1. Purchasing Your Supplies
Whatever cooler crafting concerns you’re stressing over, I can guarantee you there are so many girls stressing over the same thing. You’re not the only one! While that’s comforting, it also means that you’re all in the market for the same things. You all will need:
- Cooler
- White Spray Paint (potentially primer too)
- Painter’s Tape
- Sand Paper
- Brushes of all different sizes
- Acrylic paints for your specific color design
Get your supplies ASAP.
Mistake: Waiting until the last minute to shop for supplies
Move: Purchasing your supplies ASAP, literally the night that you’re asked
Home Depot, Target, Michael’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods only have limited supply. Sure, we live in Atlanta, where there’s no shortage of shopping, but that doesn’t mean you can wait until days before to buy your supplies, because they do run out, and you don’t want to be that girl kicking off the weekend without a cooler to present to your date.
2. Outlining Your Design
Mistake: After finishing your white paint base coat, paint the outline of your design in black
Move: After finishing your white paint base coat, give it a day to dry, then using a pencil, draw the outline of your design, before coloring it in with paint
Getting your design like the picture you printed out from Pinterest exactly how you envisioned it takes some trial and error. Do not be overconfident and rush the process by painting your design on without sketching it in pencil for. I don’t care how artistic you are or how much of a rush you are in; if you don’t pencil in your design before putting paint on your cooler, you’re going to mess up.
3. Do I Consult My Date About the Design?
Mistake: Thinking that the design should be a surprise and avoiding asking your date if you have a question
Move: Asking your date their preferences, running anything by him that you thought might be controversial, etc.
YES! The element of surprise seems silly in the face of a misspelled name or misrepresenting his favorite sports team permanently on his cooler. Asking your date questions about their preferences is important. Plus, it’s a great chance to get to know him better. The response will probably “I don’t care,” but I promise, it’s better than not asking. Some good ideas for personalizing your date’s cooler include:
- Favorite Sports Team
- Favorite Movie
- Favorite TV Show
- Favorite Alcohol Brand
An example:
4. Impressing Him With An Intricate Design
Mistake: Doing something artsy for the Instagram
Move: Keeping it simple, and doing it right
I promise you, guys don’t go around bragging to their friends that they have the best date because his cooler is more detailed than the rest. The more ambitious of a design you decide to make, the more likely that you’ll mess up. It’s much better to pick a simple, but thoughtful design, and do it exactly right. Giving a guy a cooler that you messed up on is way more embarrassing. Also, this cooler is not going to be treated like a work of art, don’t work too hard on a design that you’re going to care about getting messed up.
Some people get really into it. As amazing as it is, it does not need to look like this!
(totalsororitymove.com)
…Or this
(southernbellecrafting.com)
OR THIS.
(totalfratmove.com)
5. What Kind of Cooler Do I Get?
Mistake: Getting a cooler without wheels, with cup holders, or with other weird things on it
Move: Getting a cooler with as close as you can to completely flat surfaces and with wheels
While the wheels, cup holders, and possibly the brand name of the cooler are things you can definitely work around, it could make your life more difficult and design choices that much more limiting. If the store has a bunch of options, then I suggest picking the simple one with wheels. If the store you’re at doesn’t offer this, don’t stress- you can definitely still make it work.
6. Is Sandpapering My Cooler Really Necessary?
Mistake: Skipping the sandpapering step in order to save time
Move: Planning ahead to make sure you have time to sandpaper your cooler
Sandpapering is important. Although it makes the neat surface of the cooler you purchased way more scratchy-looking, it ensures that the paint will endure getting splashed with water or the test of time. Without it, your paint will come right off on the beach. It might look bad right after you sandpaper it, but you won’t even notice it when you paint over it. Also, sandpapering makes a mess and makes an obnoxious noise. Make sure to do it outside for minimizing interruption.
7. Good Designs
Mistake:
- Too many mentions of your sorority, one or two maybe is good (you’re a guest at his formal- make it more about him)
- Too many mentions of partying/drinking (don’t make him look like an alcoholic), again one or two is fine
- Doing something really artsy or time consuming
Move:
- Putting his name as the focal point of the cover
- Personalizing it to your date
- Cute sayings using his frat letters
- A design about the location of the formal
- Can never go wrong with an American Flag or a Sunset
Frat sayings for:
- BETA
- ATO
- AEPi
8. To Modge Podge, or Not To Modge Podge?
Mistake: Thinking it matters how much you modge podge over paint or paint over modge podge
Move: Do whatever works best with the design you have and the supplies you bought
Simple as that. Doesn’t matter. You do you.
9. Designing The Inside of The Cooler
Mistake: Pulling an all-nighter, not doing your school work, in order to make time to design the inside of the cooler
Move: If you want, if you have the time.
This one is totally your call. You’re not a slacker if you don’t do it. Most people don’t. But you’re not trying too hard if you do- it can be a really nice touch! Just a few words are often all you need.
Here’s some inspiration:
(tumblr.com)
(pinterest.com)
(sororitypin.com)
10. Crafting Outside?
Mistake: Waiting until the last minute, the one day you planned to spray/ sandpaper your cooler outside it’s raining and you can work inside without getting fined for the mess
Move: Starting in advance, giving yourself a few options for days to work outside. For freshman, the sorority lawns are a great place to work.
The final designing, sketching and painting can be done inside if you’re really careful. Make sure you put down a cloth! Also pro tip: when you’re working outside, be careful when painting one side and then accidentally putting your newly wet paint on the grass when flipping the cooler over to get to the other side. This could be potentially heartbreaking.