The links in this post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission (at no expense to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.
DIY – How to Host Your Own Paint and Sip Party for Your Family and Friends
Winter months can seem very long when it’s too bitterly cold to have fun outside. As a way to keep my family entertained this Winter, I create a Family Fun Night every 3-4 weeks. These Family Fun Nights are held at our house and are always fun for everyone.
Our February Family Fun Night was a Paint and Sip Evening. Well, a Paint, Sip and Snack Evening to be precise. It gave us all a chance to hang out together, have a bunch of laughs, and create something we don’t normally do – that’s what made it even more fun.
If you’re looking for something to do with your family, give this a try! Here’s how to create a DIY – Paint and Sip Party. I hope you have as much fun as we did!
The links in this post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission (at no expense to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.
What You Will Need
- Paint Easels (one for each person)
The easels we used can hold a canvas in either landscape or portrait orientation – very cool! - Paint Canvases or Stretched Paint Canvases (one for each person)
We used the 8×10 inch canvases, but you could choose a larger size if you’d like - Paint Brushes
- Paint Palette
- Acrylic Paint
We used a set that included the brushes, palettes, and paint - Water Cup
- Paint Knives (optional)
- Pencils (one for each person, for sketching)
- Art Frame Table Cloth
- Sample of painting for the night (optional, but very helpful)
- Variety of Beverage Glasses
I purchased a variety of clear glasses from thrift stores so everyone could choose their own glass - Cocktail Bar Set
- Cocktail Mixers
We used the Cocktail Artist mixers, the name of these mixers was perfect for an art party - Various Alcohol (whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila, rum) or Drink Mixers (sour soda, tonic water, sparkling grape juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, etc.)
- Snacks (if you want to make this a Paint, Sip, and Snack Party)
What You Do
- At least an hour before your guests arrive, you’ll want to set up your Paint space – a dining room table or center island can work well, depending on how many people will be attending. Cover the surface with a table cloth, then place an easel, canvas, pack of brushes, paint palette, water cup (filled with water), and a pencil at each place setting. Place a paint set in between two place settings for people to share.
TIP:If you want, you could paint index cards ahead of time with each person’s name on the card, and use these cards as placecards. This is optional, but makes it more personal for your guests.
TIP:Ask each guest to bring a snack to share – that way you won’t have to do all the preparation, and everyone will have a variety of snacks to choose from.
TIP:If you’re not typically a painter, I highly recommend watching video tutorials for painting on YouTube – there are tons of videos to help you! Use that video before the party to create your sample painting, and to help you learn how to do the presentation. If you’re really uncomfortable leading your group, you can choose to just play the video tutorial on a laptop or computer screen and have your guests follow the tutorial instead. For larger groups, you can also project the YouTube video tutorial onto a large television screen for easier viewing.
TIP: We used an abstract heart as our painting theme – it was fitting since our party was a few days before Valentine’s Day, and abstract art is much easier (and more comfortable) for most people to paint.
TIP:You know your guests best. Make the evening relaxed and enjoyable, with no pressure to create perfect paintings. The idea is just to have fun together making something.
Additional Notes
- Play a Video Tutorial – There are many painting video tutorials on YouTube available. As I mentioned above, use the tutorial to create your sample painting before the party and to ‘teach’ you what to present, or play the video tutorial for your guests the night of your party. By having a painting that is guided by someone, your guests will feel much more at ease and not feel the pressure to paint something off the cuff. This video tutorial is the one I used. I watched it several days before our party, then led our guests without playing the video at the party. I liked the interaction with our guests better this way.
- Display a Color Wheel – Display a color wheel on a laptop or computer screen to help people see which colors work well together. Here’s the color wheel I displayed on screen (click to enlarge so you can display this during your party).
- Take Photos – Make sure to take photos of everyone holding their masterpieces at the end of the evening. Ah… the memories!
- Send Invitations – I created a private Family Fun Facebook Group for our family members. This is where I share our Family Fun Events and invite everyone. If your family uses Facebook, you might want to do the same. If you prefer, you could also send invitations by mail – for example, paint one side of a blank postcard with an abstract design, then include the written details of your party on the other side. Pop your postcards in the mail and wait for the RSVPs.
- Schedule Time In Advance – I share our monthly Family Fun Events with our family about 3-4 weeks before each event so everyone can plan accordingly. You’ll want to find a day and time that works best for your family, and plan on the painting portion of this evening to last 2-hours. Two hours allows everyone to relax into the activity, and is short enough to keep everyone’s interest. If there’s time after the guided portion of painting, have extra canvases and let everyone experiment on their own.
Photos from Our Paint and Sip Evening
Click any image to enlarge and to see comments. Hope you enjoy the photos!
The table cloth was perfect! Guests had fun doodling in the frames, and they loved all the supplies.
We used several vintage store display frames from my vintage shop and made signs for each ‘station’. Fun!
The supplies worked out great for our party!
The table looked great and everything worked out well for all the guests.
Our Sip Station!
The bar shaker set was a huge hit with everyone -especially those who had never used one before. “Shaken… not stirred.”
I found Cocktail Artist mixers – thought the name was perfect for this party.
I wrote down the recipes on how to make a variety of drinks. This let everyone be their own cocktail artist!
Oranges, Lemons, and Limes for zesting into cocktails.
We had a mix of alcohol and non-alcohol mixers for guests to use – along with tasty garnishes.
