Last Minute Labor Day DIY: How to Make a (Colorful) Hanging Ice Chest

There are only a few more days until Labor Day, which is basically summer’s last hoorah. And I wanted to go out with a bang…

So I teamed up with Seven Daughters to help launch their new canned wine collection AND make a last minute DIY (hanging) ice chest that you can still have ready to go before Labor Day! It only takes about an hour to complete. Bonus…it’s also an Ikea hack, which means it’s budget friendly too.

These little guys were the perfect addition to a ‘summer send off’ team picnic that Amelia and I had at none other than an emu farm – complete with birds, reptiles, koi fish, etc that (surprisingly) is only about 15 minutes away from the studio. Who knew?!

We had some wine, ate some spicy thai food, and had a really fun day. Click through to see the how to make your own (colorful) hanging ice chests on the go AND more photos of our little field trip…

Materials

• Ikea hanging planters 
• primer spray paint
• spray paint (in 2 colors that work in a gradient color scheme)

Instructions

1. Start by removing the plastic insert from the basket and set it aside. You’ll put this back in at the very end to keep ice from dripping out of the basket, making this DIY waterproof. 

2. Next, add 1-2 layers of primer spray paint (you can also use regular primer and a paint brush, but it will take a lot longer to complete that way). I found it helpful to get all the crevices by turning the basket upside down first and spraying all the way around and then right side up and spraying all the way around again.

*You can also primer the string that holds the planters up or leave it as is.

3. Next, starting with the lightest color, twist the string holders around and around as much as you can, then let go. As the string starts to spin, spray the basket with paint (focusing on the upper or middle section). *This is just one of many techniques you can use to spray paint. But it was the easiest and most consistent for this project, in my opinion. So, I thought I’d share the process.

4. Repeat this process with your next color (which should be a deeper / darker color than the one before), but this time focus on the middle or lower section (depending on where you sprayed in step 3).

5. Insert plastic liner that you set aside in step #1. Fill with ice and it’s ready to use. Hang these from tree branches, planter hooks, etc. Add drinks, like Seven Daughters wine. Wink. The canned varieties currently come in Moscato and Pinot Noir. Love the Moscato. In fact, I used it in this frozen sangria cocktail recipe from a while back.

One thing I really like about these ice chests, aside from the fact that they’re hangable, is that they’re super portable…much like Seven Daughters cans. You can grab ’em and go pretty much anywhere….to the beach, a park, or as close as your backyard. You don’t even need cups or straws…though they look pretty cute with straws if you ask me. 🙂

Amelia and I only brought a handful of things with us to the farm…a couple of our DIY ice chests (already filled with ice), wine (we went with the Moscato to balance out the spiciness of the thai food), thai takeout, and a couple of blankets that I stuffed in my tote bag.

Photography Amelia Tatnall
Styling Brittni Mehlhoff

What do you think of our little field trip and these DIY labor day ice chests? Think you’ll give this project a try before summer ends?

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This post is in partnership with Seven Daughters wine. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.