Raise your hand if you've ever made a mistake when Diamond Painting ✋
Maybe your fur baby managed to roll all over your canvas. Perhaps you removed the entire cover all at once and your glue dried. Whatever the case may be, IT'S OKAY - we're only human.
So with this in mind, here are the 7 most common Diamond Painting mistakes that people make, and how to avoid them. Learn from other people's mistakes so you don't make them too!
7. Not Wiping Your Painting Down Before You Seal It
Before you go to seal your finished canvas, make sure to use a wet wipe or moist towel to give your painting a good once-over. Remove any dust or dirt before applying sealant, or you may get unsightly dust clumps (image credit: Sue Small).
6. Allowing Fur Babies (Too) Close To Your Canvas
We have absolutely nothing against Diamond Painting with your fur babies keeping you company. But make sure they don't make a quick jump onto an exposed sticky area of your canvas, or you'll have to spend time de-furring your canvas (image credit: Sue Small).
PRO TIP: To remove hair, paper, etc. from your canvas, wipe down the affected area with a wet wipe or moist towelette.
5. Keeping Food & Drinks In Your Workspace
It's perfectly fine to have a snack when you Paint With Diamonds - lord knows I do! Just make sure to keep your workspace clear to avoid spilling any food or drinks on your canvas (image: Amber Lowrie).
PRO TIP: To remove small amount of liquid, just use a blow dryer on low heat to dry your canvas right up! If there are any spots that aren't sticky, just dab a touch of fabric glue on the area.
4. Not Closing Diamond Containers While Working
After you're done pouring out your diamonds, always close your diamond vials and storage containers! Avoid nasty diamond piles sticking to your canvas.
3. Resting Your Arm On Your Canvas
Have you ever found yourself unpeeling your forearm from your canvas? Lyndsey Hymes shares her tip for avoiding this sticky situation: "I took a section of parchment paper big enough for the side of my hand and laid it down so my hand doesn't stick to the canvas and move as needed ... works like a charm!"
2. Placing Diamonds On The Wrong Symbol
When you're in a groove, it may be a while before you take a step back and realize an entire area has the wrong color diamonds in it. The horror!
One way to avoid this mistake - when you turn a large painting upside-down to work on it, remember to also turn your sorter upside down to so you don't mix up similar symbols - like your 6s and 9s! (image: Cheryl Hope).
1. Removing The Entire Cover Paper All At Once
Of course it may be tempting to peel back the entire canvas cover to reveal the design hiding beneath. However, doing so will expose your canvas adhesive to stuff like animal fur, dust, or dirt, resulting in diamonds not sticking properly. Areas of your canvas may also dry out before you can even get to them!
To avoid this, we recommend removing the cover and working on your painting in rectangular sections. You also get a nice sense of satisfaction when each section is completed.
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What did you think of our mistakes? Have you made any of these yourself? Any wise tips for your fellow Diamond Painters? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Oh, and btw - if you ever make a mistake and you bought your kit from Paint With Diamonds, feel free to take advantage of our Oh Sh*t Insurance - free with every order!
Comments
Emma said:
This is basic common sense really as apossed to tips. The only thing I find a pain when doing these, is flattening the picture before i start, obviously we all do that, but getting them pesky creases out is a pain, I did have trouble with rhinestone not always sticking so good in areas, but, that soon sorted out with a bit of ‘Tack it Over and Over ’. Also I wish that some of the painting didn’t come with clear plastic over the painting, as this makes it a real pain to remove small sections at a time, where as when the covering is white paper, at least you can see what you are working as you go. Been doing Diamond Art for nearly 12 years now and have such a huge catalouge of pictures, some I have sold, some have been gifts, some I have mounted and hung, some are in my portfolio, they are just so addictive and send me to a peaceful place.
May 17, 2023
Anneliese Young said:
I love all the tips thank you for sharing.
I purchased a light board from Amazon. It’s a game changer when doing Diamond painting.
May 17, 2023
Tina said:
I accidently sprayed my diamond painting with white paint thinking I had clear sealer. What to do now? It’s already dried.
May 17, 2023
Meghan said:
I 100 pack of 4×6 pieces of parchment-like paper. On a smaller diamond painting (dp), like a 11×16, I take off the entire cover and cover it back up with the smaller 4×6 pieces. That way I can move around and try and do all of 1 color at a time. I much prefer it that way!! On the larger ones, 4ftx3ft, I take 1 strip off at a time and do the same thing – same concept. I feel like it’s a time saver. I finished the rustic looking flag that is huge in 2 months.
May 17, 2023
Patti Lisenbee said:
I’m on my third diamond painting – Van Gogh’s Starry Night in square drills. I’ve discovered I don’t like square as much as round and have trouble when one doesn’t line up perfectly. It is turning out beautifully but I am much slower with squares.
