Looking for something unique to offer this coming spring for your paint and sip clientele? Consider a sip and plant spring workshop as a unique painting event and something that ties into the season perfectly.
Recently, I attended a local paint a pot class at a venue that while not paint and sip also serves wine. As always, it got me thinking about how this concept could be applied to help business owners who read my columns. Since the venue also has a small winery, and most of us had a glass of wine in hand, it seemed obvious that this could be a unique idea for paint and sip businesses to add to their event schedule.
Painting and Planting Spring Workshops
Instead of canvas for your paint and sip event, you’ll be using a terra cotta pot (medium sized). You’ll need:
- One terra cotta pot for each participant.
- Stencils and idea books for painting pots.
- Acrylic paints.
- Brushes.
- Glasses of water to keep brushes clean between colors.
- Rags.
- Paper bags for participants to put pots on in their trunks in case they aren’t completely dry at the end of the night.
- A plant for each person to take home.
Basically, you’ll need similar supplies as you’d need for any paint and sip event with the addition of the pots and a plant for each pot. Encourage participants to get creative with their designs. Some of the best ideas I saw at our event included:
- A landscape scene with a mountain stream
- Pot made to look like a little cottage with painted moss and a door on one side
- Beautiful flowers
- Quotes and sayings with flowers and butterflies
- An ocean scene complete with lighthouse
They really can paint anything they’d like, or you can already have a design outlined for them.
Ideas for Sip
You can either serve wine with the event or add some unique sangria mixes with a garden theme. For example, a blueberry sangria with fresh mint leaves.
Make some garden style snacks, such as:
- Cucumber sandwiches
- Fruit kabobs
- Pudding with crushed Oreas and gummy worms (dirt sundae)
- Lemonade spritzers with sweet wines, etc.
You don’t have to serve a full meal, but some snacks are almost always appreciated and also allow the painted pots some extra time to dry.
Why It’s Important to Offer Fresh Events
While you can easily change up the type of canvas painting being offered, there does come a point where your current clientele will begin to think they don’t have room for one more canvas. Offering something different than what your competitors are offering gives you an edge. While past customers might not want another canvas, a flower pot, door sign, or other item is unique and can be used elsewhere inside or outside of the home.
