Summer Crafting: My First Cooler

I have so many crafts and projects planned for this summer.

Most likely due to the fact that I spent all year at school admiring the cute canvases that my friends had and gathering ideas on pinterest and tumblr. My first week of summer, I went to Michaels and Wal Mart and bought everything I'd think I'd need- paints, modge podge, brushes, etc. Everything sat nicely packaged up as my summer schedule came into full effect... 

I've been working here and there, but I'm proud to say that my first project will be completed this week...

a cooler!

I've been wanting one for so long and have been saving different idea into a crafting file on my computer all year. I figured making one for myself is a perfect trial for any future gifts that I may make. I got to work collecting ideas on how to no screw up this initial attempt- the Cooler Connection Facebook page and blogs were heaven-sent as they basically laid it all out for me. I can't thank y'all enough if you have a tutorial made. But, I also came to realize that I couldn't have this picture-perfect image in my head because it was just unattainable. I'm no artist and never will be, so going with the flow has been the key for me. 

anyways, here's some of the process:

I read that tracing onto tissue paper and then transferring that onto the cooler was the best way to get everything to look nice and clean. I ran with this idea and traced Lilly patterns, quotes, images, everything! It worked out so perfectly. 

The only problem was, when I used a sharpie to trace it onto the cooler, the black was sometimes tough to cover with light colors. This is a minor problem though, since multiple layers or paint and modge podge make these lines invisible after a while. 

By the second layer of paint, the black was covering no problem. It was a little annoying at first, but really no issue as soon as I got to layer number two. Unless I hear of a better way to do this, I think I'll stick with this method in the future

(because there's no way I'll ever be able to free-hand something like this... I can barely draw a stick figure!)

While I was tracing the images, I had filled any holes/ crevices in the cooler with spackle and let it dry. I then sanded down the spackle as well as the entire cooler and primed it using an indoor/outdoor multisurface white primer. 

(sorry, I didn't take any pictures of the initial layer of paint)

And, here's where I am right now! 

All five surfaces are painted with two coats. I'll get a final coat on probably thursday after I get off work, and a couple more (like maybe 5) coats of modge podge. I'll definitely get it finished by this weekend, where my brand new cooler will make it's debut at the Tim McGraw pre-concert tailgate :)

I'll post the final pictures once I'm finished!