Traveling with art supplies requires solutions. Every solution leads to new problems to solve. This week I realized that my investment in better quality brushes was going to be a huge disappointment if they became damaged during transit. Unfortunately my cheap and particular self couldn’t find an artist’s paint brush roll at a price point I could live with. Being me I decided to at least try making my own before buying one.

One thing: I have some skills, sewing is not one of them. Sewing machines are a mystery and my patience for hand stitching is minimal. I used a canvas drop cloth against itself, taking advantage of the manufacturer’s work to save my sanity. For the rest I relied on heat tape to secure my pieces and edges before stitching.

In the end I was left with a limp cloth roll. The idea was there, but not the protection.

Could I wax my own canvas? According to Google, absolutely. Most sources recommend bees wax, but I had paraffin wax on hand. I tested it first and didn’t mind the result.

To fix the uneven coverage I ironed the material at the highest temp. I used scrap fabric to soak up excess wax and directly ironed the waxed canvas to get full coverage in other spots (I don’t recommend doing this part with an iron you wish to use outside of your art practice).

I’m happy with the result. I think this will offer my brushes the best protection while traveling▪️