We LOVE diamond painting. There's absolutely nothing better than unboxing a new kit, prepping your canvas and tools, and spending countless hours putting diamonds to canvas to slowly reveal a masterpiece of your own making.
Fortunately, we're not alone in our addiction to this amazing new craft hobby! The passionate folks over at the official Paint With Diamonds Support Group are always sharing progress, tips, and tricks that make paint with diamonds lovers absolutely giddy!
We've gone through hundreds of posts to find the best paint with diamonds tips and tricks. Read ahead for our favorites!
7. Use egg cartons to organize your diamonds
Raise chickens? Or did you just cook an omelette and use up all your eggs? Use the container to organize your diamonds! Courtesy of Niña Conklin.
6. Tape or glue your diamonds next to their symbol on the canvas.
Easily reference the diamonds you need at quick glance! Tip courtesy of Heidi Proctor and Angela Earley!
5. Use a marker to put the number or symbol on each diamond bag.
If egg cartons aren't your style, simply sort the diamonds into the plastic Ziploc bags included in your kit. Then write the corresponding number or symbol on the outside of the bag. Tip thanks to Kelsey Kelso Bjork!
4. Use a cutting board as a flat surface for your canvas.
Can't find a good surface to use to complete your paint with diamonds? Just tape the canvas to a normal kitchen cutting board! Just wash it first ;). Thanks for the tip, Suzie Pini van Deurs!
3. Use a multi-diamond applicator tool to speed up the process!
Don't be afraid to pick up more than one diamond at a time! Most of our kits come with a double-sided tool that lets you pick up one diamond at a time, or a bunch! Tip courtesy of Brooke Stubbs.
2. Flatten your canvas by sleeping on it. Literally.
This one comes straight from Ali King, who says, "put it between two pieces of cardboard. Put that under my mattress and sleep on it overnight. Works great! I do that once I'm done with it as well, just to make sure all the diamonds are fully adhered."
1. Stop static cling with dryer sheets.
Isn't it annoying when your diamonds stick to everything BUT the canvas? PWD fan Ariel Rocha recommends cutting up a dryer sheet and placing small pieces of it in whatever you are storing the gems in. Game changer!
Have an awesome tip that we missed? Leave it in the comments below! And don't forget to share this post with your fellow die-hard paint with diamonds fans!
Comments
Melissa Silvers said:
The symbols need to be printed clearer and bigger . i love doing them I have done 3 of them already Iam on my 4th one now.
November 20, 2018
Candace Bass said:
Some of the sticky layer came off when something got stuck to canvas how can I stick gems on now?
November 20, 2018
Imelda Lapierre said:
I use a light box its so much easier to see the numbers and letters. I also keep them under books when i am done til i can frame them.
November 20, 2018
Jules said:
I place my canvas on a light box. The light coming through the canvas makes it much easier to see the tiny letters & symbols. I support the light box in an upright position using a cook book stand.
November 20, 2018
Lucia said:
Someone suggested using tac putty instead of using what came with the painting. I had some mounting putty from Loctite and found that when I inserted my tool into the putty, it didn’t stay in the tool. Is the tac putty the same thing. Another thing, the Loctite putty is very stretchy. Thank you.
November 20, 2018
Lucia said:
I went to Joanns last night and bought 3 of these boxes of containers for my diamonds. Worked great. I paid 9.99 for each box and it contained 24 round containers. The box is called Bead Storage System. Wish I could add a pic.
November 20, 2018
Kathy Boston said:
We frame ours in the poster frames from Walmart, they come in many different sizes. If we don’t find an exact fit we use washi tape on the edges of the painting and some double sided tape to keep the picture in the middle. Poster frames work really well because the gap between the glass and the backing is small and pretty much holds the picture with or without the double sided tape. I just like the added security.
November 20, 2018
Wilma Hawk said:
If beads are stuck together I put them on a paper plate that I have folded in half, put a paper towel over that and gently use a rolling pin over them and you can slide them off the paper plate into your bag or tray
November 20, 2018
robin elder said:
since i have so many extra trays, i numbered them, attached small piece of velcro to the back. then i took a piece of foamcore, divided it into equal spaces, attached other side of velcro to center of each space, then attached each tray in order. no more putting a color away to get to the next. simply pull numbered tray , use and replace, on to the next. i keep the bags of drills in small round containers from the $store so i can easily refill trays.
November 20, 2018
pamela meadows said:
OMG I am hooked, about 1/4 thru with 1st custom picture and loving it. Tips I have already learned: Zoom large and print out bead symbol tape on bead case.
Get large bead case, sort and label all project beads then put dryer sheets on top and seal over night.
I started out using pen and a putty, but found very quickly that tweezers work much better to position beads and keep straight rows.
If after filling large area and there are a few stray spaces that the symbol is hard to read I take my cell phone and large zoom a picture. Issue solved.
I will post more as I go along!
I so wish you would sell the canvas stretches at a reasonable price!!!
