The Complete Paint and Sip Supplies List (15 Essentials From a Studio Owner)

When you're buying paint and sip supplies for one painting at home, almost anything works. When you're buying for 20–30 guests every week, the wrong choice gets expensive and exhausting fast. This is the exact 15-item supplies list I pack into every Paint n Sip Designs event — the same list our members use inside the studio.

A quick note before we dive in: I haven't recommended specific brands, because availability and naming varies from country to country. Use this as a guide and pick the closest equivalents you can get your hands on locally.

1. Acrylic paint

Acrylic paints are the most versatile choice for paint and sip — fast drying, water-soluble while wet, and permanent once dry. A basic set of titanium white, mars black, primary red, primary yellow, cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, permanent rose pink and a burnt umber will let you mix almost any colour.

Look for student-grade 500ml bottles, which offer brilliant value for group classes. Always check the consistency — you want it smooth and thick, not watery.

2. Paint brushes — keep it to two

We keep it super simple with just two brushes — what we lovingly call our Daddy Brush and Baby Brush. We used to run a Mummy brush in between, but two is faster to teach with and quicker to clean up.

• Daddy Brush — a flat 3/4" brush for covering large areas
• Baby Brush — a small round brush for all the lovely details
• Keep brushes wet between strokes and never let acrylic dry in the bristles

3. Paint palette

Use something that's effortless at clean-up — paper plates work a treat. Go for a large 9-inch dinner-size plate so guests have room to mix paint without it bleeding into other colours.

4. Water jar

At home I use a glass jar, but for classes I use plastic — lightweight, stackable and unbreakable on a busy table. Re-use them: I'm still on the same box of plastic cups I bought 8 years ago. Go for pint size so there's enough water that the cup won't tip under the weight of a wet brush.

5. Blue roll

Blue roll (centrefeed paper towel) is the workhorse of any paint and sip session — wiping brushes, mopping spills, blotting excess water and cleaning palettes. It's far more absorbent and lint-free than regular kitchen roll. Buy it in bulk from a catering or cleaning supplier; one large roll easily covers several events.

6. Table easels

Compact and lightweight is the rule — you'll be carrying a stack of these to every venue. Avoid anything bulky or heavy; your back will thank you after event number three.

7. Table covers

Invest in heavy-duty, water-resistant covers you can reuse event after event. Dark covers look more professional in venue photos and hide paint splatter between cleans — a small detail that makes the whole room feel tidier.

8. Aprons

A beautiful branding opportunity — get your logo on them and you're walking marketing all night. They protect guests' clothes (which protects you from awkward dry-cleaning conversations). Avoid aprons with front pockets; guests will absolutely leave their phone, lipstick or earrings behind.

9. Large standing easel

This is yours — the easel you teach on at the front of the class. Invest in a decent sturdy one. A wobbly demo easel is the fastest way to lose authority in a room.

10. Clip-on lighting

Make sure it's wireless and rechargeable so you don't have cables snaking across the venue. Clip lights save events held in dim bars and atmospheric restaurants where the lighting is gorgeous but useless for painting. Always bring a spare in case one dies mid-class.

11. Magic sponge

Melamine foam sponges (the classic 'magic eraser') lift dried paint off table easels, plastic palettes and even some venue surfaces. Just add water — no chemicals needed. Keep one in your kit for quick clean-ups between sessions.

12. Pens

A standard biro — that's it. We only reach for these when a painting needs a stencil traced onto canvas before the class starts.

13. Carbon transfer paper

Carbon transfer paper lets you trace a printed outline directly onto a blank canvas — a huge time-saver when you're prepping 20+ canvases for a class. Place the carbon side down on the canvas, lay your printed design on top, and trace firmly with a biro. Reusable sheets last for dozens of transfers.

14. Printer

A home inkjet or laser printer is all you need — for outline templates, materials lists, and venue signage. A4 is fine; A3 is handy if you regularly work on larger canvases. All Paint n Sip Designs stencils are designed to print on standard A4 paper and transfer cleanly onto an A3 canvas.

15. Canvas

We use A3 stretched canvas as standard. It still feels like 'real art' to guests, it photographs beautifully on Instagram, and it's small enough to pack into a car boot in stacks of 20+ without taking over your life.

What you don't need (yet)

Skip artist-grade paint. Skip palette knives. Skip the £40 brush sets. None of them sell more seats. Spend the saved budget on better photos of your finished paintings — that's what actually fills your next event.

Want the painting to match the supplies?

Every painting in the Paint n Sip Designs library lists the exact colours and brushes used — so you can shop this list once and run a different design every week without rebuying a thing. Members also get the full materials guide with photos inside the studio.