It’s time to gather the paint, rhinestones, and glitter!
Sorority paddles are a symbol of sisterhood and house pride. They’re often given as presents for special occasions like a Big welcoming their Little during initiation or for a special birthday. The best part about giving a sorority paddle as a gift is that they’re often decorated to reflect your sister’s interests. The more effort you put into your paddle’s design, the more your sister is bound to love it. The problem is coming up with something cute and unique on the spot. Luckily, you can always turn to sorority paddle ideas on TikTok for inspiration.
Think of TikTok as a secondary sorority sis who is always ready to come in clutch. With a simple search, you can find rush week inspo, Big Little reveal ideas, and now, sorority paddle ideas. In fact, TikTok has a ton of creative ideas you can use when crafting your sister’s paddle to make it one of a kind. Try something super artsy with lots of paint and glitter or go for a paddle that will make your sister LOL with all the inside jokes.
Between all the painting hacks and design ideas, you’re sure to find something from this list of nine sorority paddle TikToks that will help you out with your own project. You may even want to recreate some of these paddles, but put your own personal spin on them with your sister’s name, your letters, and a quote she’ll love. Whatever you decide, you’ll have a picture-perfect paddle in no time, thanks to TikTok.
If you’re painting your paddle, try using some painter’s tape to help create clean lines. You could even tape off some cool shapes and do a collage design like TikToker @acoop317. By marking off different areas, @acoop317 is able to paint a variety of patterns within one paddle. The use of purple colors also gives this design a very Sour by Olivia Rodrigo feel.
If you and your sister happen to love the same movie, you could make a paddle inspired by that film. TikToker @wandi9 ended up making this Great Gatsby-inspired paddle for her sister’s 21st birthday complete with the quote “a little party never killed nobody.” If you want to be inspired by a movie you love, paint a quote from that film on your paddle as well. Some great ideas include a pink paddle with a Mean Girls quote on it or a yellow plaid paddle with a Clueless quote.
Make your paddle stand out by making it pop out (literally). This party paddle design from TikToker @maisonderoja has cups and ping pong balls glued to it so it’s 3D. Feel free to glue on as many fun things to your paddle as well so it’s really eye-catching. If you need some ideas for things to glue on, try furry pom-poms ($3, JOANN) and fake flowers ($3, JOANN).
If you and your sis love keeping up with the Kardashians, you’ll adore this Kardashian-themed paddle. TikToker @crackpiper made some homemade stickers of iconic Kardashian pics, moments, and quotes to stick onto the paddle along with some gemstone stickers ($4, Michaels). This is a great idea you can replicate not just for the Kardashians but for any celebrity your sister may be into.
If you’re extra crafty, challenge yourself to make a geode paddle. This design from TikToker @misslalabad is absolutely gorgeous. You’ll want to first create the crystal look by clumping together various crystal gem stickers ($3, JOANN) and then painting around them to make your paddle look like a geode. You can use either glittery paint or shiny resin like @misslalabad does to make it look more realistic.
If you are good with resin and know how to properly use it, you can always make a paddle out of resin. You just need to have the right paddle mold ($9, Amazon). With all the right supplies, you can make a ton of resin paddles for your sisters and even get creative like TikToker @ariaars by adding in your letters.
If your sister is turning 21, you’ll want to use a cute paddle design like this bottle one from TikToker @hannahcochran12. For more inspo, watch @hannahcochran12’s video to score crafty hacks like mixing together your glitter and Mod Podge ($8, Michaels) to paint onto your paddle. Hannah also uses tape to create the clean lines and a Cricut cutting machine to make the labels for the bottle.
If you’re not much of a painter, try this flip cup painting hack. As demonstrated by TikToker @_jthom, all you need to do is add a bunch of different paint colors to one cup. Flip the cup over and on top of the paddle. When you lift the cup up, all the paint will spill out in a cool design. Once it’s dried, you can decorate with whatever gemstones and pics you want.
As cheesy as they are, people love puns. If you want a cute and LOL-worthy paddle, try something punny like this “for the record” paddle from TikToker @gabbilyn00. At the bottom, it says “for the record I love you” and has mini records ($6, Amazon) glued to the front with each sister’s name on them. If you love this design idea but want something unique, try thinking of other cute sister puns. It could be something as simple as “I cannot espresso how much you bean to me” with coffee cups and the Starbucks logo painted on it.
