Lol. you are too funny.
It's super easy!
1 - buy a regular paddle
2 - buy all the letters and things you want to stick on the paddle
at this point, most greeks just stick on the letters and they're "done" with their paddle. but some of our chapters (mine and our parent chapter) take it a step further.
I painted all the letters with acrylic paint and let them dry
the captain wheel - the entire paddle is painted green with white squiggly lines to give a crackling effect.
the long paddle - i found a pretty background online and blew it up and then went to kinko's and had it printed on glossy paper the size of the paddle, and cut it out to the shape of the paddle, and then glued it on as the background.
I'm actually helping my line sister do a paddle right now but the background of the paddle is going to be pictures...as soon as that one is glazed and done, i'll post it up. it's gonna look dope!
anywhos, after the paddles are dry, i just glued on all the letters that I had previously painted, sprinkled with glitter etc.
The tricky part is the glaze. and if you dont mix the glaze right (please follow the directions on the box to a T!!!!), the paddle will NEVER dry. My kid made me a paddle like 2 years ago that is still sticky because she didnt glaze it properly.
here's the stuff used to glaze it....you can get it at michaels.
Glaze
Here's some other's from my kid's line....i think her paddles were the nicest because they were the only ones that were glazed....
Line