Good news! I've started selling my mini Altoid watercolor paint kits on Etsy. For a limited time as a special bonus I am offering a free watercolor painted card with the first one purchased on Etsy. I have collected a lot of commercial tins during my watercolor painting adventures, but I always come back to this one for on the go come with me everywhere color.
Tiny DIY Altoid Watercolor Travel Tin
Make one of these and you can carry a little bit of color wherever you go. It's super tiny and if you fill it with high pigment paints those tiny dots of paint can go a long way in a sketchbook (or two). Below the illustration is detailed instructions on how to make your own. My gift to you.
Altoid Watercolor Travel Kit:
- Altoid SMALLS tin (sugarfree) is the right size and shape with NO EMBOSSING on the lid!
- Press Sculpty of other polymer clay in the base of clean tin about 1/4-1/3 of an inch high.
- Mints pressed into Scultpy form reservoirs. I can comfortably get 12 with the tiny square mints.
- Bake according to clay instructions or around 270F for 15 minutes.
- Wash out mints under warm running water. Dry.
- Spray glaze on hardened Sculpty paint pans. Let Dry.
- Tape to cover the sides of the lid and any other area that you do not want paint on. If you skip this step the lid will not close properly and scrap the spray paint and possibly get stuck.
- White spray paint the lid. You want a few even coats followed by a glaze to make this surface smooth and durable.
- Dry completely.
- Fill reservoirs with the paints of your choice. I highly recommend artist grade paints if you can afford them.
- Leave to dry a minimum of overnight longer is better.
- Voila! When you use up the paint just refill it.
Arty Gifts!
One of little girl's Montessori teachers is an artist and a sketcher and she told me at end of year picnic that she is trying to form a sketching habit and showed me her Moleskine. I recommended the Visual Journals for affordable quality mixed-media paper that can stand up to paint and ink. Then I surprised her by giving her my tiny Altoid watercolor travel kit (the one with the bikes was a bonus since I know she's into biking). She didn't want to take it but I wanted to give her a gift that she would love and I knew I had another waiting for me drying at home. Another mother suggested that I start selling them and maybe I will put a couple in my shop, but mostly I want to start making them as gifts for art loving friends. Here's to a great Friday and a great weekend! Surprise somebody with a small gift if you get the chance and feel inclined.
Tiny travel paint kits make great gifts.