Thanks PWD so glad I found the best first time instead of sub quality kits that would be a disappointment.
Thanks Pamela, PS is there some place we can post pictures of our finished projects, a special gallery?
November 20, 2018
Troy Chippendale said:
1. It straighten canvas just peel backing off to half way and place it back down again then do other end . It will be flat and no waiting .
November 20, 2018
Val said:
Some great hints. To stop loosing some gems on the table, floor or whatever, I place the tray inside a small container (not a big one), and shaking them up, if they do fall out, they only go into the container. It is also easier to hold.
November 20, 2018
Donna-Marie E Turner said:
I absolutely love this form of art. I’ve ordered 7 but only on my second. Time consuming but absolutely beautiful in the end. Want to find frames to put them all in when finished
November 20, 2018
Melissa Roberge said:
My mom is a housekeeper for Disney and brings us home tons of those traveling dishsoap containers. So I started using them to put my beads in when I’m working on them and then when i m done of all that one color I put it in a zip lock bag and add more to it as I finish colors.
November 20, 2018
Brenda said:
All those ideas are great and I have used just about all of them except the cutting board.
November 20, 2018
Monica said:
I use a lazy susan when I am dping. I have all my dots in containers, numbered, and placed in a circle on my lazy susan. When I am ready for a color I spin my susan and pick up the numbered/colored container I need.
November 20, 2018
Glennis said:
1) Favorite place to order. Order multiple at a time and you don’t have to wait for long shipping time. I reorder when I start my last one.Just finished 1st custom pic of great grandchildren, 30×40cm (12×16) Great detail & looks awesome. Just started 2nd custom of another set of GGchildren. My final custom is family photo from 90th B’day party. Huge, easily 4x other size. That’s why I saved it for last.
2) Someone mentioned ModPodge waterbase in gloss. That’s what I’ll try to finish and secure diamonds.
3) A piece of paper accidently landed on glue surface. I was heart broken. My daughter used pretty damp paper towel on it. She saturated the adhering paper & gently rubbed. Formed little wet nubs. Brushed them off quickly and let it dry. Crossing my fingers. Being solvent base glue, it was perfect. Still sticky. Held diamonds without a problem.
4) i definitely use the light board. So much easier to see number codes. I store diamonds I’m using in those little boxes people talked about. 4 in a row, 7 rows all stored inside another plastic box. I used about 2 sets, 56 little holders for customs I ordered. I’ll need to order another 3set on Amazon, $12, when I start that reunion photo.
5) you can buy stretcher bars for most sizes. The ones I ordered are from a different Diamond Art company. They come in cm. But they have a sticky top edge to secure canvas to it. Then I stapled it on sides or bottom. Think it cost abt $20 for 12×16 size. But it looks great. I also put a base primer on canvas edges to cover printing and then painted edges a color suitable for the picture. Didn’t frame.
My daughter bought my first picture to try because it was getting too hard to hold the brush steady at my craft class. I was nervous about trying it because of my eyesight and hands. She bought the flat drawing lamp, put the pic on it and proceded to show me how to do it. Still afraid to try but did. Started slow but finlaly got the hang of it and I love it. I work on one at my craft class and different one at home. So much fun. Very addicting.
November 20, 2018
Robert Ruby said:
Go to a Michaels Store ,they have all sizes of frames and very cheap
November 20, 2018
Clara Powers said:
I use dollar tree frames and for my big pictures I use poster frames.
November 20, 2018
Deborah Graves said:
I am doing the ( home is what I bake it ) I’m only half way through and I have already ran out of # 318 diamonds, this is my second painting, the first was the berry branch owl, I was short 2 colors on it, I’m very disappointed in this, I sent an email but never got any feedback from you, it is very disappointing when I’m all excited about a new painting and then realize I can’t complete it!
November 20, 2018
Carrie DeRosa said:
I bought little trays at a dollar store along with little circled sticky tabs. I write the number of the bead and the symbol on the sticky and stick them to the tray. Then I open at least one bag of beads and dump them in each tray. I keep a little table next to where I am working on them with all the trays lined up in order and just grab what I need when I need it. This is good if you don’t have to worry about pets, etc. getting into them. My cats have been very good…thank God.
November 20, 2018
Janice Bedell said:
I use a rolling pin on the finished project to ensure all the diamonds are evenly stuck : )
November 20, 2018
Natasha said:
I use bead storage containers come in sets of 12 in a block and write code on top. The a little spoon to pop out what I need onto plastic dish. Only use 3 containers all up, quick and easy
November 20, 2018
Holly Borgen said:
For framing, I’ve used floating frames. First I cut our the unfinished corners. Then use duct tape to tape the raw edges to the back of the canvas. Then center in a slightly larger floating frame from a craft store.
November 20, 2018
Linda McGreal said:
I sleep on my canvas to flatten it before I do it.
November 20, 2018
Phyllis Schmitt said:
I have many both round and square blank yard sale stickers (very inexpensive at dollar stores), that I stick on the bags with # and symbols.
