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
Lucille k gibson said:
At one time I saw a “glitter dust”advertised to use on your diamond art project to fill in lines that show. I can not seem to find it now. Can anyone help me? I sent for a personal picture made and I am having lines showing thru in some places.
January 13, 2021
Roselin Pfeifer said:
Ive still not found an answer—is there a right and wrong side to the pixels. Flater side up or down??
December 16, 2020
Dorothy Page said:
Baking paper works well to cover the painting it does not stick
December 16, 2020
Stephanie said:
Have read most of the comments. Many great tips. I may have missed this one but I have some health issues and some days my hands shake and I will spill my tray of beads. Some times on my canvas. I use a lint roller and run it lightly over the canvas. If the beads I spilled are on the already placed beads it will pick up most of the loose beads. Of course it may not pick up the beads on the portion that has no beads and they will have to be picked off (UGH!!). I also run the roller over my carpet. The beads have to be picked off the lint roller which is time consuming. Or you can tear off the portion with the beads and put it in water and they come off easier. Just a little hint someone may can use, Happy Painting !!
December 16, 2020
cher Buckwalter said:
I love to sit in my comfy big chair and do my diamond art while listening to tv. I found if you put your canvas on an upside down tray on your lap with a pillow on it. That way you can stand it at a 45degree angle. I have a bright light behind me so I can see those dark colors.
So much fun.
December 16, 2020
BARB ROTHw said:
With one of my orders I also recieved a separate sheet with the symbols and colors, this made it so much easier as they were quite a bit larger. When I don’t receive this I copy on a machine, enlarge and put in a plastic sleeve.
December 16, 2020
Judy said:
I stumbled upon a way to open the little plastic containers that snap to close it. These little containers commonly come 28 little boxes in the larger container, 7 rows of 4 attached boxes. There is also a larger container which would probably accommodate the larger pictures that have more than 28 colours. The little containers come in 7 rows of 4 little attached boxes. Hold one row (4 boxes) in your left hand, diagonally across your palm, with your thumb on the back side and fingers along the front of the row of 4 boxes. With your right hand take your thumb and index finger and place them on the two small ends of the row. Gently squeeze the two ends together and the tops of the two outside boxes pop up. Continue squeezing gently on the row using the right hand and move the left thumb over the top of the row to lift the tops of the two middle boxes. Relax your squeeze BUT CONTINUE HOLDING ON TO THE ROW OF BOXES. NOW CLOSE THE THREE BOXES THAT YOU ARE NOT USING AT THIS MOMENT. Practise this move two or three times and you will get the hang of it and it will become second nature to you. This has saved me many anxious moments.
December 16, 2020
Bonnie said:
I am going to make my DP’s from scratch. I ordered double sided tape, however now hearing that poured glue works better. Searching poured glue is giving me finished pieces from China. What I need to know is what poured glue to buy to put on to my printed picture that drills will adhere to. Hoping someone can help.
December 16, 2020
Carol Grimes Sisti said:
I use a muffin tin to keep my beads in and small ramekins for the extra ones.
December 16, 2020
Ineke said:
Hi, you can use bluetac instead of the wax, lasts forever.
December 16, 2020
marlene hollett said:
some parts of my project is slippery instead of sticky. What can I get to fix this???
December 16, 2020
marlene hollett said:
what can I use in place of the wax for securing the diamonds? Also, you can use the unused diamonds on a counted cross stitch.
December 16, 2020
Sandy said:
When I get a kit I separate the colors by palette and use tall snack baggies that have a write-one white section to sort them. On each baggie I code the line “P 340 @”. P is for pink, the color palette, 340 is the number assigned and @ is the symbol assigned to that kit by the manufacturer. The color palette baggies are then binder clipped together. Then on the corresponding printed page I draw lines under each third color for visual separation, and write the color palette code “P” next to 340, @. I like to have no more than 5 baggies in one palette clip for ease in finding the colors quickly, so I’ll sometimes break the palette into two binder clips, and label them P1 and P2. Most of my kits have over 40 colors so this is a quick filing system that is easy on my eyes and safe for my dots!
