I dabble in watercolor and aspire to being one of those people who hikes out to some gorgeous spot and memorializes the moment in a few quick strokes. Well, I can dream.

To this end, I have tried to find a travel palette that I liked but to no avail. I finally decided to make what I wanted. I affixed magnetic stripes to empty half pans and repurposed a metal Acme pen case. The beauty is that I can dedicate each half pan to a specific color, swap out colors as I see fit, and still have plenty of room for a couple of brushes and a pencil and pen. And the entire case fits in a coat pocket.

It’s funny how much satisfaction a little project like this can provide.