November 20, 2018
Dawn said:
I use a magnifying lamp to give me extra light for seeing the canvas & those hard to see symbols. I shake the little tray to turn them over. And I store my diamonds in a Ziploc bag with the number from the original pkg inside. This way I can easily reuse the bag.
November 20, 2018
Marilyn said:
Ok dumb question…..I have several kits, I see some have the same numbers…..example one says 3755 with a small 2 beside it. My other kit says 3755 A12 are these the same? Can I store them together?
November 20, 2018
Dawn said:
Look on amazon for frames. I put mine on framed canvas
Paint the edge and use 2 faced rape
November 20, 2018
Jayme said:
I use the carryout condiment cups with lids to hold my diamonds. I write the number and symbol on the plastic lid. Works great.
November 20, 2018
Margaret Wilson said:
I use a tri fold poster cardboard. U get them at walmart. Cheap. I lay my peices in it to flatten and store
November 20, 2018
June Homan said:
Does anyone know of any different kind of glue to use to apply the diamond other than the stuff that comes in the kits ??
November 20, 2018
Ruth said:
I purchase small bead containers from the craft store and use a dry erase marker on the inside of the lid to number the containers. It doesn’t accidently get smudged and can easily be reused for future PWD designs.
November 20, 2018
Ruth said:
I’m curious why some of my diamonds are ‘wet’ in the bags when I get them? My two fave ideas here were using a fabric softener sheet to help with sticking and a microfiber towel to shine them up when done! Genius!
November 20, 2018
chris Herrington said:
Any ideas on how to separate two diamonds stuck together on flat side. I have a bag that is half with the stuck ones
November 20, 2018
Margaret said:
Fantastic tips love this section please keep them coming!!! love the under the mattress for adhering the dots.i have finished three and nearly completed the fourth,does the podge work well to adhere and shine,i will try it!!!!
November 20, 2018
Judy Doucette said:
I use my empty pill bottles, use a small piece of paper tape and stick the number on it, that way you can use the pill bottle over and over.
November 20, 2018
Lisa Hyatt said:
Frameiteasy.com is a great place for framing! Order to size..customize to your liking! I just ordered my first from them. for a 16.5 × 19.5 double mat with glass was $50. Much cheaper than custom framing!
November 20, 2018
Margit Ramsey said:
I’ve had good luck finding frames on Amazon. Art to Frame is a brand that I like. They have many of the sizes I need and are relatively inexpensive. I just toss the cheep plexiglass that comes with the frames. The frames are thick enough so I can mount my painting on foam board before I frame them. I’ve even found frames with mats that fit my diamond painting.
November 20, 2018
Lucie lanctot said:
I put my diamonds in pill bottles and use pre-glued numbers to identify tem. I also stapple my finished pictures on a painting canvas and glue a ribbon to hide the sides. Less costly and more modern than framing it
November 20, 2018
Cheryl Conner said:
I have done a couple kits now and have found it easier to start at the top and work down. I work across from right to left (i am right handed) and only do a 1-2 inch section at a time. That way the rest of the canvass stays covered,
November 20, 2018
Margaret said:
I go buy a little bigger plastic storage bags and cut the number out on the bag they come in and use Scotch tape to tape number to my bag I put the diamond in works great for me
November 20, 2018
Deb Bjerke said:
If you can’t find a frame to fit your picture, Hobby Lobby will cut a mat at a reasonable price to fit into any frame.
November 20, 2018
Lisa Prevost said:
I use tiny little food storage containers and masking tape to mark numbers and symbols. Then i put those in a larger container with the canvas so it is all together. When I finish the picture I modge podge the whole thing so it is permenent.
November 20, 2018
Val Green said:
After putting the diamonds in the tray to begin, I put the tray into a container about 1” deep and that stops me dropping them on the floor. You can still shake them and any that go over the edge, fall into the tray. I use a small plastic container with a lid to put on when I want a break.
November 20, 2018
Kassie said:
Hi all I was just setting up my diamond painting getting all the colors sorted for the next section.
Well i have spilled 8 little green trays full with drills everywhere floor carpet ,chair table and they even mixed into each others trays. What a major stuff up. Anyone no how I can kick them up iam halfway through my picture and I still need most of them to finish it.
Thanks heaps please HELP
November 20, 2018
Barbara Wright said:
To separate diamonds that are stuck together I put them in a small mortar and pestle and gently tap them apart
November 20, 2018
Amber said:
How do you keep ur canvas from drying out even when you cover it up after working on it?
November 20, 2018
Manju Sharma said:
I buy small ziplock bag and put my diamond dots in that plus I put the number and sign on it. This way I accidentally do not drop or mix them. Once the project is finished I put all the remaining dots in small bags in gallon size ziplock bag with the project name. Thanks
November 20, 2018
Roberta Bellante said:
To Deb…..I go to the Goodwill or Salvation army for a frame and take everything to Michaels so they can make a matching matt. Looks great
November 20, 2018