A small hinged tin can make a more useful watercolour palette than a crowded ready-made set. It allows you to choose the colours you actually use, keep half-used paints together, and carry a compact working set without giving up a familiar arrangement.
The simplest version uses empty half pans held in the base with a magnetic sheet or a small amount of reusable adhesive. Before fixing anything in place, take time to inspect the tin, decide how many colours you need, and check that the lid will close without touching wet paint.
Materials and preparation
You will need:
- a small hinged metal tin with a sound hinge and a lid that closes squarely;
- empty watercolour half pans;
- tube watercolours or loose half pans to fill the palette;
- a magnetic sheet, magnetic tape, or reusable adhesive;
- label paper and a fine pen;
- a palette knife or another blunt, narrow tool;
- isopropyl alcohol and a cloth for cleaning.
A tin from food or sweets is suitable if it is deep enough for the pans and has no sharp rusting edges. A hinged lid is especially useful outdoors, since it keeps the palette parts together. Check the interior for flaking coating, oily residue, or a loose hinge. If the metal is badly rusted or the lid does not close properly, choose another tin rather than trying to force it into service.
Work in a well-ventilated place when using isopropyl alcohol. Keep it away from flame and allow the tin to dry completely before adding paint.
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash.
1. Clean and prepare the tin
Remove any remaining paper, crumbs, or adhesive from the tin. Wipe the inside with a lightly damp cloth first, then use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on a cloth to lift greasy residue. Do not pour alcohol into the tin or leave it pooled around the hinge.
Let the tin air-dry fully. The surface should feel clean rather than slick. If the inside has a loose printed lining or coating, avoid scraping it aggressively; flakes can work their way into the pans. A tin with a stable, smooth interior is easier to maintain.
Place the empty pans in the base before attaching anything. Close the lid slowly and look for contact points. Some tins have a rolled rim that reduces the usable width, while others have a lid that dips slightly in the middle. The pans should sit below the lid line with a little clearance around them.
2. Plan a restrained colour set
A portable palette is easiest to use when every pan has a purpose. Begin with the colours you reach for most often rather than trying to reproduce a complete studio collection. A modest arrangement might include:
- a warm yellow and a cooler yellow;
- a warm red and a cooler red;
- a warm blue and a cooler blue;
- one earth colour;
- a dark neutral or convenience colour, if you use one.
This is only a starting point. A landscape painter may prefer extra earth colours, while someone painting flowers may reserve space for a particular pink or violet. The advantage of making the tin yourself is that the selection can remain personal and change with the work.
Leave a little clear space if the tin allows it. The lid or an unfilled part of the base can serve as a mixing area, and empty room makes it easier to lift out a pan for cleaning. Avoid packing the pans so tightly that you must pry one out with a knife.
Label before filling
Write the colour name on a small piece of label paper before the pan is placed permanently. Labels can be fixed to the front edge of each pan or to the base beside it. If the tin will be used in dim light, add a simple mark or abbreviated name that you can recognise quickly.
Paint can dry to similar-looking surfaces, and a label is more dependable than memory. Keep the labels small and flat so they do not interfere with the lid.
3. Fit the pans into the tin
Cut the magnetic sheet to fit the floor of the tin, leaving the hinge and rim clear. If the sheet has adhesive backing, press it down gradually from one side to avoid trapped air. A full sheet gives the pans more freedom to be rearranged later.
Alternatively, use small pieces of magnetic material on the underside of the pans, or attach them with reusable adhesive. The important point is that the pans should stay in place during ordinary carrying but remain removable when you need to clean or reorganise the palette.
Test the fit by lifting and replacing each pan. If one rocks, remove it and check for a curled magnet, a lump of adhesive, or a bent base. Pans that sit flat are less likely to spill paint dust into the tin.
For a fixed arrangement, a small amount of reusable adhesive beneath each pan can work well. Use less than you think you need. Excess adhesive spreads at the edges and makes later removal unpleasant. Do not permanently glue the pans until you have used the layout long enough to know it suits you.
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash.
4. Fill the pans with watercolour
If you are transferring paint from tubes, open each tube and place paint into the pan with a palette knife. Fill in layers rather than making one deep mound. Tap the pan gently on the table to settle the paint, then level the surface with the knife.
Do not fill right to the rim. A slight hollow or lowered surface leaves room for water and reduces the chance of paint touching the lid. Wipe the outside of the pan before placing it in the tin.
Fresh tube paint may remain soft for some time, depending on its formulation and the surrounding conditions. Leave the pans open in a clean, level place until the surface is no longer wet. Protect them from dust, hair, and direct heat while they settle.
If you are using an already dry half pan, place it in the tin and test it with a damp brush. This also gives you a chance to identify colours before labelling the arrangement permanently.
5. Prevent paint from sticking to the lid
The most common problem with a homemade tin is closing it while the paint is still wet. A lid pressing against soft paint can lift colour from the pan, smear the inside of the tin, and make the palette difficult to open.
First, check the clearance with the pans in place. Then use these habits:
- allow newly filled pans to dry before closing the tin;
- keep the paint surface below the rim of each pan;
- avoid carrying the palette tightly packed while the paint is freshly wet;
- wipe the lid clean as soon as you notice a smear;
- keep a thin piece of clean, non-shedding paper between the pans and lid only if it does not press into the paint or prevent the tin from closing freely.
A paper sheet can be useful as a temporary separator, but it is not a substitute for clearance. Fibres may cling to soft paint, and a folded sheet can put pressure on the pans. If the lid touches the paint even when the pans are dry, the tin is too shallow for that arrangement.
The inside of the lid can also serve as a mixing surface, provided it is clean and the tin is opened flat. If the lid has a coloured coating that stains easily, place a separate mixing insert on top rather than trying to scrub the surface repeatedly.
6. Make a final carrying test
Close the palette and turn it gently from side to side over a table. Listen for loose pans and open it again to check that nothing has shifted. If a pan moves, improve its magnetic contact or add a small amount of reusable adhesive.
Carry the tin in a pouch or case if it will share a bag with pencils, brushes, or metal tools. A simple wrapping keeps grit out of the hinge and prevents the tin from being scratched. Do not leave a wet palette closed in a warm, enclosed bag; give it air before storage.
After a painting session, rinse the brush separately and wipe obvious colour from the mixing area. There is no need to make every pan spotless, but dried crumbs and muddy puddles should not be allowed to build up around the edges.
Photo by Anna K on Unsplash.
Useful mistakes to avoid
Overfilling the tin
More colours do not necessarily make a better travel palette. Crowded pans are harder to remove, harder to label, and more likely to touch the lid. Start with the smallest set that supports your usual work.
Ignoring the hinge
Paint and grit collect easily around a hinge. Keep the joint as clean as practical, and do not force a stiff lid. A damaged hinge can make the palette unreliable in a bag.
Fixing pans too soon
Use the palette for a few painting sessions before committing to a permanent layout. You may discover that a frequently used colour needs to be moved closer to the mixing area or that one pan is not earning its space.
Treating every tin as suitable
A decorative vintage tin may be charming, but its condition matters more than its appearance. Avoid sharp corrosion, loose linings, and lids that bow inward. A plain, sound tin is better than a beautiful one that contaminates the paint or will not close safely.
A small palette with a clear purpose
Making a watercolour palette from a tin is less about fitting in as much paint as possible than about choosing a workable handful of colours. Clean the metal, test the clearance, hold the pans lightly, and let fresh paint settle before closing the lid. The result is a quiet, repairable tool: small enough to carry, open to rearrangement, and suited to the way you actually paint.