Gingham Picnic Cooler Tutorial for Tailgating

'Tis the perfect season for

picnics, camping and tailgating!

We had a beat-up cooler

that I decided to upcycle,

and what is more picnic-y than

GINGHAM?

Isn't she cute?!!

So today I'm sharing

How to make a Gingham Tailgate Picnic Cooler

otherwise known as the

Gingham Picnic Cooler Upcycle Tutorial.

Let's take this step by step:

First, if you have a beat up old cooler

around the house, don't junk it.

The secret to transforming the cooler 

is to give it a good wash up. 

Then scuff it with some sandpaper

or brillo pad. Now at the very least you 

can paint the outside any solid color you want!

But, if you want to get fancy

and make a Gingham Picnic Cooler, here's how:

1. First, give the whole outside of the cooler

a fresh coat of white paint.

I painted my lid solid red for a perky contrast.

2. Now, tape off the areas you want to 

leave white, like the handle.

Our first task is to paint the red vertical stripes of the gingham.

Find the center of the front of the cooler 

and run a strip of painter's masking tape 

straight down the front,

being sure to bend it over the top lip and

under the bottom curve of the cooler.

This is your Center Tape and it will stay in place.

Now, run two more strips of masking tape directly to the right of and parallel with the original Center Tape. You should have 3 strips of masking tape 

in a solid column now.

The middle piece of masking tape in this 

column is your "Spacer Tape." 

You are going to move this one around 

so that you don't have to measure out 

all those stripes and checks.

Lift that strip of "Spacer" masking tape off,

and put it to the left of your Center strip of tape.

Adhere a new strip of masking tape 

to the left of the spacer tape.

Lift the Spacer Tape off, and work back and forth like this from the right to the left until you get the front of your cooler taped up in stripes like in the photo.  

Then continue on around the cooler, just going in one direction so that you finish a side and the back. Now if you have any fudging to do, you can do it on the final side and it won't be noticeable.

Mine just happened to come out perfectly!

You can now throw away the Spacer Tape.

Be sure to smooth over the tape strips on the cooler once more, firming them down and making sure they are well adhered.

3. Now use some spray paint made for 

fusing to plastic. Start with a light coat 

and follow the directions on the spray paint.  

You do not need this paint to be too dark and you do not need it to be perfect-- 

in fact, it is better if it is not! 

Think about how gingham has those 

lighter stripes of color. It only gets darker 

where the vertical and horizontal color stripes 

intersect, creating a checkered effect.

4. Once the paint is dry, remove the strips 

of painter's tape and your red 

painted stripes are revealed!

5. Now we will be masking the horizontal stripes.

Because my lid is red, I'd like my first stripe 

to be white, so I will mask that all away around the cooler.

Run a shorter horizontal strip of tape the length of the front of the cooler right below that. Do the same on each side and then on the back. These are going to become your Spacer Tapes. They are easier to manage in 4 parts.

Now run another strip of tape right below the Spacer tapes, all the way around the cooler.

Remove the spacer tapes and place them below the second strip of horizontal tape. Continue in this manner until you have made your way down the cooler.  Then throw away your Spacer Tapes.

It's time to spray a light coat of paint on the cooler, following the directions. Do not get your coats too heavy -- you want to create a gingham effect.

Now, remove all the tape and...

you've just created the cutest little picnic cooler ever!!

It's fun to take on road trips, camping, or for tailgating.

You just saved junking up our landfills and you created something unique and awesome in the process. You saved money, too, because a can of spray paint and some tape are cheaper than a cooler!

Enjoy your

Gingham Picnic Cooler!

Fill your cooler with these adorable, portable peach crisp desserts baked in mason jars:

You might also want to check out these tutorials here at I Gotta Create!

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