I have three watercolour palettes. I have kept buying them because ‘this one’ doesn’t have enough space, enough holes, etc. etc. for me. Within minutes I have filled each well with a different shade of green or whatever.
It occurred to me, why not make my own? I felt sure that air dry clay (not that I have used it before, although I have bought it a few times lol, would do the trick, as long as it was sealed.

Tips

I checked online for some tips, and the best one was not putting the clay onto plastic. So I used a couple of slate service boards as they must be impermeable.
And I got to work.
I used to make silver clay jewellery, so am used to working with clay – it was odd. I knew what to do and couldn’t really understand how then I remembered that.

Keeping it damp

I made sure I had a damp cloth and that my hands were super clean. I used an old wine bottle (without the labels) to roll the clay out and then really used it a bit like pastry. I made a bit of a slurry with some clay and water to stick it to itself.
I tried two types. One where I made the borders and stuck them on, I couldn’t see it working. (although it is actually the ones I’m using). And the other I did in two parts and then stuck them together.

Patience

You can see in the picture, just cut out the holes and then roll out a base and stick the top to the bottom, smooth it all out and Bob’s your uncle.

Have a look

I left them for about four days and then bought some sealant from the local DIY shop.
Major faux pas – it was a silver spray sealant, lol. Back to sanding the palette down again, luckily it was just the end.
I sealed it 3 or 4 times and then again waiting a couple of days. And…
I could not be more thrilled. So much room, no need to keep washing it out. I am delighted to bits.
And so cheap. £4 for the DAS clay from Amazon (same price from the Works if it’s open), and I got those two palettes and have another one drying now. So three palettes for £4!
I have not idea how long they will last, but I will come back and update this when I know.