April 02, 2020
CmhuEiMsxaSgDW said:
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April 17, 2020
jOyTGBluf said:
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April 17, 2020
rona mckay said:
what adhesive can I use for my spare beads I have bought some crystal art stamps but I don,t know how to put glue on the card so that I can stamp on it ? thank you
January 26, 2020
Sue said:
To Billie, Nov 2019.. You can cut and paste the comment section out. Put in an email to yourself and then print it
January 26, 2020
susanne orsi said:
I DO NOT RECOMEND CUTTING THE SYMBOLS FROM THE CANVAS AND GLUING THEM TO YOUR CONTAINERS. BY DOING THIS YOU ARE COMPROMISING THE EXTRA CANVAS WHICH IN MOST CASES IS NEEDED FOR FRAMING. I USE TO BE AN AVID NEEDLEPOINTER AND NEVER WOULD PURCHASE A CANVAS THAT THE EXCESS WAS TRIMMED OFF. I ALWAYS HAD MY PIECES PROFESSIONALLY FRAMED. BECAUSE NEEDLEPOINT HAS TO BE STRETCHED THE EXCESS CANVASS NEEDED TO BE INTACT. I REALIZE THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHEN FRAMING A PAINT WITH DIAMONDS DESIGN. HOWEVER YOU DO NEED THE EXCESS CANVAS TO BE HIDDEN UNDER THE FRAMES EDGES. IF NOT YOU WILL BE COVERING SOME OF YOUR WORK. TRY THIS INSTEAD. MAKE A PHOTO COPY OF THE NUMBERED SYMBOL EDGE OF YOUR CANVAS WITH A GOOD PRINTER. THEN CUT THE SYMBOLS FROM THE PAPER . IF DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO LIGHTNESS OF SYMBOLS ON CANVAS TRY ADJUSTING INK AND REPRINT UNTIL THEY ARE READABLE. THE LIGHTER GRE SYMBOLS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE, SO TRY THIS. PROFESSIONAL SEAMSTRESS. SUSANNE
January 16, 2020
Lilia CHANDLER said:
I receive my Portrait of Christ. I love it. I will order more. Thank you.
January 16, 2020
Janet Etherton said:
I have used my empty pill bottles, I put clear tape on lid and right the DMC number on it. I now have a nice storage container that has lot of different sizes bottles. I have done about 20 kits so far. I frame most of them, but I have never sealed them. Is it necessary to seal them if I frame them?
January 16, 2020
Jane said:
I’ve tried all of the sorting ideas mentioned above, but found a set of boxes a little different than mentioned. The bags (ziploc, pill packs, etc,) work great, except when you need just one more little drill. At Harbor Freight they have a clear box filled with 25 smaller boxes, each with a snap lid. I’ve numbered my containers and refill with extras left over from projects. They hold quite a bit more than the little round boxes from Walmart (tried that one, too!), so I stack my six main boxes with the outsides labeled (1-25, 25-50, 51-75, etc.), then add one more for the brayer, tweezers, multi tools, extra wax, etc. I finally use one last box per project, and combine with the main boxes when project is complete.
January 09, 2020
June Blumenthal said:
Can anyone tell me if it makes any difference if you lay the square drills based on the two different tips to their facets? I’ve seen plenty of recommendations on how to lay the squares, alternating in a checkerboard pattern, but I haven’t seen any comments on the square diamond drills themselves. They come in two different cuts where one tops out more at a point and the other has more of a flat square cut with multi facets on all four sides. Does anyone know what I mean? Do people care if the two cuts alternate or are next to each other? Does it even matter? I imagine it’s meant to catch the light at all different angles and I try to be conscious of not laying too many of the square tops all in a row, but I don’t know if other people bother? Perhaps I am being too o.c.d. Has anyone noticed how this hobby seems to attract people who have ocd tendencies? I wonder if that’s why it relaxes us whereas it would bore or frustrate others…
January 09, 2020
Mandy Bell said:
I buy multi packs of Tic Taks comes in a 4 pk, once eaten wash and dry them thoroughly fill with drills and write their numbers on the tops and I keep them in a storage container.
