Is the ‘Paint and Prosecco’ phenomenon worth the hype? Niamh Reade compares the pros and cons of attending one of these events, and hosting one of your own at home.
If your Instagram explore page is anything like mine, it is covered in an array of pastel painted wine glasses and easels upon easels of prosecco-fuelled, roughly sketched cactuses, all set to the soundtrack of Sabrina Carpenter. You are officially on the ‘paint and prosecco’ side of your feed. If you're like me and you're easily swayed by a good Instagram story, this may have sparked your interest. It caught my attention while thinking of a cute activity for my roommates and I to celebrate my upcoming 22nd birthday. My excitement quickly fizzled out like stale champagne, upon reviewing the hefty price tag that accompanies such an event. Faced with a dwindling disposable income, we turned to Aldi's range of low-cost prosecco, accompanied by plastic glasses, a set of Eurogiant paintbrushes and non-waterproof paints. We went down the DIY route to test if the ‘paint and prosecco’ phenomenon is worth the pennies.
Faced with a dwindling disposable income issue, we turned to Aldi's range of low-cost prosecco, accompanied by plastic glasses, a set of Eurogiant paintbrushes and non-waterproof paints.
The first issue we quickly encountered was that none of us were particularly artistically gifted. With our budget-friendly paints that did not withstand the dishwasher, damp living conditions (the perks of being a student) and the lack of feeling in our toes, the environment didn’t necessarily scream ‘Instagramable’.
However, we persevered. As my friend Rachel and I struggled to execute our creative vision on the plastic glasses and our artwork quickly morphed into a profoundly muddy blob, Dearbhaile exceeded expectations. The activity revealed a creative side to the commerce student we hadn't seen before and frankly took us all by surprise. With a feeling of discontent after our failed stint at painting and the prosecco long gone, we quickly lost interest and turned to the movie playing on the screen instead. At the same time, Dearbhaile continued to indulge in her newfound talent. While the evening wasn't a complete failure, as we now had four new brightly painted plastic glasses that can't be washed, we also did not leave the confines of our student house and continued to live our increasingly reclusive lifestyle.
Upon further research, however, this fun girls' night activity doesn't have to break your student bank account. Howrad Studios, an Irish-owned small business specialising in creating the cutest array of accessories, has recently branched out to running ‘Girls’ Night’ events. Their most recent glass painting and cocktails evening was not one to miss, held in the Doll Society cocktail bar on Francis Street. For a very reasonable €48 per person, guests received one cocktail and all of the art supplies necessary for decorating their glass. This includes the wine glass, instructions and inspiration pictures because, despite what you see online, executing the vision is actually quite difficult. Howrad Studios is looking for more locations across Ireland to expand their Girls’ Nights events, making it the ideal present to give someone over the holiday season. Keep an eye on the Howrad’s socials on Instagram and Tiktok to find out more information on upcoming events and, of course, their wide array of gifting options designed and produced here in Ireland!
Ultimately, our final thoughts revealed that while we perfectly enjoyed our quiet, low-cost night in, events like those held by Howrad studios offer an elevated experience, if you are willing to spend the money. Attending one of these organised paint and prosecco events allows you to meet new people that you wouldn't have necessarily met before and makes the experience much more memorable. Coming up to Christmas, paint and prosecco evenings could be the perfect present, a generally good night out, and, as we concluded, worth the extra splurge that breaks up the monotony of cold winter nights.