I was recently gifted a large box and two bags of art supplies. To be honest, it all sat in the corner of my studio for a couple of weeks because I just couldn’t face it.

Then, I, was encouraged by Lindsey at dothe100dayproject on Instagram to take part in The 100 Day Project. What is it you ask? Well, it is kind of a big commitment. It requires you to do something creative every day for 100 days.

So now you’re probably wondering… If I can’t go through a box and two bags of art supplies then why would I sign up for this project? And why am I telling you about this project when you are here to learn about disposing watercolor paints? I know… it doesn’t make sense, but don’t give up on me yet.

Lindsey reminded me there are no real “rules” for the project so you can make it be whatever works for you. In fact, you are encouraged to use the 100 days to your advantage. It is simply a system to help you progress in your creative endeavors. So… I decided for the next 100 days, I will be finishing things.

I cannot tell you how many unfinished projects are lurking around in my studio. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan on completing something every day for 100 days, but I do plan on making progress towards the completion of a project every day for 100 days and not starting anything new. That’s where the watercolors enter the story.

On day 5 of my project, I picked up one of the bags of supplies and discovered it was full of tubes of watercolor paints. I do not use watercolors all that often so I don’t know much about their longevity. I started by sorting the tubes to see which ones were completely hard and which were still soft.

Then, I worked to get all of the lids off. Luckily, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for removing stuck paint lids (see video). After everything was sorted, I looked up how to dispose of old watercolor paint. I thought I knew, but wanted to verify and dispose of them responsibly.

I discovered, unlike oils and acrylics, watercolor can be reactivated with water. Even if a tube is completely dried out, you can still use the paint inside. Dried paint can be reactivated with water. You just add water into the tube a little at a time until you have the desired consistency. Alternatively, you can cut the tube away from the dried paint and use it as you would use a pan of paint.

So, there you have it, no need to dispose of old watercolors. The quality may deteriorate with time but they never truly expire. If you do decide to get rid of some, then give them to a fellow artist. They will most likely love you for it.