January 09, 2020
Sara McD said:
I love the pwd! I’m on my 4th or 5th canvas and it has become a routine that I work on them a little each day before bed to relax me. Although I haven’t had any issues with the canvas or diamonds themselves I’ve been waiting 26 days for my order! I bought it at the end of November beginning of December and I still haven’t received my order yet
January 09, 2020
Amber L Pierini said:
When you first get your kit and it’s all rolled up all you have to do is take each end of the paper that’s sticking to the canvas and pull it up half way to the canvas and put it back down… do it with every corner and the canvas will be flat. No need to sleep on it.
January 09, 2020
Carol Moore said:
Lots of great tips
January 09, 2020
DAWN said:
I like doing diamond picture I have done quite a few myself I don’t know
how to had pictures
January 09, 2020
Jacqui said:
How do you use the metal ruler? It has holes in and it lines the diamonds up but no instructions? First time beginner?
January 16, 2020
denise said:
hi a great way to store the gems is to use tick tack boxes and you can write on them over as well and a great plae to buy the kits are wish as well
January 16, 2020
Kayla said:
My diamonds do not stick very well. How can I get them to stay?
January 16, 2020
SAndy said:
I use pill holders (the large 28 days). Then use the instructions and cut each color and symbols tape them on the lid of each one. To get them out I use an eighth teaspoon measuring spoon.
January 16, 2020
shileen said:
I prefer the square diamonds BUT need to ask – is there a RIGHT side and WRONG side to them.
January 16, 2020
Ashley said:
Just bought my first one and can’t wait for it to come.
November 26, 2019
Penny Cameron said:
Hi there, I am a die hard diamonds painter and can’t get enough of them.
I use a 28 day pill dispenser that I picked up at a cheap homeware store and it works perfect, any excess drills I put into a little sauce container and I label all the pill box with my dymo label then peel them off when finished and reuse for my next painting, I also have 8 trays with beads in them and have made little labels from my dymo machine that actually sit in the appropriate tray so that I don’t forget which bead I am working on. Hope this has helped my fellow diamond painters because it really helps me.
Thankyou for reading my comment
November 26, 2019
JAckie said:
I use plastic containers for my beads, write on lid with permanent marker the number and symbol. Once project complete, use rubbing alcohol on cloth to wipe of marker and containers ready to use again.
November 20, 2019
Jean Turner said:
What does everyone do with all the leftover beads?
November 20, 2019
Debra Young said:
Just bought my first one. Super excited, never seen these but they are awesome!!!
November 20, 2019
Billie said:
For serious diamond painters : at Walmart Mart in the craft department, I found very nice bead containers. These rectangular containers each hold 28 separate round containers with screw on lids…. then the rectangular container itself has a lid. These are $8.97 each. Then, I go to the school supply section and purchase the round garage sale stickers. I also purchased a permanent marker pen. I placed each drill DMC number on a sticker and placed it on the top of one of the individual round containers. (All DMC numbers are the same no matter who you purchase your canvas from…. although different makers may use different symbols for the same DMC color.) I fill each container with a colored drill from the painting I am doing. ( If there are too many drills to fill the round container, I fill the container as full as I safely can then if I have extra drills..I just fold over the top of the drill bag and tape it closed with clear tape so that I can still see the drill number on the bag. These extra drill bags are then put into a zip lock storage bag…. so all my extra drills are in one spot and are easy access when I need to refill one of my circular containers. Now, I put my circular containers in numerical order in the rectangular container. Now go to houseware department …. there you can find a plastic storage container that is just a little wider than the rectangular storage container with the enclosed round containers, this storage container costs $4.97. It will nicely seat 4 of the rectangular containers which will take up about 1/2 of this larger storage containers space. In the other half of the bigger storage container, I keep my other diamond painting equipment….. washy tape, small pair of scissors, extra drill boats, drill pens and wax and a small 6" wide rubber roller and