1. Make sure your date doesn’t expect you to make one. If he does, drop his ass and make yourself a cooler. (Also make yourself a cooler anyway because #powermove.)
2. Get the supplies. I recommend Krylon primer, a nicely shaped cooler (one without any divots or dips and with nice flat sides), and sandpaper/just some really good primer. Of course, you will also need your paintbrushes and paint colors. And then something to seal it afterwards.
3. Plan, plan, plan. Get to know things that are important to the person you’re making it for. I highly recommend a side that has their name and Greek affiliation on it. Sports teams and favorite TV shows are good for non-drinking related sides, and there are so many good drinking puns that can be done if you or your date is into that.
4. Sand the SH*T out of this thing so you have a nice smooth canvas to pour out your creative, stress-relieving soul.
5. Prime it. It’ll be so white and so ready to be painted you’ll want to get started right away, but let it dry because otherwise it’ll start to chip and make the cooler last way less long. It shouldn’t have to be said at Davidson, but apparently it must be anyway: DO NOT PRIME THE COOLER ON THE SIDEWALK OR IN THE HALLWAYS OR ON ANY PERMANENT SURFACE. Come on y’all, you don’t want to be the person who leaves white splotches around campus.
6. Pencil in your designs. I’m more of a free-hand kind of artist, but for v complicated designs, take some tissue paper, trace the design off of a computer screen, and then tape the tissue paper design on the cooler and sharpie over the design. A light outline will be left on the cooler for you to fill in– and then it’s just like coloring in elementary school.
7. Paint. You might have to do more than one layer on certain things, but it’s worth the work. Don’t be afraid to mix paints too to make your own colors. One tip to save paint though– add darker paints to lighter paints. It takes way less paint to get to the color you want. Use painter’s tape for straight sides or to protect the sides for your corner designs.
8. SEAL THE CRAP OUT OF THE COOLER. It will sit in sand and be filled with ice and have college-aged kids sitting on it, opening it, closing it, bumping it against doors and throwing drinks in it. You want it to last after all the work you’ve put in.
9. Talk to your date again– if you’re anything like me, spending $$$ on the supplies and cooler is more than enough. If he EXPECTS you to fill it, peace out or just be like, “Do you see this masterpiece I’ve made?! We can fill it as partners.” If you want to fill it to make sure you have the *snacks* you want at formal, though, more power to you. As long as you’re making the decisions, you can do whatever you want with the cooler.
10. Party and formal.
If you are interested in writing an article for Her Campus Davidson, contact us at davidson@hercampus.com or come to our weekly meeting Tuesday at 8pm in the Morcott Room.