How To Throw A Painting Party With Friends To Give Your Home A Fresh Look
Let's be honest, painting a room is probably a chore you've been putting off for some time. Whether you've just moved into a new home or you're looking to give the kitchen a refresh, painting is an inexpensive and fairly easy way to give a space new life. But the job, more often than not, can be less than enjoyable. For an average room that's about 120 square feet, the entire process can take between five and seven hours, says Property Club, including prep and cleanup.
It's really the tedious and sometimes strenuous labor involved that makes painting a room unenjoyable. Of course, having more hands will make the process go much faster. Gathering a group of friends and family to aid in the painting is the ideal option. A painting party can help you move through the process faster and allows the ones you love to be part of creating your home, but you, as the host, have to make the experience enticing. As any good host knows, you want to offer your guests a good time, especially since they're providing manual labor in return.
Set your guest list
Like any good party, you need to create a guest list. With a painting party, though, it will take a little more thought than just inviting your closest friends. You'll want to appeal to people who will actually be helpful with getting the job done. Anyone who has a tendency to stand around, distract others, or complain may not be the best guest for this soiree. Extend the invitation to your most reliable friends so you don't end up with the promise of helpers and only half of them showing up on the day.
Be sure to consider the kind of work they'll produce. This isn't to say they need to be professionals, yet people who put in low effort or sloppy work shouldn't be on your list either. While it may seem like the criteria are stacking up, sticking to them will ultimately save you and the other guests from doing extra work. It's also good to imagine how guests will get along. Two feuding friends in one room can make for a tense few hours.
Invite the number of people that's proportionate to the job you want done. Four people for an entire house is asking way too much for one painting party, but ten people for a single room will have everyone too cramped. Three to four people per room should suffice so everyone has their own space to work without feeling overwhelmed.
Prep for the party
When you start to invite guests, explain exactly what the day will entail, as there are other types of painting parties. Make it clear that you're asking for help to paint the walls of a room or rooms and not inviting them over to sip wine and artfully adorn canvases. This is also the point to remind them to wear clothes they don't mind getting covered in splatter. And it's best to make arrangements for kids and pets to be away from the house for the day to prevent little feet and paws from running through the work area or stepping in paint.
As the host of a painting party, you'll want to gather everything your guests will need for the job in advance. This means rollers, brushes, trays, tape, tarps, and, of course, paint. Do as much of the initial prep as possible before guests arrive, such as moving furniture either out or to the center of the room. If something is heavy enough to require assistance, you can wait for help. Lay down tarps and supplies for every room being painted. If you're refreshing multiple rooms throughout the house, this will ensure there aren't any accidental swaps. And if you're painting an accent wall in the same room in a different color, it's worth painting a swatch to indicate where you want each shade as well as placing the correct color gallon next to the wall it should be on.
Create a party-like atmosphere
With a painting party, you're shooting for an equal balance of fun and work. Play music or a movie while you paint. These can help pass the time, especially if you're planning on working for most of the day. A little entertainment will make the work feel less tedious.
Don't forget to feed your guests, too! Offer snacks when they first arrive — a nice breakfast before you start will help fuel everyone for the day ahead. Have a scheduled break in the middle of the day for lunch. Treat guests to pizza, sandwiches, or other food that's easy and fairly quick to eat. Ask everyone to sit and relax from being on their feet all day, and give them time after they finish eating to digest a bit before going back to work. It's also not a bad idea to have snacks like individual bags of chips or granola bars that people can munch on throughout the day.
In terms of having alcohol at your painting party, you'll probably want to wait until the end. Starting too early can lead to a drunken mess or sloppy work. Once the painting is done or it's the end of the day, have a drink if you wish. You can use it to celebrate and wind down from a day of hard work before everyone goes home.