Upcycling a Beverage Cooler into a Wine Bucket or Small Wine Cooler

How about a crazy easy summer time project that requires no tools or effort whatsoever? This is one of those ideas of mine that *almost* doesn’t warrant a blog post because it’s so dang simple. BUT- I’ve learned through your comments that even when I have a simple project idea, I should always publish it here on the blog. So, here we are…with a thrifted beverage cooler that I upcycled into a wine bucket or small wine cooler!

There I was at Habitat ReStore- looking for treasures and inspiration, as per the norm. And for whatever reason, my ReStore often has a decent selection of Thermos-type containers and coolers in various sizes.

Maybe because the store is frequented by builders and outdoor workers? I don’t know…

Anyway, one cooler stuck out among the others: this 1-gallon beverage cooler that was a pretty teal color.

It was neither vintage (i.e., valuable) or perfectly clean (slight ick), and the broken handle had been tucked inside. But, I loved the teal color and the tall-ish, narrow-ish shape reminded me of a wine bucket or small wine cooler.

If I upcycled it into a wine cooler, then the “ick” factor didn’t matter because my drink would never come in direct contact with it. And the broken handle was a moot point. A simple but sublime “related reuse” project that maybe fell just shy of a full-scale upcycle or repurpose. 

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Upcycling a Beverage Cooler into a Wine Bucket

So, here’s the thing- The beverage cooler didn’t need ANYTHING DONE TO IT, other than a good scrubbing in the sink. I could have just as easily done that, popped a bottle of rosé inside and surrounded it with ice. But OF COURSE, I needed to embellish it ever so slightly.

And how would I embellish it? Well, the phrase “It’s 5:00 somewhere!” kept bouncing around in my mind, no matter how hard I tried to come up with something else.

So, I decided to embrace that phrase but in my own dry-humor kind of way. I purchased a clock face stencil, fixed it to the outside of the cooler with painter’s tape, and grabbed basic white paint and my favorite stencil brushes (from this online shop).

I knew going into this that my stenciling might be subpar. The ridges on the beverage cooler prevented the clock face stencil from laying flat across the surface. But I went about my stenciling business anyway, hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

But, you know what? It wasn’t awful! Not perfectly crisp like I normally aim for, as the numerals had slightly fuzzy edges. But about as good as could be expected given the uneven surface.

Besides, it’s going to be a wine bucket and wine makes me a little fuzzy, too.

Now to make my clock say 5:00 permanently! (That’s my dry humor version of “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!”).

The clock face stencil didn’t come with hands, so I commandeered my arrows stencil, identified one of the smallest arrows, and carefully stippled paint until it read 5:00.

It worked like a charm! Now, I just needed to seal the stenciled paint with a couple of quick coats of a matte spray using my go-to trigger handle.

Wine Bucket / Small Wine Cooler with “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere” Sign

And that was it! Like I mentioned before, the stenciling was just a fun way to embellish it. But it’s certainly not a required step to repurpose a beverage cooler into a wine bucket or small wine cooler.

It’s perfect for those hot summer nights and hosting happy hour at home. And, because it’s a plastic beverage cooler, it’s not breakable, which is always a bonus on my book.

I’d love to hear how you’d personalize your own beverage-cooler-turned wine chiller in the comments below.

And you know what pairs nicely with a small wine cooler? Mosquito candles or citronella candles in upcycled vintage planters!

Craft on!

S

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