I bought a case with bottles in it; I put the drills in one bottle per color (unless there’s a lot more of one color, then I use more bottles) and write the numbers on the bottle caps. I also use a cap for the drills I’m using, so if I spill, only a few spill instead of a whole bunch. I also use magnetic poster frames (top and bottom pieces only with hanging string attached) and it looks great!
I also use a lighted drawing pad to show me the numbers/symbols on the canvas. I learned to use a needle and clean out the old glue from the tip of the placing pen before I poke it into the glue square and that makes the glue last longer. You won’t have clumps of glue around the sides of the pen, this way.
I really enjoy diamond painting. I thought it was stupid at first, but a friend of mine posted a pic of her next project, so I decided to try. I fell in love fast and bought several more to do, with more on the way from this site, stained glass pictures. I can hardly wait for them, but as they are coming from China – ! I have a while to wait for them. Now I don’t think it’s stupid at all. But I’m going to stick to round drills, after this one is done.
May 17, 2023
Linda Poirier said:
I use a small paint brush to clean my canvas during and after completing project. Works very well to remove all kinds of stuff. I also clean canvas with brush before I use sealant. Works great.
May 17, 2023
Regina Maciejewski said:
Would appreciate answers to the questions. Is there a place to find them? Thanks. Regina Maciejewski
May 17, 2023
Lyne said:
Thanks a lot for the tips. I think I’m quite well organized. All the little diamonds stays in the little bags until I need to used them, and the open bags are in little containers, to avoid spills. I peel only little part of the canvas as I go along, like 2in x 2 in at a time. And when I’m done, all the different colours stay in their different containers. I’m planning to buy the containers pack to keep them in and well separated. I know people that put them all together once their done, and if they’re in need of a specific colours it’s not available anymore because it mixed with others in the same bag.
February 06, 2023
Athena Herrera said:
Hello there I have a question so when you get a diamond art kit of whatever image you want what happens if you lose Symbol chart that they put in the kit for you is there a way to find the Symbol chart for the diamond art painting kit?
January 04, 2023
Patty said:
I’m on my 60th diamond art!. Love it. I give them away as gifts 🎁
October 28, 2022
Kim said:
A tip I found useful is if a part of the canvas does leave it less sticky I use a pritt-stick works really well until u can seal your end result
September 19, 2022
Anna said:
I want make sure correct color pictures thanks , Anna
September 19, 2022
Sarah Gill said:
My canvas is from China or Japan and the dots I have are from diamond dots company. They seem to be bigger than the squares are. So everything is off. How do I get smaller dots?
August 30, 2022
Carolyn said:
After cleaning, roll your diamonds with a rolling pin to make sure they are tight.
August 30, 2022
Martha said:
I have a small magnifying glass with a light that I use when I have problems identifying the letters/numbers. Works great.
August 30, 2022
Diane Fulbrook said:
August 01, 2022
Diane Fulbrook said:
As soon as I get my painting I take the color list and a felt pen and write the bag number and color symbol on each bag of beads. . Then pop them in order in a small tray or box their size. So easy to pick out the color needed by reading the chart on the picture. Luckily some pictures come with this done for you. Just need to cut them apart. On my 20th picture. Love it.
August 01, 2022
Marcia said:
Like many here I am hooked , I have completed 5 in 3 months,my question is how to keep the edges even & straight please..I have seen video `s of rulers that you can buy , but they didn`t look too successful to me ,..
August 01, 2022
WANDA said:
My daughter Has OCD & she . I got a Olaf too try ,one look & asked her if she could try too do it BOY she did great I did use a spray on it no hardship for her so she got a large peacock too do for my birthday it took her 6 mouth todo & came out great & the frame was so great with it so we got more . I am trying to do them can’t wait for getting some Christmas one I am going to try a frosting picture hope it will be great. But I read all the tips so we will see ! ty all for your tips I am sure I will be able to do them & others will see how it goes thank you all for all the tips !!!!!!!
July 13, 2022
Diane Fulbrook said:
My fingers were getting sore with the pen so I started using the tweezers to place the diamonds and foumd it also easier to get them sitting right, Also my husband makes my frames out of floor edging. They can be narrow or thicker, what makes you happy. The plastic that comes on the picture is one sided. Before you take it off mark the right side up. The top side will stick to your canvas and take off the glue.
June 09, 2022
Connie Johnson said:
I keep a flashlight on my work station, so if I have trouble reading what a symbol is, I shine it on the symbol so I can read it.
April 19, 2022
Thekli said:
Before framing is it better to sray some glue on it, i mean to stabilise somehow???
April 12, 2022
Shirley Keaster said:
Middle of my diamond painting picture dried up. What is the best way to make it sticky again?
