One of my favorite things to enjoy during the summer months is chilling with family and friends at the poolside! That is what inspired me to create a fun poolside caddy “Just Poolin’ Around.” This cooler has a dual purpose. Not only can it be used as a cooler, but it can also be used as a picnic basket or a poolside carry caddy! How cool is that? I was inspired by a vintage style picnic basket that I totally fell in love with at World Market. When you see the before and after, you will know why I decided to give it a small face lift. Nothing against elephants, but they just are not quite my style!

Supplies Needed:

Step One: Prep And Paint Your Cooler

  1. Begin by lightly sanding your metal picnic basket with your sanding block.
  2. Then start spray painting your basket with a Primer (I used Rust-Oleum). Wait a few hours before spray painting to ensure your primer has bonded.
  3. At this point, you will want to spray paint with the color of your choice with at least two or three coats. I would wait a few hours or overnight before you place your vinyl.

Step Two: Cut Out Your Vinyl Design

  1. At this time, you’re ready to cut your vinyl and place it on your cooler. I combined a cursive font for the “Just” and then a serif font for the “Poolin’ Around.” The Silhouette Design Store has hundreds of fonts to choose from. I wanted to keep my design simple and fun, but you can add a fun element if you’d like.
  2. Once you have picked out your fonts, load your vinyl into your machine and cut.
  3. After your designs are cut, weed your vinyl so all that is left is your design.
  4. Apply transfer tape to your design by peeling off the sticker backing and then placing the transfer tape (sticky side down) onto your vinyl. Use the scraper tool to adhere the transfer tape to the vinyl.
  5. Lift the transfer tape along with the design and place it onto your cooler.
  6. Use the scraper tool again to burnish the vinyl to the cooler. Glossy vinyl is permanent, so make sure that you like the placement of your design.

 

And your cooler is complete! Not only can this be used as a cooler, but it can also be a great poolside picnic basket/caddy to carry all your goodies around the pool!

Now you’re ready to fill your cooler up with drinks and enjoy them by the pool!

This blog post was originally posted on the Design & Unwind blog. It has been edited and republished with permission from the author.