Need ideas on tikifying cooler!

I bought this industrial Igloo cooler at a yard sale for $4. I need ideas on how to tikify it. It needs to be semi durable. The plan is to fill it with mai tais or other tiki drink and take it to events (Tiki Trailer Trash Rally, scooter rallies, etc.) I may even have my friend make a cart for it so we can push it around or attach it to a bicycle and pull it.

I was thinking of using the spray paint for plastic and making it look like a tiki. Any and all other ideas are welcome! I want to get to work on Project Mai Tai!

And any ideas about the broken cup dispenser? Can I get a new one or put another kind on there? Or just remove it and put washers behind the screws and reinsert the screws? What about mending the crack by the handle-what can be used there? I have tested the integrity of the cooler-it holds water just fine and the spout works.

I need all you artists out there to throw out some ideas!

Mahalo!

:drink:
Tacky

I hate to see a cool vintage item like that get painted. I like it the way it is. But I would remove that sticker debris. As far as the cup dispenser, maybe see if you can get one of those dixie cup dispensers, drill a couple of well placed holes and attach in place of the broken one.

Hey Tacky!!!

I figured that Kiki would have already posted this, but how are your sewing skills? You could make a flat bottomed bag with holes in the appropriate places for the handles and spout. Slit the back and fasten with Velcro or laces to make it easier to take on and off. I used some Khaki colored canvas (WalMart) for a project and drew a tiki on it with Clorox Bleach Pen, worked out real well. I don't have a camera right now but maybe I can post a picture later this evening.

Mike

Obviously if you are turning the cooler into a tiki, you are planning to have the dispenser be in or part of the mouth. As far as the cup dispenser goes, it should be integrated into the nose.

Oh and just get a bunch of foam latex to hand mold the tiki over the cooler.
http://www.gmfoam.com/

Thanks Mike! I was just working this one out! I saw some "Alhambra" water bottle covers on Ebay just now. We were trying to figure out how to have the bag tight enough and still be able to fit the handles thru. Your idea of a slit on the back is perfect!!! Now I can look for fabric. I'll look for trigger cloth for the bottom, or something even heavier, then look for some tiki fabric. I was perusing scrub tops again this morning and found some nice fabric.....

And just a comment to Kiki: the cooler is from 1998. I tried to take a picture of the date on the label. I checked that before I got the idea of altering it's appearance. If you could see my house and my 1972 Aristocrat travel trailer with everything period correct, you'd know I was sensitive to cool older stuff. I love vintage. And vintage Aloha shirts. And it bothers me when people make other stuff out of cool vintage Aloha wear. But the results are cool, and I've been considering buying a bag that may be for sale at the FI parking lot sale next weekend. I can't bring myself to cut up vintage stuff, and my friend "killed a muu muu"-what was probably a really cool dress, for a seat cover for her scooter. But the seat does look really sharp. So it's my own issue, and although I can't bring myself to do it, others who "repurpose" Aloha wear with respect to it's origins (and vintage tablecloths, etc,) are not to be looked down on, but they are artists with a different vision. Enough said. We're all tiki 'ohana! Peace out!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Mike-sodium hypochlorite eats through fabric, as you know, being medical. When you use the bleach pen, do you let it dry then wash or rinse the item? Let it bleach, then rinse? I'm keeping that one in my bag of tricks. I may do a tiki with bleach or I may make a cooler cover out of Hawaiian print fabric (NOT my good vintage stuff!!) and have my friend embroider on another piece of solid fabric. I could velcro on various embroidered signs, according to the occasion. Or the type of drink involved.

I'll admit, I didn't like the idea of painting this thing-it has the special UV resistant plastic and it's all OSHA approved. I didn't want to compromise the integrity of a drinking vessel. And I think it would scratch easily. The cooler bag can be washed easily and so can the cooler. And I could have several designs for various occasions. Last night I had a co-ed bably shower for one of the girls in the scooter club. I could have a scooter cover. Tomorrow is another scooter rally. And I created a Facebook group for people in both scenes, so that's where the Project Mai Tai comes in...rolling around a cooler full of mai tai and passing it out, courtesy of "Scootiki", our Facebook group. Just another fun way to meet people and expand their knowledge of different scenes!

:drink:
Tacky

On 2009-09-19 15:08, Tacky Tiki wrote:
And just a comment to Kiki: the cooler is from 1998. I tried to take a picture of the date on the label. I checked that before I got the idea of altering it's appearance. If you could see my house and my 1972 Aristocrat travel trailer with everything period correct, you'd know I was sensitive to cool older stuff. I love vintage. And vintage Aloha shirts. And it bothers me when people make other stuff out of cool vintage Aloha wear. But the results are cool, and I've been considering buying a bag that may be for sale at the FI parking lot sale next weekend. I can't bring myself to cut up vintage stuff, and my friend "killed a muu muu"-what was probably a really cool dress, for a seat cover for her scooter. But the seat does look really sharp. So it's my own issue, and although I can't bring myself to do it, others who "repurpose" Aloha wear with respect to it's origins (and vintage tablecloths, etc,) are not to be looked down on, but they are artists with a different vision. Enough said. We're all tiki 'ohana! Peace out!

