Painting A Fraternity Cooler (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Almost two months ago, I was invited by one of my friends to his fraternity formal. I had been invited to another one a month prior but was asked pretty late so I didn't get the chance to paint a cooler (I painted him a flask instead which I've included at the bottom of this post). Anyway, this was my first time ever painting a cooler so I was kinda nervous, but with some help from the The Cooler Connection, I think it turned out pretty well!

​See how I did it below!

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Step 1: Pick and Prime A Cooler

Unlike the larger coolers most girls paint, I decided on this 9qt by Igloo. I asked my date if he wouldn't mind a smaller one and he said that he was so excited to be getting one that it didn't really matter. And honestly, it holds a decent amount and is so easy to sand, prime, and paint that I think I'll be sticking to this size from now on. It's also a lot more practical and can be used again for day trips (some beaches also don't allow certain coolers so keep that in mind).

The first thing that I did was sand the cooler. No matter what your primer says (for plastic, extra strength, etc.), MAKE SURE TO SAND. Also, do yourself a favor and get enough sand paper- I barely had enough and I think my cooler could have used a little bit more sanding. Then, prime prime prime until the cooler is completely white. I used Krylon MAXX Ultimate Coverage Primer and one can was more than enough for this size of a cooler. Since this was my first time painting a cooler, I also didn't have any craft supplies yet. I had to get some basic acrylic colors: black, white, the three primary colors, brown (because it's a pain to mix and get right); brushes; and sealer. The total cost of this project? About $40. A little bit expensive but I will be reusing many of these items in the future so it's not too bad.

Step 2: Paint (And Cry)

Now, unto the fun part (but also the most stressful part). If you're a perfectionist like me, you're going to both love and hate painting a cooler. Before I started, I looked up some cooler inspiration on Facebook pages, Pinterest, and the Internet. I also asked my date for ideas (which I'm glad I did because I was pretty stuck on a fourth and final side idea).

The Front: Tybee Island, GA
From the get-go, I knew that I was gonna include a beach scene no matter what. After all, fraternity formals are fun because they're away weekends to some pretty awesome places. I found a reference picture of the location and got to work. It took about two days to get this side done but it was so worth it! I added additional details like the name of the fraternity, the date, and the location later on.

Side 1: But First-
After I was done with the front, I made sure to protect my work with some clear plastic I had lying around. This allowed me to turn the cooler on whichever side to make painting the other sides a lot easier. This side was pretty easy from there- I just used a graphic I found online as a reference pic.

Back: I'm Like A Ringleader...
​As I mentioned before, I asked my date for ideas and he said that he LOVES Britney Spears. So after a bit of quote hunting, I found the perfect line- I was also able to make a pun/reference out of it, which was a double win. With an index card, I easily created a stencil for the shot glasses so that they would be identical and evenly placed.

 Side 2: Georgia Tech, AEPi, and AGD
Is it really a fraternity cooler if it doesn't show school and/or greek life pride? To incorporate both, I included a "Game Day" side. Most fraternity guys dress up for game days so it was an easy way to incorporate our school. I just LOVE how the small GT's on the bowtie turned out! Everyone also sports game day stickers so instead of the typical "AGD loves the Jackets", I included the fraternity name in its place. While I'm really proud of how the beach scene turned out, I would have to say that this is my favorite side! It's simple but tells a story. The peek of purple is an ode to the organization that me and my date are both in which makes this side extra special.

Top: Name and Vineyard Vines
To create this Vineyard Vines inspired top, I painted a base coat and then used painter's tape to lay down some stripes. This side was pretty easy thanks to tiny paint brushes and paint pens- they're ​life savers. It just took some patience and a steady hand. And since I didn't plan it out ahead, I had to make minor adjustments by adding the chapter name so that the fraternity name would sit more centered.

Step 3: Seal and Set Sail

When you're all done painting, make sure you seal your designs! Most people recommend Famowood or Envirotex, but I didn't have the time (and I'm honestly a bit intimated by it so maybe next time). Instead, I just did 2-3 coats of Modge Podge followed by 2 coats of Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze. Make sure to do this outside in a well-ventilated area! And that's it, you're done! 

Here's the finished product on the very beach that inspired it. Not sure how it's doing now, but it survived a weekend on the beach and in the sun!

And as promised, here's the flask that I painted for the other formal that I attended.

My date is a Computer Science major so I used it as the "theme" of the flask. This took me about 4 hours (because I didn't have paint pens at the time). I also only sealed it with Modge Podge​ which is water-based and of course, not waterproof. You can guess how that turned out.

​Anyway, I hope this guide was even a tiny bit helpful and that my designs gave you some inspiration. If you have any more additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below.