A cooler cooler
Eleven years ago my hubbs and I were given a cooler for a wedding gift. It is definitely in the “top 5 best wedding gifts” category. It has gone camping, on road trips, to football tailgating parties, kids’ soccer games, and the lake. It has even traveled with us around the entire USA while we made road trips from Texas to new homes in New Jersey and California.
Unfortunately our cooler is now old and faded. A shell of what it once was. It is so sun damaged and scuffed up, but it is such a great cooler that I couldn’t bare to part with it and buy a new one. No use throwing away a perfectly useful item.
Poor thing has seen better days.
So what is a crafty girl to do? I can’t be seen with such an awful looking cooler. I do have a reputation to uphold here. 
After almost a week of drama with this cute little thing, here she is now. Brand new and better than ever.
Adorable.
Here’s how she came to be…
I started with this. Pretty faded and gross.
Definitely in need of a good makeover. I can’t be seen on the soccer field with this atrocity.
First thing I did was taped the entire inside of the cooler with paper and tape. I didn’t want any paint getting on the inside. Then I took spray paint primer for plastic and primed the entire cooler really well.
Once the primer was dry I took white spray paint for plastic and gave the top several coats. I wanted the top really bright white.
When that was dry I covered and taped the top really tightly. It’s now time to paint the body of the cooler.
And this is where my trouble begins…
I had visions of a tangerine and white cooler. You know I love orange. And I could just see this beautiful orange cooler at all the soccer games. In my mind, it was beautiful.
I could totally picture it full of bags of oranges like the ones Michael Scott stole from the baseball game.
In reality, it looked like something you’d see at a construction site.
Not exactly what I’d had in mind…
Back to the drawing board.
This go-round I decided on Rust-oleum’s Spa Blue spray paint.
I can live with this.
Stencil time! I was originally going to make a stencil and just spray paint over it.
I used Freezer Paper and cut out a stencil. However, after some thought I realized that with all the texture on the cooler the paint would most likely bleed under the stencil and get ruined.
I still used the stencil, but instead of attaching it and painting, I just attached it and traced my image with a pencil.
And now for the really fun tedious part. Hand painting.
Yup, I’m a lefty. My big claim-to-fame.
After one coat, it looked pretty pathetic.
But after FOUR very tedious time consuming testing-every-last-drop-of-patience-I-have coats, it is done.
And I love it.
But it’s missing *something*.
As if hand-painting four coats of “Hepworth” wasn’t torture enough, I decided it needed some racer stripes.
I taped off my stripes, painted one coat, and peeled the tape off. It bled pretty bad, so I had to hand-paint the remaining three coats and do some touching up.
About five seconds after I started the stripes I made the decision that they would look great on the front only. 
They were a major PITA to paint!
I think the only thing missing now are the tube socks.
Before & After
Fall soccer season, Bring It!
I’m entering this paint project into The CSI Project competition.
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Welcome to House of Hepworths! HoH is primarily a Home Blog that specializes in DIY projects and renovations, crafts, and decorating. My name is Allison. My family and I live in Austin, Texas. I'm married to Ben and have two children, a 10 year old son and an almost-8 year old daughter. To find out more or to contact me click 
I have to telly you, yours is one of my favorite blogs. This project Rocks!
Too cute!!! I love it!
OMGosh, your little cooler turned out soooo cute! Certainly will be one of a kind. Love it.
I came here via Penny Pinching Party. Hope you stop by and see me sometimes over at Pittypat Paperie.
Woman you simply amaze me! I love the transformation!!!! And btw…I am a lefty too! Have a blessed day. Cindy
this is too cool :
i love me a good can of spray paint!!
So cute!! This was totally worth your time and patience. Great outcome. Expect orders from other soccer moms soon!!
BTW- you are very funny!! I enjoyed reading this post!
This looks great! Such a great idea.
Thanks for linking up with Sugar & Spice.
Waaaay cool. Love the color.
Love This Allison!!!
Fabulous!! It looks so fresh and beachy too!! It does look a little like tube socks, but I would’ve thought it had you not mentioned it!
Wow. What a difference. And nothing going to the landfill.
Ha! Girl, leave it to you to make a cooler look cute!! Love it!
What a great idea! It’s so much cuter now and noone will mistake it when you take it anywhere for theirs. Awesome idea!
Thanks so much for linking up to the CSI Project! We really appreciate it. I hope you will come back next week for our Hardware Store challenge!
XOXO
Jen
I love this…will for sure be doing this soon!!
How very creative! Love the tube socks btw! Thanks for linking up at PonyTails&FishScales~Party Time Thursday!
terelauritsen.blogspot.com
Very cute idea! I love how it kind of looks retro! Great for summer! Thanks for linking up this week!
Allison, you are amazing! I was totally unprepared for that after picture.
Thank you for participating in the Creative Therapy session over at Life in the Pitts!
Absolutely fabulous, Allison! What an inspiration.
Hi! I’m featuring this today.
http://lanieree.blogspot.com/2010/05/featuring-you_28.html
SOOOOOO cute! You have way more patience than me.
This is TOO cute! Totally going to use your idea
Seriously??!! This is genius! I love it!
T.bird
GIRL, I LOVE THIS!!!! We have been needing to buy a cooler, but after I saw this yesterday, I called and asked my Dad did he have an old one that he didn’t use anymore…ha! He brought me one and I started the makeover on it today!!!! Thanks for the inspiration! Great job!!
What a fun makeover project!! I love the blue. I totally agree, it’s definitely one of the best gifts to have! Now it’s just so very cool! Thanks so much for always linking to Creative Cats!! It’s been a pleasure having you! Have a wonderful summer!
XOXO,
Andy
In a million, bazillion years, I never would have thought to do this! But I totally love it.
Great job!
What a great idea… and it turned out beautifully! I may have to find an old cooler just to try this on!!
That is so clever! Love it!
This is SO fun! Thanks for sharing. I am linking back to you!
mommaskindacrafty.blogspot.com
Very creative! Thanks for linking up @PonyTails&FishScales!
terelauritsen.blogspot.com
I can’t believe how cute this is! I pity the poor person who gives their old cooler away to one of your readers!
what a terrific idea and what a terrific transformation!
Recycling to boot!
Inspiring,
Kathy
I’m a lefty too. The cooler turned out so cool. What a great idea to paint it. Thanks for linking to We’re Organized Wednesday. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to everyone. Hubby and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.
Awesome! I love it!
LOL!!! I bust out laughing! Just think.. with the orange one you totally could have jaywalked at any time.
Thanks for linking up to SNS!
Donna
Your cooler looks wonderful! This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. I will be linking to your wonderful idea.
So cute! Thanks for linking up this week.
Wow! How do you come up with this stuff?! Thanks for linking up!
really, really cute!
Such a cute idea!
I love it!!! Great job! I have a 16 year old one that I got as a wedding gift, too! Time for a paint job! Thanks for the inspiration!
I love this idea! After being on the soccer field today and looking at our pitiful cooler my cooler will be getting a makeover tomorrow:) Pistachio green and white
Thanks for the idea!!!
I love this! Great tutorial. It’s one more example of how paint can transform even the most unexpected things.
I love the idea so much that I decided to try it also! The only problem is that mine is already scratching revealing the original color. Is your cooler doing the same? I could not find primer for plastic but used kryola white for plastic instead. What primer brand did you use?
You are totally rockin’ the cooler and will be the hit at the next event.