Watercolor Travel Kit DIY
This simple little travel watercolor kit has served me well and is so easy to make - so I thought I would share!
Recently, I made one for myself because my art spaces are somewhat split at the moment. Most of my work and supplies are in my school studio, but I like to have a few things on hand at home. We live in a relatively small apartment, and all of our spaces serve multiple functions. For example, the secretary desk in our room is a kind of home office as well as dresser for my clothes - and when needed, a space for creating. So, I needed to be able to keep a few simple supplies (that take up as little space as possible) in the desk for when I get that creative urge - but would rather stay cozy at home than travel to the studio.
And so, I made a little watercolor/gouache kit - and it couldn’t have been easier!
I first made something similar when I was clinical-teaching with the amazing Julie Mize, now a friend and mentor. (Check out some of her work here!) She led her class in creating mini paint palettes out of recycled gum trays. These are my own take on what I learned from her!
What you’ll need:
A little tin box (I found these on Amazon, but you can also recycle a little prayer box like the one I found that my grandmother gave me, an altoid tin, or plastic packaging!)
Paint pans like these (find ones that come with peel-and-stick magnets, or you can get those separately)
Paint tubes (mine has gouache by HIMI and watercolor by Windsor & Newton)
Paper towel or small piece of cotton cloth
Optional: small spray bottle
From here, it’s pretty simple. You’ll need to peel the protectors from the magnets square and stick them to the little pans. Choose a number of pans that will work for what kind of art you do and what palette you want. I wanted a pretty adaptable palette, in watercolor and gouache, so I stuck with the primary colors. For watercolor, I did yellow ochre, cadmium red, cerulean blue, and prussian blue. I’m not sure of the official color names of the gouache paints, but I chose a cool blue, cool red, warm yellow (probably ochre) and white.
Then you can roll up either a small cloth or a paper towel so that it fits snuggly between the paint pans and the edge of the tin. The lid of the tin serves as palette. Although it isn’t divided into different compartments for mixing, I find that it works just fine for small paintings.
To finish off the kit, I snagged a little spray bottle from the travel toiletries section in Walmart, but I believe you could find these at any dollar store or drugstore (or Amazon of course). Before painting, I use this spray bottle to spritz the palette and the lid. This substitutes for a jar with water for dipping. Its such a small tray that just one spritz is enough to get me started painting.
I can easily throw the tin box and spray bottle into a small bag with a couple brushes and my drawing pad and I’m all set to go! They stash neatly in my little desk/dresser at home and easily fit in a bag or backpack for when I want to take it on the go or travelling.
This kit is perfect for beginning painting, too. It’s simple and takes minimum investment. It can also be a great gift, and it’s easily customizable. I gifted one to my sister-in-law for Christmas, and used a little floral prayer box and she loved it. Hope you enjoy making yours!