a ruler..the beauty in all of this is that all the containers are clear and have lids. Makes it easy to find everything. Yes…. it is a little on the expensive side, but we’ll worth it if you are serious in maintaining this joyful hobby. NEVER throw away your extra drills. Purchase small craft zip lock bags. The ones that are 2" or so square. Write the DMC number on the bag with permanent marker. Use the number ONLY…. not the symbol because as I stated before…. each company uses a different symbol… the DMC numbers will ALWAYS be he same. Toss these small bags of extra drills into a zip lock sandwich bag. This way you will have extra drills if needed for a different painting or you might be lucky enough to have enough extra drills to change a color in a different diamond painting. Example: changing brown eyes to green eyes / changing pink lipstick to red etc. Also, I DO NOT spray over my beads to affix to canvas… I use my rolling pin. Using a spray on top of you beads weighs them down and dull the brightness and sparkle that is the reason that you are doing diamond paintings in the first place. Also I DO NOT put my diamond paintings behind glass in a frame for the same reason. I place my paintings on cardboard and either mat around the picture or make my own matting by using cardboard sprayed with fabric adhesive and use a lovely fabric that compliments y picture as a surround then, use a frame without the glass. I simply dust my diamond painting occasionally with a swifter or a feather duster. I hope my suggestions to you are helpful. We spend a lot of time doing these beautiful artworks. Take care of them properly and they will last and maintain their original beauty. Have fun my friends. May you have many enjoyable hours with this craft.
November 20, 2019
Billie said:
Could you please separate the 7 amazing tips from the comments, question and tips from other users. I have spent o much time this evening having to scroll down on every page to get to other diamond painters comments. Although those 7 tips are good….. they do not need to be on every page. At about page 6, I decided I was through with scrolling and stopped reading others comments. I am positive that this flaw on your website has caused others to give up reading comments from others as well. I love diamond painting and love and appreciate the help offered on this site… but as a Web designer ….. I feel my suggestion would be beneficial in being easier to access information for your intended clients. Other than that 1 small flaw, your website is fantastic. Thank you for reading my text. Bj
November 20, 2019
Denise Crane said:
I’m out my 4th big diamond painting and I’m addicted. I can do lots of other crafts but I can’t stop working on these. I love it. Super fan.
November 20, 2019
JOni said:
Get tips. Just a beginner and these all help. Thanks.
November 20, 2019
Jeniffer Fraker said:
I just cut off the number from the pack, tape it on my bottle or baggie
November 20, 2019
Erinn said:
I use containers that screw together and are shallow i use my label maker and put the numbers on the bottom of each 1.
November 20, 2019
LIsa said:
The paper that covers the glue is stuck in my painting how can I remove it without tear off the glue
November 20, 2019
Sharon McElherron said:
Hi I put my diamonds into bigger ziplock bags and then put in the empty pack with number on , they are easily stored in bigger bag
November 20, 2019
Ashley Kessel said:
Diamond painting helps me calm down, especially when my anxiety is high! Thank you PWD!
November 20, 2019
Brenda said:
I am very interested in trying this craft but I have not been able to find them. Where can you buy them? Or is this something only online to purchase?
November 20, 2019
ESTHER HERRERO GOMEZ said:
queria saber cuando he terminado si tengo que sellarlo con algun producto antes de ponerle el marco. Muchisimas gracias
November 20, 2019
stephanie said:
I’ve tried the metal multi placer that you lay down on your painting, I’ve bought two of them and neither one works, when i pull it up, it pulls most of the drills with it. Am i doing something wrong?, also, on most of the paintings the alignment is completely off.
November 20, 2019
Regina Bragg said:
I use double stick tape to tape down my canvas while I’m working on it. It also helps to straighten the canvas (but it doesn’t completely flatten some of the ones that have been folded instead of rolled while shipping).
I use a TV table to work on. It is the right height for me to work on and I have everything right there on hand and can pick it up and move it to the side when I need a break.
November 20, 2019