How the First Mini Watercolor Kits Were Born

As I painted small watercolor pieces during the quiet days of 2020, a simple idea came to mind:

What if my friends could paint with me from far away?

We couldn’t sit at the same table or share supplies anymore, but maybe we could still share the experience of creating. That idea felt hopeful.

So I started experimenting.

I let small dots of watercolor paint dry in tiny palettes and slipped them into little plastic bags so they wouldn’t smudge. I cut watercolor paper to fit neatly inside an envelope and added a short note with simple instructions of how to add water, how to blend colors, and where to begin.

Then I sealed everything up, pressed a stamp onto the corner, and walked it to the mailbox.

When my friends received their envelopes, something beautiful happened. They sent photos of their paintings back. We talked about the colors we mixed and laughed about the parts that didn’t turn out the way we expected.

For a moment, it didn’t feel like we were apart. We were painting together, just from a distance.

That tiny act of connection eventually became the very first Mini Painting Kits and the beginning of Lavender Chai Co.

Lavender Chai Co ☕