DIY Horse Drink Stirrers

DIY Horse Drink Stirrers

This weekend I’m off to the Derby! Yep, I was invited down to Louisville for the 147th Kentucky Derby. Of all the opportunities that IBC has brought me, I never dreamed that going to the Derby would be one of them. I’m both excited and humbled to be going. I’ll be sharing things on Instagram and Snapchat (@inspiredbycharm) throughout the weekend, so feel free to follow along.

To get ready for the weekend, I thought I’d post a couple simple Derby Day ideas here on IBC. First up are these DIY Horse Drink Stirrers.

In case you didn’t know, the Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race (that lasts about 2 minutes) at Churchill Downs. This event has birthed lots of traditions, including bright and colorful outfits, outlandish hats, and

the mint julep.

While the mint julep is probably the most well-known derby drink, there are several other libations to help celebrate the event. I thought it’d be fun and fitting to create coordinating cocktail couture to embellish your derby drink of your choice.

I spotted some horse drink stirrers for sale online. Instead of buying a set, I decided to make my own version. Say hello to my DIY Horse Drink Stirrers.

Other than a fresh sprig of mint, there’s nothing else I’d rather have in my glass while watching the race and cheering on the horses. In fact, I plan to sneak these into my luggage and pop them into my drinks at the derby. Too fun, right?

And as you might have guessed, they are simple to make. Let me show you.

You will need:

Plastic miniature horses

Plastic drink stirrers

Drill with #8 drill bit

Gold spray paint

E6000 glue

Begin by drilling a hole in the bottom of your plastic horse. (I found my horses here.) It’s best to use a grip or vise to hold the horse while drilling instead of just holding the horse in your hand. Safety first.

You only need to drill about 1/4 of the way into the horse. That will be deep enough to secure the drink stirrer.

With the horses drilled, coat them evenly with gold spray paint. (If you anticipate that the horse will come in contact with your drink, use a food safe spray paint.) I used this gold spray paint which is my favorite gold.

When the horses are dry, add a bit of E6000 glue to the top of your plastic drink stirrers and insert one into each of the pre-drilled holes.

Allow the glue to dry completely, and your Horse Drink Stirrers are ready to go.

Too perfect, right?

Naturally, you can use any combination of colors to create your stirrers. However, when I have the chance to paint something gold, you know I’m going to take it.

Plus, I felt that the combination of gold with the clear stirrers was classic and would match well with any cocktail. What do you think? I also love the mix of metals with my

copper mint julep glasses.

Even if you aren’t watching the derby this weekend, these DIY drink stirrers can make any party a bit more fun. Get creative and use different animals like dinosaurs, unicorns, or cats. Crazy Cat Lady party? Um, yes please!

I hope you enjoyed this easy DIY. Tomorrow I’ll be back with a unique derby drink just in case Mint Juleps aren’t your jam. Stay tuned.

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