Didn't realize it was that new - amazing how these things don't change much over the years. I used to have a vintage metal one, but it finally died after many years of loving use.
Also, don't know what you're going on about the vintage Aloha shirts for with me, I've never cut up a vintage garment in my life unless it was totally ruined and unwearable. I only use new, retro inspired fabric in my stuff! :)
Re: the bleach pens, I've done bleach work on fabric, you can apply a resist like you would with batik, then bleach, then wash it out. It does stress the fabric fibers some, but shouldn't be a problem with new fabric.
The fabric cooler cover sounds like a good idea! Easy enough to make appropriate slots for the handles and spout and Mike's velcro idea is a good one! :)

Tacky, here's a shot of a canvas apron I made and decorated with a bleach pen (I stole someone's "minimalist tiki" design) This is the canvas from WalMart, the pictures don't show the color very well but it makes a beautiful golden color. I have tried some other fabrics that didn't look as well. Best bet is to do a trial on scraps. You also have to be careful about blobs and bubbles, like at the top of my tiki. Maybe if you store the bleach pen tip down the bubbles will all go to the top.

Thanks for the bleach pen tips! I think I should practice with it on a scrap for awhile!

Ok, so the cover...should it have a bottom and then a draw string at the top? Or...should it have no bottom, but a flat top? Like a one ended duffle bag? It would be harder to get into it to refill or whatever, but it won't be the end of the world. If it was like a duffle bag with both ends, it would be very hard or impossible to get it into the bag without making it baggy.

I'm not sure I'm making myself clear..I am very tired and I'm sick. But I'm trying to work out a design so I can get a clue on fabric, etc. I want to get to work on this thing (and I don't have the energy or inclination to scrape labels right now!)

Mike-some pictures of your cover?

Kiki-did you cover your metal cooler? Or was it in good shape so you could show it off? I wish mine was really a retro one-then I wouldn't have to do anything to it!

:drink:
Tacky

Hey Tacky! My old cooler was too cool to cover! It was one of the old aluminum ones. So I did show it off till it finally got a hole and I couldn't use it anymore.
If I may offer up an opinion - I would probably use a zipper around the top rather than a drawstring. If you have the sewing skills to do it, it will make for a tighter fit. Basically, top and bottom would each be cut as a circle, the sides would be cut as a rectangle (height x circumfrence). Sew the side seam to make a tube, then sew the bottom on "in the round" and the top attached to the side in one area and then add the zipper to close it. Or you can cut the side section taller and just do a drawstring at the top. The holes for handles, spout and cup dispenser would need to be finessed onto a pattern and cut/finished before sewing the tube.
Hope that helps.

Good plan Kiki. Or you could go bottomless ( :music: wolfwhistle :music: )!!! Since the coolcan will be carried by the handles, it doesn't really need a bottom. Much less sewing work (flat top, no zipper or drawstring), plus less chance that the spout dribbles will wick up the side of the fabric and stain it.

cup holder -
http://www.igloo-store.com/product_detail.asp?T1=IGL+8089

fabric is a good idea - I wouldn't go under the spout as it could get gnarly with dripage. - maybe a leather belt around it to hold fabric and could be useful on scooter outings???? - If you go with spray paint design you could get the letters (cut out style)and spell out something - like "mai-tais" or "tiki" or scooters rule" "don't drink and drive"

A cooler cozy is a good idea, but it would be way easier and more durable to just paint it.

This started life as a rolling can cooler "Sundrop" display salvaged from a defunct convenience store. Spray painted it with brown primer, then wrapped it with reed fencing. Finished with rope trim and hit everything with shellac.

Looks good, now add a couple of Tiki masks for decor and your set.

That Sundrop cooler looks really good! Although I kinda liked it before, but it wasn't tiki!

Since mine is a jug with a spout, I think I might have an ant problem if I wrap with reeds or other tropical material. I'm still thinking of a cover, and so far the bottomless style sounds good. Maybe I can find something that looks like tapa (I mean REALLY looks like it) or something that looks like a grass mat, etc. so I can take it off and wash it.

I like the "don't drink and drive" or "ride" thing-everyone would know it was my cooler! At our rallies we get back to the campground and park the scoots and then party. I really don't think many are out riding after they have been drinking. It's not like we all drink and hop on the scoots and tear thru town! I know of one guy who does that all the time, but that's another story.

The handles on the cooler have me stumped. If I make the cylinder with a flat top, will a large slit with finished edges work? I'm ditching the cup holder idea. I'll just have to figure something else out. I'll take the broken holder off and shim the screws with washers and go from there. I'm also still kicking around velcro on patch like signs. Interchangable ones.

Or maybe I could velcro on a tiki or more? Or scan and print on that heat transfer stuff for putting photos on pillows? Only scan something tiki, like, um, something tiki? Photoshop a mai tai label?

Keep sending ideas!!!

:drink:
Tacky

Cover the cooler with foam latex and hand mold it into a tiki. It's easier than you think.

Tacky, your cloth piece would look like this

With a half round cutout for the spout and 2 rectangular coutouts for the handles. Make a pattern out of some cheap cloth first (woven, not knit - it stretches too much)

Remember the flannel boards from the 60s? If you made your cover out of some sort of looped fabric (maybe fleece or some sort of upholstery fabric) then the hooked part of Velcro would stick to it. You could stick and remove pieces at will.

I think you're right about ditching the cup holder, it only complicates things.