April 04, 2022
Choward said:
I have about 10 so far.very addicting and relaxing. I have found that I have had to make a few changes of the diamonds for it to look right. For instance my mother and baby tigers. They blended in together with no separation so I put some black in and changed the whole looks. I have had to do that in an out five of them so far. Beautiful when done
April 04, 2022
Mary Pate said:
What’s the best way to identify what tile goes somewhere if there’s film over it and unreadable?
April 04, 2022
Betsy said:
So a few things I learned of do.. I cut the plastic cover into strips so I can peel back a small square and when I finish I can put it back over it and use the glue on the outside edge to hold it in place. I just used a hair roller to make sure I got all pet hair off it before sealing it. Worked well and only one diamond came off. Wouldn’t recommend if your diamonds are not sticking. Also I watched a video on sealing and she shook her mod lodge before using. DO NOT shake it. It creates air bubbles and says on it not to shake. And I prefer round drills as they are easier. The square were very hard to line up straight and I couldn’t stand it. But it’s personal preference. I have the same problem as mentions with the round drills being different sizes so in areas of one color I try to alternate between big and little to keep in the color square and that seems to work. And they look very straight. Or I just go for all the big ones. About to seal one of my pictures for the first time and hope I don’t screw it up cause it’s a gift for my son!
November 15, 2021
Amber Burgess said:
Hi my name is amber and I’m addicted to Paint with Diamonds (and ONLY PWD brand…)
I’m on my 3rd custom canvas and a 4th is on the way. I do these as wedding gifts for close friends and family. I have a few tips for you!
1) I got my first 45×60 framed by Hobby Lobby. I chose a pricey frame and a colored border around the canvas. It ran me $178 but it was worth it!
2) I’ve noticed so far that the custom canvas’ drills are the same (symbol and manufacturer code) but different from the canvasses that are already made. And those drills are the same as other pre-made pictures. I hope that makes sense. The canvas art coming from China are all the same as other att coming from China and the USA art drills are the same as other art coming from the USA
3) If your canvas isn’t sticky,
you can use Modge Podge to make it sticky again.
4) Use masking/painters tape on the sticky border around your picture to keep it clean and keep your arm from sticking to it.
5) the round end of the tweezers comes in handy for lining up the drills in rows and around the outside edge of the picture.
6) When doing a custom PWD, you can purchase extra photoshop. When you choose this, a person (Cheryl Hope) helps you and communicates via email with the options, tips, and recommendations for your final product before your order starts making your order. She’s great at what she does and never disappoints!
7) When placing an order for a custom PWD, SIZE DOES MATTER! The bigger the canvas, the clearer the final product! And choose images that aren’t dark. The colors blend and do not cove out very good.
8) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! Have fun and stay active in the PWD family! You will be back for more, that’s a fact! 🥴🤪
I hope these tips and recommendations come in handy! Welcome to the PWD family!! Enjoy this addiction!!
October 07, 2021
Alice Leonard said:
I have done about 8 pieces love doing this hobby, but how do I frame them?
September 07, 2021
Kathleen said:
I have done several diamond art pieces. Some I don’t frame because I don’t like them when completed. The problem I continually have is that after completing a section I run my hand back over the piece and some of the dots are popping up. I run the roller several times but continually some just don’t stay down. I keep the piece covered at all times, I only uncover a small section at a time to work on. I have tried to also gently turn the piece over and roll both sides. I have tried to use the “triple thick” after completion and some dots pop up before the glue is set. Any recommendations?
June 21, 2021
Diana said:
I haven’t tried it but they SLIME (the kids toy) is good for cleaning up crumbs, dirt and other debris from your canvas.
June 21, 2021
Kira Colard said:
If the stickey isnt working, i use a hair dryer. Makes the glue sticky again. & for sealing i use polycrylic protective finish-clear. Works great. My diamonds have stopped falling off after i finish.
June 02, 2021
Teresa said:
I have crumbs in the fi ished part of my diamond painting what is the best way to clean it up?
May 17, 2021
Terri H. said:
I’ve just started DP about 3 months ago and starting my 4th one. Just a couple of issues so far. With my last one the adhesive peeled off the painting and stayed with the cover. Canvas not sticky at all. Luckily my hubby was able to figure it out. Once I made sure was not peeling both layers all was good. Other problem is, I sort my drills by DMC number and I’ve found dye lots don’t always match from one project to the next. Don’t combine them til you check.
May 17, 2021
Hailey said:
Thanks for the tip i really needed it and i have experienced 1 of those problems. I sorta spilled the diamonds every wher and my dog almost ate some of them it wasn’t the best experience but at least my dog didn’t eat them-
April 06, 2021
Marcia Reisinger said:
Sometimes the cover sheet will stick to the glue and its hard to get it up, so I use Parchment paper, works fine, Thank you for Diamond Painting.
