Within the last few years I’ve learned more about the importance of quality papers and canvas materials. Since switching to more professional papers, I found myself with a surplus of student grade watercolour pads of varying sizes. The smaller sizes have been great for practice and experimenting, but the larger sizes were collecting dust behind my desk. Wanting to be crafty and not wanting to be wasteful, I looked into ways to repurpose the bigger sizes in ways that were more than simply cutting the paper into smaller pieces. The solution I came across was both fun, practical, and easy to make - a DIY watercolour block!

What are Watercolour Blocks

Watercolour blocks are pads of watercolour paper with glue around all four edges and a single unglued notch. The binding keeps the paper stretched out and helps prevent buckling. The notch allows the paper to be pulled away from the block with a palette knife once the painting is complete. Watercolour blocks are great for travel and plein air painting since you don’t need to tape the paper down.

How to make a Watercolour Block

Only a handful of materials are needed:

• A hot glue gun

• Thin cardboard

• Watercolour paper of your choice

• Large clips

• Spatula

If cutting down larger sheets of paper for a custom sized block, you will also need:

• Paper cutter or scissors

• Ruler

• Pencil

Step 1: Cut Paper to Size

The first step is deciding the size of your block. I had the notion to take mine on the go for plein air painting, so I cut my paper to fit my travel paint kit that is roughly 6x4 inches. The beauty of DIY is you can customize the block to fit whatever works best for your painting set-up.

With your measurements in mind, use the ruler and pencil to mark where to cut your paper down. Then using a paper cutter or scissors, cut out your new sheets. A paper cutter isn’t necessary, but it does give you straighter edges and more uniform pieces than scissors.

Additionally, you will also need to cut a piece of thin cardboard using the the same measurements as the papers. I used the cardboard base of the watercolour pad I was already cutting up.

Step 2: Assemble the Block

Once everything is cut out to size, assemble the block with the cut sheets stacked on top of each other. The card board is placed on the bottom and will serve as the base of the watercolour block. Check the sides to make sure all the pieces are uniform and make any necessary adjustments.

Using the clips, clip the papers in place on all four sides. Use as many clips as you need to make sure the the papers and cardboard are held securely in place.

Step 3: Hot Glue!

Now it’s time to bind the sides together with some hot glue. Remove the clips from one side and add a generous amount of hot glue to it. Working quickly before the glue hardens, use a spatula or scraper to spread the glue out along the entire edge. Add more glue if needed to fully cover the edge and. It’s also okay if some of the glue gets on the underside (card board) or the top. Once the glue has been sufficiently spread along the edge, set it aside to dry before moving on to the next side. Continue with two more sides in this manner.

For the fourth and final side (long or short - it’s your choice), you need to leave a gap in the glued edge. This notch is necessary for separating the pages from the block.

Once the glue has completely hardened on all the sides, your watercolour block is complete and ready for painting!

Trying it Out

I gave the top sheet a try with a fun illustration. The block worked out perfectly - preventing the paper from buckling when wetted. Pulling the paper away from the block was simple too.

The top page ended up with hot glue split over onto the top surface, but the page underneath was totally clean. For practice or just for fun, I don’t mind this. However, if I make a block with more expensive papers, I do plan to use a trash sheet for the top.

I will definitely be making more of these blocks in the future!