Cooler painting (as in "the painting of coolers")

[AOII Angel]

We did similar stuff in college...party cups. Igloo used to make large insulated cups that we decorated for EVERY party. You made one for you and your date. By the end of college, you'd have hundreds. I used to be the resident painter for AOII and literally spent days prior to a party painting dozens of cups, each set with a different design.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

There's a facebook group dedicated to these puppies (Cooler Connection)--quotes, designs, tips/tricks, troubleshooting, etc. I made one for myself just to see how it worked and it takes a while to get the hang of it. It took me about a month to finish it last summer since the trick is to mod podge the whole thing after every layer so it is less likely to chip, and when it does, it takes off less of your design. I would do a section/layer and then modge podge and wait a day or two for it to dry. They aren't super time intensive in the sense that it doesn't take that long to paint on the designs, but it's the 'down time' in drying that takes forever

[ChioLu]

Can't believe the time taken to design & paint is for a guy (& a date weekend).
Seems like all the hours involved of crafting a cooler masterpiece would be really appreciated for something like Big/Little Sis Reveal.

[chi-o_cat]

I'm glad these were not a thing when I was in college. I'm just not that artistic, and I'm sure whoever ended up getting a cooler I painted would have been disappointed!

[Old_Row]

I am shocked that people don't do this everywhere!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Old_Row

I am shocked that people don't do this everywhere!

Well, for starters, I'm not even sure people would know what to do with a cooler at many schools, i.e. anywhere that tailgating isn't really a thing.

Or is there some other use that is eluding me right now?

(They're still awesome, though...I have a rolling cooler that's been used many times in my post-collegiate life)

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Well, for starters, I'm not even sure people would know what to do with a cooler at many schools, i.e. anywhere that tailgating isn't really a thing.

Or is there some other use that is eluding me right now?

From what I’ve seen, they are not just used at school related events (tailgates, house parties etc.), but anywhere one would use a cooler. And in the South, there are lots of opportunities for a cooler – especially in the summer.

[NCSigma]

So what do you do if you end up at the end of your college career with multiple painted coolers?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by NCSigma

So what do you do if you end up at the end of your college career with multiple painted coolers?

Party at the lake.

[gee_ess]

They are very big at Arkansas - some girls have small cooler painting businesses going! The frat guys consider them a bit of a status thing - like, hey, look how cool my cooler is compared to yours. My date rocks!

However, if you are really cool, you already own a Yeti cooler which trumps any of these and everyone knows it. In that case, you can just add another decal to it and your date is off the hook. Yetis covered in various stickers and decals are trendy in this neck of the woods.

[ChioLu]

I had to google Yeti cooler. Didn't realize it was a brand.
$279 for the least expensive cooler! $799 for top of the line.
OMG

[AGDee]

For that much money, the cooler better produce its own contents!

[Old_Row]

The guys I know who have Yetis use them for serious stuff like hunting and fishing. The painted coolers are more for social things.

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I was at a hotel in Tennessee when two winter weekends were being held, and one painted cooler was better than the next! One that I thought was skillfully painted had ice cubes on the sides, with cans of beverages riding along on the ice. Here are some ideas.

Those Vineyard Vines coolers are unbelievably awesome.

My roommates and I have talked all the time about how we wish this was a thing in Michigan. We use coolers a lot, in and outside of Greek Life, and I love the chance to show off cool stuff I own. :P

I'm thinking about taking the time and making one this Summer, though.

[alum]

I don't understand how these cooler painters who are presumably in college to study have time to make these creations. Beyond the actual designing and painting, there is a ton of prep work to prime the plastic and then to seal the designs. You have to wait for one application to dry before putting on another so I suppose these crafters are studying while waiting for layers to dry.

The designs seem to be evolving as well. Many of the more complicated designs are actually color pictures decoupaged onto the cooler. Again, these need to be sealed multiple times to prevent damage from normal use. Some coolers have bottle caps lining the entire floor of the cooler and I saw one clever woman who incorporated a waterproof sound system into hers.