March 26, 2021
Laurie said:
Go on YouTube. There’s hundreds of channel’s on diamond painting.
March 17, 2021
Heidi. K. Seelhoff said:
My. Diamonds. Are. Not. Sticking. To. My. Canvas. Very. Well. I’ve. Had. This. Problem. Ever. Since. I. Started about. 2. Months. Ago I’ve. Never. Done. Any. Before. So. I’m. Very. New. I. Love doing. It. A,lot. But. The. Problem. With. Not. Sticking. Is.leaving. me Very. FRUSTRATED. I’ve. Heard. Some. People. Dont. Like those pink wax I. Dont. Know. If. That’s. My. Problem. I’ve. Heard. Some. People like to. Use. Blue. Tak. Where. Do. I. Find. It. None. Of. My. Stores. Have. It. Walmart or. Joana.ns. I. Shop. On. Amazon. Quit. Often. That’s. Where. I. Get. Most. Of. My. Diamond. painting. Supplies
March 17, 2021
Pam said:
What do you use to seal the painting without taking away the sparkle?
February 24, 2021
Charlane said:
On my first picture, very enjoyable, but I exposed to much of the glue while working on various colours and the cellophane cover is sticking badly what can be used to remoisten the glue in unfinished spots? Thanks for any help!
February 24, 2021
Kelly said:
Great tips! I’m still waiting for my order but can’t wait to start.
January 29, 2021
Patricia said:
I’m getting ready to order my 1st. After reading all this, I’m not sure if I’m ready or not!!!!! Seems sooo much to watch out for. I saw a friend doing this, but she is no longer with us for me to get a show an tell.
If anyone could share anything I’d be most grateful. I think I read the squares are easier - any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank You Ladies——Let’s have fun in spite of Mr. C.
Patricia
January 18, 2021
Alexiaa said:
An adhesive for dried out glue spots, Joann Fabrics sells diamond painting paste. It’s actually made for it. Either go to their store to pick up same day, or have them deliver it! It sometimes goes on sale up to 50% off. Full price for it is under $10 at this time.
January 13, 2021
ken cates said:
I have received my first Diamond Dotz and Iam having a real problem with the glare. I can only do it for thirty minutes at a time before it effects my eyes. I have a light board and overhead lighting and a Otti light. My husband wonders if i should use my sun glases Do you have any suggestionsThanks
January 13, 2021
Amanda said:
If like me you fall asleep while diamond painting and you tip your drills on the carpet put some old pantyhose/stockings over the end of the vacuum nozzle while you vacuum the floor. You get all your drills back safely.
January 13, 2021
Janel said:
When I start a new project, I always take the directions with the drills numbers/symbols and type them into a spread sheet that I can blow up to read easier. I then put all my drills in order in a organized boxes (https://www.joann.com/tiny-container-bead-storage-tray/12869020.html). This make finding my drills so much easier and also finding what drill I need per symbol a lot easier since it is attached to my work area.
One thing I would love to see is if someone out there could put all the symbols online somewhere so that I can just copy and paste them into my spreadsheet when ready. Currently I have to search for all the symbols and it can be time consuming, but worth it!
January 02, 2021
Jan said:
I do not do a section at a time. I do all one color at a time. I just cover the picture with parchment paper when I am not painting so no dust gets on it. I don’t like having too many different beads out a time….too confusing for me lol
January 02, 2021
Catherine L Batchelor said:
I go to Michael’s and by the mod podge high gloss. It also has some for sparkly areas. Use a square sponge for only 99 cents. I just started my 50th one and have seven on order. Addiction, anyone. LOL
December 23, 2020
Tina said:
I am now doing my third one and am so addicted, a friend brought me four of hers since I get them done so quickly. I have bought five for gifts and I am praying they get here next week. I ordered them Nov. 11th.
December 16, 2020
Linda Langer said:
You never say what to seal diamonds with. I don’t want to cover up the pretty glitter but seal the picture
December 16, 2020
Gina Cox said:
Hi
My problem is that in Australia I find the round beads not to all be the same size and so when placing them , especially in a large area such as a background, I can’t get them all straight. This is really stressful as I want the finished product to look really uniform and straight but it ends up looking all wobbly no matter what I do. The beads also tend to puff out when you put pressure on them, such as when you place them, and that makes it hard to keep them perfectly lined up.
So far I have only found them in the bargain shops here, as we have been in “Lockdown” due to Covid-19 for most of the year, and the ones coming from overseas take up to 3 months to get here and are 5-6 times the price. I find $72 for a canvas a bit expensive.
December 16, 2020