What To Do With All That Practice Art

Because you can only make so many bookmarks... here's a few options of how to repurpose those pieces that didn't make the fridge~ And organizations that would love to see it!

A student in my Substack chat recently shared the most adorable thing ~ she cut up her practice sheets and turned them into Valentines for her daughter’s classroom card exchange. Little watercolor hearts and florals meant for practice and repurposed for gifting.

It got me thinking about something I hear all the time: what do I do with all this practice art? Because if you're painting regularly (and you should be ~ that's the whole point), you're going to accumulate a LOT of paper that isn't going on anyone's wall.

Practice sheets can feel wasteful to throw away, especially since watercolor paper is so expensive, but also... you don't love them. They were never meant to be precious. They were meant to be drops in the practice bucket.

So here are some of my favorite ways to give those practice sheets a second life. Some are practical, some are sweet, and one involves scissors and a lot of enthusiasm.

What happens after stacks and stacks of pieces you don't love but helped you get more comfy ~ you make stuff you love! [Images by Kendall Mills]

The frame trick (this one’s my favorite)

Go find a small frame in your house ~ any frame with a mat. Take it apart and pull out the mat. Now lay that mat on top of your practice sheet and move it around slowly.

I’m always in awe of the little compositions hiding in my practice work. A section of a wash that looks like a tiny abstract landscape. A cluster of brushstrokes that looks intentional when it’s cropped down. Your eye just needs the frame to find it. Cut it out, mat it, and suddenly you have a small piece of art you actually love. Gift it or keep it ~ either way, it let’s you save some of your journey instead of a big awkward sheet of randomness.

Handmade cards

Take that same frame trick one step further. Find a section you love, cut it out, and fold it in half. Grab a Sharpie or a pencil and write “happy birthday” or “thinking of you” or “love you” ontop of your art. You just made a card that is more beautiful and personal than anything at the store.

And here’s the thing ~ everyone loves getting mail. If you have a forever stamp sitting in a drawer somewhere, you don’t even need to go to the post office. Write a little note, stick it in an envelope, flip that mailbox flag up. Someone’s day just got a lot better and your practice sheet just got a second life.

Gift tags

Cut small rectangles or squares from your practice sheets, punch a hole in the corner, loop some twine or ribbon through it. You now have the most beautiful gift tags anyone has ever seen on a birthday present. I keep a little stash of these in my studio so I always have them ready. They take about two minutes to make and it adds a little more love to a gift. Easy Peasy

Bookmarks

OK yes, bookmarks. I know. It’s the obvious one and honestly you can only give so many bookmarks ~ but what a great excuse to join that book club... you already have gifts for everyone ;) Cut your practice into strips, punch a hole at the top, and thread through some yarn or string with a little pom pom or tassel on the end. It takes them from “cute” to “actually a thoughtful gift.” A tiny upgrade that makes a big difference.

Confetti

This one is a little chaotic. Take your practice sheets ~ especially the ones with great color ~ and cut them into small squares on a cutting board. Not too small (unless you want to be finding watercolor confetti in your couch cushions for the next six months... ask me how I know). An art cutting board or a paper trimmer is your best friend here if you’re doing a big batch.

Toss them in a mason jar or a small envelope and you’ve got the prettiest confetti for a birthday, a celebration, a rainy Tuesday that needs some joy. You can also fold a piece of cardstock in half, fill it with confetti, and tape it shut for a little confetti bomb to tuck into a card or gift bag. Kids love making these. And adults love them more than a glitter clean up. Everyone wins.

I’d love to hear yours ~ drop your favorite local art store in the comments. Bonus points if it’s a place I haven’t been yet, because I absolutely will (and have) planned a trip around a good art store.

Donate your handmade cards

If you really get into the card-making groove (and honestly, once you start it’s hard to stop), here are some organizations that would love to receive your handmade cards:

Cards for Hospitalized Kids ~ distributes handmade cards to children in hospitals across all 50 states. They accept cards with inside sentiments like “thinking of you” or “you’ve got this.”

The Confetti Foundation ~ provides birthday parties for children spending their birthday in the hospital. They need handmade birthday cards year-round. Just make sure “Happy Birthday” is on the front and inside.

Cardz for Kidz ~ delivers handmade cards to children, families, seniors, and veterans in hospitals and care facilities around the world. Every card is hand-delivered room by room.

Soldiers’ Angels Cards Plus Team ~ sends cards to deployed service members, veterans, and military families. You can join their team and send birthday cards, encouragement cards, and welcome home cards.

Love for the Elderly ~ collects cheerful letters and cards for seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities who may not receive much mail.

Your practice art already served you by building your skills. Now it can serve someone else by brightening their day. That feels like a pretty good deal to me.

As always, thank you for reading and for being here. It means more than you know. 💜