A paint and sip birthday is one of the few group activities where the introverts and the extroverts both leave happy. Painting keeps the shy half occupied; drinks, playlist and a bit of a mess keep the loud half fed. If you're planning one in London and want to skip the logistics, book a London paint and sip birthday at DWTN from £34 per head. If you want to do it yourself, this is the working plan.
Two paths from here: DIY at home for 6–10 close mates, or book a table at a DWTN sip and paint London night for 6–30. Both work; they solve different problems.
DIY at home vs booked-in — which one
- Group of 6–10 close friends, chill vibe, low budget: DIY works.
- Group of 12+, or a mix of friends who don't all know each other, or you want a dancefloor after: book it in.
- Birthday person likes hosting: DIY.
- Birthday person wants to actually enjoy their own party: book it in.
The DIY plan (6–10 people, ~£15–£25 per head)
1. Venue
Your kitchen or living room. Move the rug. Put down a plastic sheet or old bedsheets. You will get paint on things.
2. Materials
- Canvases: 20x25cm from Hobbycraft or Amazon — around £2–£4 each.
- Acrylic paints: a starter set covers 8 people. Get at least red, blue, yellow, white, black.
- Brushes: two sizes per person, one flat, one round.
- Paper plates as palettes, jam jars for water, kitchen roll for mistakes.
- Aprons or old shirts — non-optional.
3. Reference image
Pick one image everyone paints. Something with clear shapes and bold colours — Basquiat, a movie poster, an album cover. Don't pick a portrait for a first-timer group; noses are hard and someone will cry.
4. Food and drink
Grazing board — cheese, olives, bread, dips. Anything hot needs someone to cook it, and that someone won't paint. Prosecco, beer, one non-alcoholic option for every guest.
5. Playlist
Two hours of RnB and Afrobeats works. Nothing chart-topping brand new — people can't sing along and it doesn't lift a room.
6. Timings
3 hours end-to-end: 30 min setup and drinks, 90 min painting, 60 min food and party after. Longer than that and you'll lose the room.
The two things that always go wrong at DIY
- Nobody wants to be the teacher. Guests need direction (what to paint first, when to add a second colour) and it always falls to the host. Solution: watch a YouTube walkthrough of the reference image the day before, or hand the room a printout with three steps.
- The cleanup. Acrylic dries fast and it doesn't come off carpet. Non-negotiable: plastic sheet under everything, and wash brushes immediately after painting or they're bin.
Or: book DWTN and don't host anything
DWTN sip and paint London nights run out of BrewDog Chancery Lane most weekends. £34 for the class (canvas, paints, brushes, apron, artist-led), £55 for Full Brunch (adds food and a drink), £20 for the Party Ticket (entry to the after-party once painting's done). Guided by our artists so nobody has to figure out where the eyes go. Aprons provided. Playlist covered. Cleanup not your problem.
For a birthday group, book everyone on the same event, then email us via contact with the birthday name and group size — we'll seat you together and save wall space. Age restriction is 18+; if it's a kids' birthday, DWTN isn't your fit — go DIY at home.
In one line
DIY if you want to host, book DWTN if you want to actually enjoy your own birthday. Either way, aprons.