The Snack Station. Photo was taken before the party started, so not many snacks yet until everyone brought something to share.
Everyone had a great time painting their works of art while sipping their own cocktails and enjoying snacks. A fun evening!
The abstract heart sample to help get people started with painting.
If you decide to host your own Paint and Sip Party, share in a comment below – I’d love to hear how it went!
Save on Pinterest!
Related Posts
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
About Me
Hi! I’m JayDee. Eclectic entrepreneur and business owner, adventurer, hobby photographer, mentor, creative thinker, computer geek, serious plant lover, and home decor fanatic. I dream in black and white.
I always thought it would be fun to publish a magazine – this website is the next best thing. Read more at About Me.
Recent Articles
- Shop Fun Finds For You and Your Home – Roundup #154
- A Kitchen Gadget I Never Knew We Needed… Until Now – the Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 XL Air Fry Oven
- How to Set Up a Home Cocktail Bar
- Letterboard Ideas, Quotes, and Sayings – Week #43
- Shop Fun Finds For You and Your Home – Roundup #153
- Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail Recipe
Here’s what you need to do to host an at-home painting party:
Having a painting party is a great way to spend an evening, and it’s not as hard as you might think.
- Tropical paradise – perfect for summertime parties! Think bright colors and palm trees.
- Under the sea – perfect for kids or adults who want to tap into their inner child.
- Winter wonderland – great for holiday parties or getting into the winter spirit.
- Rustic chic – perfect for those who love all things shabby chic.
- Hollywood glam – great for girls’ night in or a fun way to add some glamour to your party.
Once you’ve chosen a theme, the next step is to select the right colors to go along with it.
This is where things can get really fun – you can either choose colors that match your theme or go completely rogue and use colors that you love but don’t necessarily match the theme.
Either way, have fun with it and make sure to have plenty of options available so that everyone can find something they love.
Invite Your Friends
The best way to get your friends involved in your painting party is to send out invitations early and give them plenty of time to respond.
You can use sites like Facebook or Eventbrite to create and send your invitations, or you can go the old-fashioned route and mail out paper invitations.
You should also make sure to include all the pertinent information in your invitations, such as the date and time of the party, your address, and what you’ll be providing (e.g., drinks, snacks, paint, etc.).
It’s also a good idea to give your guests a sense of what you’ll be painting, so they can dress appropriately and be prepared with any supplies they might need.
For example, if you’re planning on painting a landscape, your guests might want to wear clothes that they don’t mind getting a little paint on.
And if you’re planning on painting a still life, they might want to bring along some objects that they’d like to use as props.
Once you’ve sent out your invitations and your guests have RSVP’d, you can start planning the rest of your party.
Set Up Your Space
Assuming you have sufficient space in your home, you’ll want to set up an area for painting that is well-ventilated and has good natural lighting.
If you have an empty room that you can use, great! If not, you can clear out a large space in your living room or basement.
Just make sure to cover any furniture or flooring that you don’t want to get paint on.
Next, you’ll need to gather all of the supplies you’ll need for your painting party. The supply list can include:
- paint
- paintbrushes
- cups, for water
- rags or paper towels
- canvases
- easels
- smocks
You can also purchase a painting party kit to make things even easier.
Once you have everything gathered, set it all up in your painting area so that your guests can easily find and access everything they need.
How to Host a DIY Paint Party Night
I’m going to show you exactly how to host a DIY paint party night that your friends will talk about for years to come. Trust me, by the end of this post you’ll be ready to send out the invites!
1. Send Out the Invites
A simple group text or evite works just fine – there’s no need to bust out the fancy stationery…unless you really want to! Pick a day and time at least a few weeks out and let people know when to come over and what to bring,
Should I Charge for my At-Home Paint Party?
Whether you want to charge or not for the paint party is up to you. You may feel like you want a few “trial” runs before charging. However, in this case, I certainly recommend asking your attendees to help cover the cost of supplies at a minimum. Your friends love you and want to support you – and you are worth it!!
2. Decide What You Will Teach
Now you’ll need to figure out what art you’ll teach your friends to paint. Here are a few of my favorite ideas to get you started:
- DIY Hand Painted Camper
- Painted Flamingo – you can even text me at 817-373-5478 for a copy of the template!
- Easy Rooster or Chicken Design
- Starry Night
Want even more awesome ideas? Join me inside Paint Party Headquarters, my online class where I teach you how to make money teaching paint parties in person and online! You’ll get access to a ton of materials, including lots of ideas for what to paint and step-by-step directions for teaching that piece.
3. Shop for Supplies and Get Them Ready
Shop for paint party supplies including:
- canvas
- paintbrushes
- acrylic or latex paint
- painter’s tape (optional)
- snacks and beverages of your choice.
4. Host the Party!
On the day of the event, set up a table with the materials and snacks for your guests.
Then, once your guests arrive, it’s painting time! Walk them through how to paint the design and provide instructions on basics like how to mix paints, as well as other tips like how much paint you’ll need and what brushes are best.
Things you may think are “too basic” are exactly what your guests want to hear! They are there to relax and have a good time painting – make it easy for them.
And that’s it! See how simple that was? You just learned how to host a DIY paint party night from your home!
Again, I invite you to Join me inside Paint Party Headquarters where not only will you learn in more detail how to host events both in person and online, but you’ll have an entire sisterhood cheering you on as you go. It’s the best!
