FRATERNITY COOLER

Some fun background info on me for you; I'm from New York, but I currently go to school in Virginia, and I have a frat-tastic boyfriend. Put a southern(ish) school together with a fraternity and the creation of a cooler in imminent. So here's mine, with a step by step of how I did it. 

Materials: All are pictured here, but its a longgggg list:

• Cooler: http://www.walmart.com/ip/23735484?reviews_limit=9&
• Spackle  w/ sand paper - can be found at home depot/ ACE
• Acrylic paint 
• paint brushes
• painters tape
• tracing paper
• pencils
• letter opener (or any sharp edge)
• paint pens
• Krylon white paint / primer
• Mod Podge spray on matte
• Triple Thick brush on gloss

Step One: Fill 
Fill in any big crevices or ridges (i.e. the big igloo circle) with spackle. This one from Home Depot goes on pink and turns white when it's dry. Pretty nifty. Let dry and sand until smooth.   



















Step 2: Prime
Prime the entire surface area of the cooler. Having a bright color cooler helps during this because you can actually see when it is covered in white. 








Step 3: Draw
While the primer is drying, you have plenty of time to draw your designs on the tracing paper. Doing your designs on tracing paper first allows you to make s many mistakes as you want, and lets you take more complex images from the web and put them on the cooler. Make sure you cut the paper so that the design will fit onto the cooler. 







Step 4: Etch and Paint
Once your primer is dry, and you've laid the background color of paint, it's time to transfer your designs onto the cooler. Take the design and lay it down in the center of the cooler face and use painters tape to lock it in place. Then take your sharp edge (letter opener), and slowly, using just enough force, trace your design. Remove the painters tape and tracing paper and your image should lightly appear etched onto your base coat of paint. Paint your design, and repeat on remaining sides. 

(look close, you can see the etched design!)

IMPORTANT! 

 When painting, don't forget about the corners! Theyre more important than you think, and are a great opportunity to add more things your guy loves! I used bowties; i've seen people use beer bottles and i'm sure there are more than plenty ideas out there. 

For an extra special touch:

I found this bottle opener on Amazon  for around $7, and I used a drill and screws in my dads basement (i'm sure if you knock on a few doors on Greek Row someone will have what you're looking for). Easy to do, and you're guy will think you're a boss for it.

(http://www.amazon.com/Mounted-Classic-Starr-Bottle-Opener/dp/B000JNU7N8/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1435194044&sr=8-8&keywords=bottle+opener )

                       

                                             FINALLY AND MOST IMPORTANT
Step 5: Seal
You've worked so hard on this cooler, it'd be so heart breaking for you're guy to try and use it and all your art work chips off. That's why I say sealing is the most important step in cooler making. 
** It is CRUCIAL that you use Mod Podge BEFORE Triple Thick. If you try Triple Thick first, your paint will run, no matter how long it's been dry.** 
Once all your paint is dry for at least 24 hours, put 2 layers of mod podge spray on each side (and corner). Once all sides are dry, take a clean (brand new if you can) brush and apply Triple Thick to all sides. If you're not in a time crunch I recommend doing only 1 side every 8 hours or so; this way you can apply to a flat surface each time (Triple Thick is just that, thick. It drips down and goops at the bottom). If you absolutely have to apply Triple Thick to an vertical surface, use a hair dryer to help speed up the process. Apply at least 2 layers to each side. 

Presto! You're done!

I gave this cooler to my boyfriend as a present for his 21st birthday and he loved it! I hope this guide was helpful to you! Good luck on your cooler! And remember:

frat hard,

frat often.

...or dont, you're call.

Happy Crafting!

-V