity letters or flag, incorporate the name of the event somewhere, and, most importantly, don’t forget your date’s name! And by don’t forget I mean not only forgetting to put it on the cooler somewhere, but forgetting how to spell it!! Trust me, it happens, I WOULD KNOW! Spelling your dates name wrong when you spend almost an hour writing it out isn’t a problem you want to have occur.
Along the same lines, assuming you are painting a cooler for a banquet or formal, you’re going to be writing the fraternity letters on your cooler and you need to make sure you’re writing the RIGHT ONES. It seems trivial, but yes, I’ve watched these mistakes be made with my own two eyes. Don’t show up to a Sig Ep banquet with a Tri Sigma cooler!
As far as paint goes, expect it to get everywhere. Seriously, I mean everywhere. Paint is going to get on your t-shirt, your converse, your legs, your face, your own carpet, and even your friends carpet! I was walking to dinner the other night unaware of how much paint was on my body until somebody yelled out “it’s banquet season!” It took me a second to understand their joke.
If you’re preparing to paint a cooler for a banquet or formal, a friends birthday, or even if you’re just painting a cooler because you have the extra time on your hands, have FUN with it. And especially if you’re giving a cooler to your date this banquet season, remember one thing: be proud of your cooler, he couldn’t have done it better.