Creativity in a can: this DIY palette is ready to travel
9.3.2026
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Natalie Hemengül
On holiday, I feel like painting. Now I’ve found the perfect solution to indulge in my creative side quest when I’m on the go.
I need a creative outlet when I’m travelling. It’s good for my soul and my travel companion’s. Water colouring has proven to be particularly effective in this respect. I don’t need to bottle up my inspiration, but can immediately capture what I’ve seen or experienced. Like keeping a kind of visual diary.
So far, I’ve limited myself to a miniature palette (4×4 cm) I bought on Etsy years ago. The format’s extremely compact, but the glittering colours are rather quite weak and repetitive, which limits my painting. There must be something better out there, right?
Cute! I’ll give this one a go
The idea for my next trip? A handy, more colourful set. Preferably with a bit of character. Plus a water brush and a card pad so I can potentially send my latest creations as a postcard.
On Pinterest, I find lots of inspiration that looks similar to what I have in mind: a homemade colour palette in a compact tin.
The material’s easy to find.
You need:
- a small tin can (the toy department in thrift shops is a real treasure trove!)
- a sponge
- scissors
- various shells or similar items to mix colours in
- a piece of watercolour paper
- a small magnet
- colour cubes of your choice
- superglue
- optional: decoration, stickers, photos, etc.
Let’s go!
As my tin is a second-hand find, I have to clean it thoroughly first and remove any adhesive residue.
In a second step, I arrange all the elements temporarily until I’m happy with the layout. Both in the main container and the lid. After all, I want to make the most of all the space available.
I want to put the little paint pots and one to two shells in the deeper part of the tin. The latter will serve as a mixing dish. As I’m arranging and experimenting with all the elements, I particularly like a large shell. It has two protrusions that are reminiscent of a mixing pallet.
I then stick the cubes of paint to the bottom of the tin with superglue. If you find this too final, you could also attach small magnets to the bottom of the cubes. This way they can be removed from the palette, replaced or rearranged any time you want.
Another alternative is to use liquid watercolours from a tube. Simply squeeze a little paint straight into the tin and allow the blob of paint to dry. You can then use it like you would normally. This version gives you full control over the amount of colour you want to use. For example, a more generous amount of black or white. Plus you can place the colours closely together.
As soon as the cubes of colour are in place, I clamp the shell into the recessed area so that I can take it out when I want to rinse it.
I’d like to place a sponge in the lid. It’ll come in handy to wipe excess water off my brush. To get the right size, I cut a small piece off a large natural sponge and stick it on. Until the glue’s dried, I weigh down the sponge with a pair of scissors.
Right next to the sponge is a piece of watercolour paper on which I can test my colours. I pop it under a small magnet.
I add stickers at the end.
Please note: make sure to place all elements in the lid so you can still close the tin properly.
The result
This could easily become a new hobby in itself: putting together small pallets. In any case, I’m chuffed with the result. Especially because I’ve given myself the permission to place the «charm of homemade stuff» above perfection.
The cubes are crooked, you say? So what! It brings me joy, so I’m not going to correct them. Want to include a small photo that inspires you? Want to apply stickers, beads or anything else that gets your creative juices flowing? Go for it! The more personal the tin looks in the end, the better. Mine just has to prove itself now. Fortunately, I’ve already planned my next trip.
Is too much DIY for a bit of painting fun in your opinion? My colleagues Anna Sandner and Stefanie Lechthaler took a different approach:
Header image: Natalie Hemengül
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
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