Pack for travel using your art supplies

Dear reader,

I am actually not kidding - I have discovered that some of the art supplies I use are helpful for long trips. Today I will share a couple of these that I used on our recent trip to Japan in September.

The Climb up Mt. Inari in Kyoto, Japan.

You know those little plastic containers for your leftover acrylic paint? They are so tiny, but they actually hold a lot if you have hair cream or bug sting stop lotion to take along. You can fit well over a week of these creams or lotions in a tiny little paint saver. See below:

The perfect solution to leave large bottles of lotions or creams at home when traveling.

Here is a very similar product available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Plastic-Containers-Painting-Powders/dp/B0FD3DBKW6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2R69RQCSEHM2O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LqRppmhQgsJvIOEphvnSFxQDV-sk0Ldj_h6ukTRrneCCDffkDyP3riIjJxzv3q0FLUgXJxvmPsWUilJtW-dRnUn4cg7KJnEzJV6-xDWr7WQFZs0sXTHanRBUOOHNlQKxjjKqgkHFo349hjsW0EmdR-olmbhxXl_c18S7mf1ppOUlXMEzlbVDJ6fmv7xg7fOfpqmCdiAsIz9iUQbpOyIeu1Bh31sUqpzhxDPZwhxP748rnka9O9VfsY-Glf3YW-nzd2VRxddYW0KEm6RENDC5XcbvdEBP6iJS-zT8y7KTjuQ.CKx2c2RZBHB1brH5t5mGhORmCkanG4mIP49mV5jZY2A&dib_tag=se&keywords=tiny+acrylic+paint+saver+containers&qid=1764349031&sprefix=tiny+acrylic+paint+saver+container%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

The other thing you often need when using public transportation in Europe or Asia, is a way to keep your bus or train card quickly accessible. And I mean really quick if you are running through the train stations with a travel partner like mine! For the most efficient way, I used a little fabric wallet that just fits the cards and tickets perfectly, fits in your pocket or top of the purse, and the card readers at the subway can scan your card through the fabric - you may not even need to take it out!

Fabric Wallet with two pockets to hold bus and train cards during travel.

This is a very easy sewing project that is a fun way to use up your fabric scraps. Once you have a few of these little wallets handy, you end up using them for more than just holding scrap fabric and small art supplies. I use them in my purse so that nothing is lost and loose in the bottom. They hold business cards, chapstick, tissue, cash, keys, receipts and anything you want to neaten up in your bag when traveling!

Here is the link to the instructions for these cute little wallets. I found the online instructions from Caroline Fairbanks and the "Sew Can She" Blog. https://sewcanshe.com/easy-wallet-sewing-pattern/

Now I am looking at all my art supplies with new traveler eyes! A lot of the containers and tools I use in the art studio may be really handy when I am out on adventures!

Do you have any surprising travel tools of your own?

With curiosity,

Janet