Quick answer: For a sip and paint at home you need, per person: one pre-primed canvas (11 x 14 or 12 x 16 inches is ideal), a tabletop easel, three brushes (a 1-inch flat, a medium filbert or flat, and a small round or liner), a palette or paper plate, a water cup, paper towels and an apron. For the group you need acrylic paint in a limited palette (about five to eight colors plus plenty of white), table covers, a reference image or video tutorial, and drinks and snacks. A ready-made kit bundles most of this.
What do you need for a sip and paint at home? Less than a full art studio, but more than a canvas and a bottle of wine. The difference between a smooth, fun night and a frustrating one usually comes down to the small items nobody thinks about until they are missing: enough white paint, a second water cup, something to hold wet canvases. This checklist covers every item, how much of each to buy, and where you can save.
If you would rather skip the shopping entirely, our roundup of sip and paint at home kits for adults compares bundled sets that cover a full date night or small group.
The Complete Sip and Paint Supplies Checklist
Per person
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-primed canvas or canvas panel | 1 (plus 1 spare per 4 guests) | 11 x 14 or 12 x 16 inches finishes comfortably in two to three hours |
| Tabletop easel | 1 | Optional; propping canvases on a book also works |
| Large flat brush (about 1 inch) | 1 | For backgrounds and skies |
| Medium flat or filbert | 1 | For main shapes |
| Small round or liner | 1 | For details, branches, signatures |
| Palette or sturdy paper plate | 1 | Coated plates resist soaking through |
| Water cup | 1 (2 is better) | Use a cup that looks nothing like a drinking glass |
| Paper towels | Several sheets | For blotting brushes |
| Apron or old shirt | 1 | Acrylic does not wash out once dry |
| Pencil | 1 | For a light sketch, if your design needs one |
For the group
- Acrylic paint in the colors your design needs, plus titanium white and black
- Table covering: plastic tablecloths, kraft paper or old sheets
- Reference: a printed sample, a finished example you painted, or a follow-along video
- Screen or laptop placed where everyone can see it, if using a video
- Painter’s tape for crisp edges or taped-off designs
- Baby wipes or a damp cloth for hands and spills
- Hair dryer (optional) to speed-dry backgrounds on a low, cool setting
- Trash bags and a spot to rinse brushes
- Drinks, glasses and snacks, kept on a separate table from paint
What Is Needed for Sip and Paint: Choosing the Paint
Acrylic is the standard for sip and paint because it dries quickly, cleans up with water and is affordable in large quantities. Within acrylics, you have a few choices:
| Paint type | Good for | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Craft acrylic (2 oz bottles) | Parties, kids, budget groups | Lower pigment; may need two coats for coverage |
| Student-grade tube acrylic | Most at-home sip and paint nights | Good balance of coverage and cost |
| Artist-grade acrylic | Keen painters, small groups | Richer color; pricier for a crowd |
| Heavy-body vs fluid | Heavy-body for texture, fluid for smooth skies | Most beginners find soft or medium body easiest |
How much paint per person?
For an 11 x 14 canvas, plan on roughly a teaspoon or two of each color per person, and about double that for white, since white gets mixed into almost everything. Background colors that cover the whole canvas need more than accent colors. Buying white in a larger tube or bottle avoids the most common shortage of the night.
A versatile starter palette
If you are not following a set design, this palette mixes almost anything:
- Titanium white (large)
- Mars or carbon black
- Cadmium yellow (or a hue version)
- Cadmium red or a warm red
- Ultramarine or phthalo blue
- A magenta or quinacridone pink, for sunsets
- Burnt sienna or burnt umber, for earthy tones
Choosing Canvases
Three formats are common:
- Stretched canvas: fabric on a wooden frame. Looks finished, hangs easily and feels like a “real” painting. Slightly pricier.
- Canvas panels: canvas glued to board. Cheaper, flatter and easy to stack, but needs a frame or easel to display.
- Pre-sketched canvases: outlines printed on the surface, great for groups who are nervous about drawing.
Stick to one size for the whole group so everyone moves through the steps at the same pace. Bigger canvases look impressive but can stretch a two-hour night to three or more.
Choosing Brushes
Inexpensive synthetic brush sets are perfect. Synthetic filaments handle acrylic well and survive vigorous rinsing. You really only need three shapes per person:
- A wide flat covers a background in minutes and blends sky gradients.
- A medium flat or filbert builds trees, buildings and petals.
- A small round or liner handles branches, stars, grass and lettering.
Extras that are fun but optional: a fan brush for trees and grass, sponges or cotton swabs for stippling and dot flowers, and an old toothbrush for splatter stars.
Supplies People Forget
- A drying spot. Clear a counter or floor area to lay wet canvases flat at the end.
- Extra water. Rinse water turns muddy fast. A pitcher for refills saves trips to the sink.
- Light. Dim mood lighting looks great but makes colors hard to judge. Add a lamp near the table.
- Coasters or a drink zone. Keep drinks off the painting table to avoid the classic brush-in-the-wine moment.
- A trash plan for paint. Wipe palettes into the trash rather than rinsing large amounts of acrylic down the sink.
- Name labels. Masking tape on the back of each canvas prevents mix-ups.
