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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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

— Lynn G.