So, I’ve been meaning to share this little project of mine for a while now – a portable beverage cooler. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done, and I think it’s pretty neat. Summer is just around the corner, and who doesn’t love a cold drink on a hot day, right?
First off, I went to look around online. Seemed that Target has a lot of choices. Some for same-day delivery, some for camping or picnics. Then I went to Wayfair and found something called “the best portable beverage coolers”. Sounded good but I don’t know. Best Buy has some small beverage coolers, and they even had a 40% off sale going on! That was tempting. And, of course, there’s DICK’S Sporting Goods selling YETI Coolers, but those are a bit pricey for me. Some other random site had something called an “Instant Beverage Cooler”. No idea what that is.
After looking around, I decided to build one myself. I started brainstorming what I had on hand. An old cooler, some basic tools. And I figured, why not try to make it a bit more, you know, portable?
The Building Process
I started by cleaning out the old cooler. It was a bit dusty, but nothing a little soap and water couldn’t fix. Next, I wanted to add some wheels. I found some old caster wheels from an office chair that no one used anymore, that I thought would be perfect. I drilled some holes in the bottom of the cooler and attached the wheels. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it worked!
- Step 1: Cleaned the cooler.
- Step 2: Found some old wheels.
- Step 3: Drilled holes and attached the wheels.
Then came the handle. I used an old broom handle. I cut it down to size and attached it to the side of the cooler with some metal brackets. Again, not the most elegant solution, but it was sturdy enough.
- Step 4: Cut a broom handle.
- Step 5: Attached it to the cooler with brackets.
After I was done with these, I put some cans of soda and beer and ice into the cooler. I found that it worked pretty well! The drinks were cold, and I could wheel the cooler around easily. It even had a digital temperature display, although I’m not sure how accurate it was. It was a bit heavy when fully loaded, but hey, that’s what the wheels are for, right? It kept the drinks cold for a good few hours, which is all I really needed.
I called my friends to come over, and we used it at a little backyard barbecue last weekend, and it was a hit! Everyone thought it was a cool little gadget, and it kept the drinks nice and cold. A few of them even asked me to make one for them. I don’t know, I do enjoy crafting, but it takes some effort, so I just laughed it off.
So, yeah, that’s my little portable beverage cooler project. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I might even add some more features in the future, like a cup holder or something. Anyway, if you’re looking for a fun little project, give it a try! It’s a good way to upcycle some old stuff and get a useful gadget out of it.