Budget Options: DIY vs Kit
| Approach | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy everything separately | Larger groups, repeat hosts | Choose exact colors; leftovers for next time | More shopping; easy to forget items |
| Pre-packed kit | Couples, small groups, first-timers | Everything matched to one design; minimal planning | Less flexible; cost per person can be higher |
| Hybrid | Most hosts | Use a kit’s design and canvases, add your own extra white and brushes | Some planning required |
Ways to save without hurting the experience: use paper plates as palettes, prop canvases on books instead of buying easels, reuse yogurt containers as water cups, and buy paint in larger bottles to share across stations.
Paint and Sip Ideas at Home That Match Your Supplies
Choose a design that fits the palette you have, not the other way around.
- Five colors plus white: sunset with palm silhouettes, moonlit lake, lavender field.
- Primaries plus white and black: abstract color blocks, a bold sunflower, a city skyline at dusk.
- Two colors plus white: monochrome blue ocean waves, a single-color floral, a pink cherry blossom branch.
- Taped designs: geometric mountains or a stained-glass pattern using painter’s tape.
Easy paint and sip ideas for adults with minimal supplies
Dot-painted flowers made with brush ends, splatter-star galaxies with a toothbrush, and sponge-dabbed trees all need nothing beyond the basic checklist and look striking on the wall.
Adjusting the List for Your Group
Date night for two
Two canvases, one shared palette (or two plates), one set of paints and two sets of brushes are plenty. A fun twist is buying two canvases that form one image when hung side by side, so each person paints half of the scene. Since there are only two of you, artist-grade paint becomes affordable and noticeably more pleasant to use.
Kids or mixed-age families
Swap to washable kids’ acrylic or tempera for younger children, use smaller canvases (8 x 10 inches) so they finish before attention fades, and add smocks or oversized T-shirts. Chunky brushes and sponges are easier for small hands than a fine liner. Keep the “sip” to juice and hot chocolate, and put a plastic sheet under chairs.
Larger groups of eight or more
Buy paint in bigger bottles and set up shared paint stations every two or three seats instead of individual palettes. Add a second water cup per person; at this size, nobody wants to wait for the sink. A helper who can refill water and hand out paper towels keeps things moving.
Optional Upgrades Worth Considering
- Acrylic retarder or slow-drying medium: keeps paint workable longer for smoother sky blends.
- Stay-wet palette: stops paint skinning over during breaks.
- Gloss or satin varnish: for guests who want to protect their piece once it has dried for a few days.
- Metallic or glow paint: a small accent color that makes a simple design feel special.
- Small LED desk lamps: even, bright light at each station if the room is dim.
When to Shop: A Simple Timeline
- One to two weeks before: choose the design, count guests, order canvases and paint, especially if ordering online.
- Three to five days before: paint a practice version to confirm colors and quantities.
- Two days before: buy food, drinks, paper towels and table covers.
- The day of: set up stations and squeeze paint just before guests arrive.
Setting Up Each Station
- Cover the table edge to edge and tape the cover down.
- Place the canvas on its easel, with the brushes laid on a paper towel to its right (or left, for lefties).
- Squeeze paint onto each palette just before guests sit down, arranged in the same order at every seat. Keep white in the largest pile.
- Fill water cups halfway; full cups spill.
- Put the reference image where everyone can see it.
- Set an apron on each chair as a clear signal of where to sit.
Paint and Sip Tutorial at Home: A Simple Running Order
Once your supplies are ready, a basic flow keeps the night on track:
- Background (20 to 30 minutes): sky, wall color or base gradient across the whole canvas.
- Dry break (10 to 15 minutes): refill drinks, use the hair dryer if impatient.
- Main shapes (30 to 45 minutes): silhouettes, flowers, buildings.
- Details and highlights (20 to 30 minutes): fine lines, dots, light catches.
- Sign and display (5 to 10 minutes): line paintings up for a photo.
Storing Leftover Supplies for Next Time
Most hosts end up with half-used tubes and spare canvases, which makes the second party much cheaper. Wipe tube threads clean before capping so lids do not glue shut, store paint upright away from heat and freezing temperatures, and keep brushes dry and flat or bristles up in a jar. Canvases store best wrapped in their original plastic and kept upright so the fabric does not dent.
Cleanup Supplies and Tips
- Rinse brushes in clean water, then wash with mild dish soap, reshape and lay flat to dry.
- Never let acrylic dry in brushes; it hardens and ruins the bristles.
- Scrape excess paint from palettes into the trash before washing.
- Treat fresh spills on fabric with water immediately; dried acrylic on clothes is very hard to remove.
FAQs
What is needed for sip and paint?
Canvases, acrylic paints, three brushes per person, palettes, water cups, paper towels, aprons, table covers, a reference design and drinks and snacks.
What paint is best for sip and paint?
Acrylic paint, because it dries fast, cleans up with water and is affordable. Student-grade tube acrylics offer good coverage for the price.
What size canvas is best for a sip and paint at home?
11 x 14 or 12 x 16 inches works well for a two to three hour session. Smaller canvases suit kids or quick sessions; 16 x 20 suits longer nights.
Do I need easels for sip and paint?
They help, but they are not essential. Painting flat on the table or propping the canvas on a stack of books works fine.
How many brushes does each person need?
Three is enough: a large flat, a medium flat or filbert and a small round or liner.
What is sip and paint?
A social painting session where a group follows step-by-step instructions to paint the same picture while enjoying drinks, either at a studio or at home.
Next Step
With the checklist above, you can gather everything for a home sip and paint in one shopping trip, or less. Start with canvases, plenty of white paint and three good brushes per person, and build out from there.
For the quickest route to a ready-to-go night, compare these at-home painting kits made for adult date nights and pick one that matches your group size.
