Make your own DIY mini paint palette

Hallmark artist Lynn Giunta is a cut-paper guru (you may remember these desktop wallpapers from last year). Today, she is back to share another favorite medium to work with – paint! If you are constantly on the move, this DIY mini paint palette will be right up your alley.

DIY | Make your own mini paint palette out of almost any container | thinkmakeshareblog.com

I have been trying to get my friend and master watercolor artist, Craig Lueck, to teach me how to make a mini-watercolor palette for years. I’ve watched him take out his little palette and sketchbook on road trips and plane rides and within 10 minutes create something wonderful. Recently, he was teaching a group of us about watercolor and I was able to get him to include his tips on how to make a mini watercolor palette.

DIY mini watercolor paint palette | thinkmakeshareblog.com

The first thing you’ll need is a container to hold your paint. Craig’s current one is an old eyeglass case—so clearly, anything goes! Most of us used mint tins. We washed out the containers and then prepped the surfaces by sanding them.

DIY mini watercolor paint palette | thinkmakeshareblog.com

An easy way to create instant paint wells was to wedge in bottle caps. We used plastic sheeting cut into strips, folded over, and trimmed to fit neatly down the center of the caps to make each one hold two colors.

DIY | Make your own mini paint palette out of almost any container | thinkmakeshareblog.com

For my mini-tin, I just used the acetate to form the rows. We used hot glue to secure the caps and plastic dividers. It will look messy, but you’re going to fill it with paint so it doesn’t matter how it looks!

DIY | Make your own mini paint palette out of almost any container | thinkmakeshareblog.com

Once our caps and dividers were in place, we placed the tins inside a corrugated box and sprayed them with white enamel spray paint. We applied 3 coats, letting them dry well in between each coat.

Once the tins were dry we filled them up with watercolor! The back of the lid served as the mixing area. I’m so inspired by my mini palette that I’m going to take Craig’s advice to heart and be ready to paint anytime, anywhere. How about you? Where will you be and what will you paint in 10 minutes or less?

DIY | Make your own mini paint palette out of almost any container | thinkmakeshareblog.com

Share your creations with us on Instagram @Think.Make.Share!

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  1. 1.29.16 | Reply
    iHanna wrote:

    Super cute!

  2. 6.15.16 | Reply
    casey wrote:

    fabulous idea and I love love love my “on the go” inspiration.Thank You!

  3. 6.23.16 | Reply
    Sabrina wrote:

    This idea actually helped me come up with another way to do it. So I had a glue gun medicine cups the ones that usually come with the liquid medicine at stores and a cake board. So i just glued the medicine cups on a cake board. This would probably be a one time use -not sure yet ill try it today- because the cake board is cardboard and, if you put water on cardboard it won’t work the same. Hope this is also useful!

    • 6.24.16 | Reply
      Think.Make.Share wrote:

      That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  4. 7.18.16 | Reply
    Saiko wrote:

    jk I really liked this 😀
    :’)