Visible + Functional Organization
For years, I’ve been on the hunt for a system to organize my watercolor paints in a way that’s both visually pleasing and functional. I’ve tried storage bins, hooks, and even creatively arranged drawers, but none of these methods hit that creative spark I was after.
While most watercolorists work from a palette, I love painting fresh directly from the tube. That’s one of my secrets for getting vibrant, rich color in my paintings. I do own a watercolor palette and use it often, but that richest color only comes straight from the tube. As a result, I need my core colors organized where I can see them and grab them quickly, since timing really matters once you start painting wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry.
The Problem With Hanging Paint Tubes on Hooks
My old system was simple hooks on display in my art studio, and it worked well except for one big problem: hanging the tubes upside down meant paint would often shoot out from the cap the moment I opened one, making a mess and wasting good paint. I tried switching to plastic containers and drawers to stop the explosions, but then I couldn’t see my paints laid out in front of me, and I’d waste time hunting for the exact color I wanted mid-painting.
My Solution
With some creative thinking, I came across an inexpensive jewelry pocket organizer on Amazon that fit my needs perfectly. The pockets were about the same size as many of my 14ml paint tubes, and it also had larger pockets at the bottom for my bigger tubes. Since this jewelry organizer hangs from a hanger, I picked up a simple hook from Anthropologie for $14.
My System
I painted small square swatch cards for all the colors I wanted to hang in my organizer, then placed each card with its corresponding paint tube. That’s how my paint tube organizer system was born. It took roughly two hours to hang the hook on the wall and organize the paints with their matching swatch cards.
One thing I really love about this setup is that it’s portable. If I want my paints to follow me to a different table, I can just lift the organizer off the hook and move it with me. It also makes it fast and easy to pull the exact color I need without digging through a drawer.
I’ve also learned that I have ADD, and if a supply isn’t in view, my brain tends to forget it exists entirely, which is how I’ve ended up with duplicates of the same color before. Keeping my paints visibly organized like this isn’t just about tidiness; it genuinely helps me remember what I already own and actually use it.
So if you’re looking for an inexpensive and easy way to display and organize your paints, I highly recommend this creative little system. I’ve linked the item I used below.
Click here to see the jewelry pocket organizer
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.