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
Patricia Furbush said:
I bought 3 pictures from an online place but when I received them there was no kind of direction on how to do it. For the first time doing it I didn’t get it. Maybe its so simple but if you could please help me to get started I would really appreciate it. Thank you. Patty
March 05, 2019
Diannia said:
So you use the stretcher bar frames before you start or after you have finished?
March 05, 2019
Bernadette Pinedo said:
I had mine framed at Hobby Lobby so I didn’t have to mess with it!!
March 05, 2019
Robert K. Wood said:
It’s hard to find good frames for your paintings, could you advise on any shops that sell these?
March 05, 2019
Leah Raspberry said:
A dinner tray with raised sides work great for the smaller canvases and fits well on the lap.
March 05, 2019
Shanda Tudor said:
When will i get my paint with diamonds
March 05, 2019
Laurie Bimeal said:
I use a 7 day pill organizer to keep my diamonds in. Just number the top. Works great expecially if you have over 30 diamonds.
March 05, 2019
Brandy Capehart said:
Use a corkboard and tacks to get you picture flat and it also won’t move out of place.
March 05, 2019
Ricky Lanham Droege said:
I occasionally have diamonds loosen. I put clear Modpodge over my completed picture. It also makes it stiffer so easier to frame.
March 05, 2019
Catherine said:
How do you convert a cross stitch to a diamond painting?
March 05, 2019
Beckie Walker said:
In storing my drills I cut out the number from the bag they come in and tape that to the bottles, jars or whatever I’m storing them in. Before I had enough containers I would (still do) use crafters bags I’ll label bag with sharpie marker then use scotch tape over them so they don’t come off from oils in our hands over time.
Also, I was having hard time keeping everything straight, due to shaking at times- I will do small sections at a time, I get first row done(I work bottom – up and right to left) I use small ruler to keep as straight as possible. If you can find the rules that have a strip of metal that sticks out from side of ruler a bit then you can butt the strip right up against last row worked. It keeps everything looking clean, even & neat. You could even use a piece of aluminum foil that has been folded so it’s like 2in wide with little thickness so it stays stiffer.
To the person who asked about how to get two drill that are stuck back to back – all I do is stick them in my mouth and a tap between my teeth is all it takes.
March 05, 2019
Joy Sparks said:
I use a rolling pin on my pictures to flatten them out and also after completion if picture to help set the diamonds in place.
March 05, 2019
sarah hurtley said:
i am using floating frames to display my work. i trim the canvas off and sandwich it between the 2 pieces of glass.
March 05, 2019
Michelle said:
We need good, easy, and cheap ways to frame completed works!
February 03, 2019
Cherie Nelson said:
Jo,
You might try using a hair dryer on very low heat to loosen the glue enough to get the film off. Wave the dryer over the whole piece.
February 03, 2019
Cherie Nelson said:
For labeling the jars you can also use label sheets, Walmart has one that is small enough for the lids.
February 03, 2019
Cherie Nelson said:
I have found that if you pull up all four sides of your canvas towards the middle it helps it to lay flat. Start with one corner, pull it up to the middle lay it back down on the canvas and proceed with the other three corners.
February 03, 2019
Heather L MARTIN said:
Karen (January 24th)
I have found rolling your canvas in the opposite direction helps so much.
For the larger painting try a large message board, works great
February 03, 2019
Blythe said:
I see a lot of questions here and people wondering why there are no answers… This is for comments, to assist people with tips, etc.. If you have questions or are missing diamonds, go to the help section where you can read FAQs and contact support and order missing diamonds.
February 03, 2019
Barbara S. said:
I read/watched videos of tips and tricks. One of the most helpful was in order to flatten the canvas, you should take a corner of the paper over the sticky side, pull it back so it uncovers a quarter of the canvas, then press it back down to the sticky side. Once you do that on all four corners, it should pretty much lay flat. Hope this helps!
February 03, 2019
Kim said:
After you are done each day or if you have completed a large section, use a rolling pin. Roll it over the completed section and it seats the diamonds and actually straighten the lines.
February 03, 2019
Dee said:
I have bought my frames from dollar general. I make my own matting out of white or colored poster board. Turns out great
February 03, 2019
Becky Allen said:
I work on a cookie sheet so the project is “contained”. Sort and store diamonds in monthly pill container. Keep other supplies and small flashlight in a little plastic basket so it can be portable.
February 03, 2019
Doris said:
An easy way to get your canvas to lie flat is to pull back a corner of the paper over the canvas to about the middle, then smooth it back down repeat for each corner and voila! You have a flat canvas. It has never failed for me.
February 03, 2019
Patrick Miller said:
Karen,
Lay the canvas flat face up. Peel back one corner of the protector towards its opposite corner. Run you hand side to side in small passes to get the protector sheet back into place. Working from the center outward. Repeat for other 3 corners.
February 03, 2019
Cheryl Prentiss said:
To flatten the canvas, carefully peel back the paper that covers it and then lay it back down on the adhesive going from the bottom to the top. When replacing the paper slide your hands upward pressing down firmly to remove any lumps, air bubbles or crinkles.
February 03, 2019
Rebecca Wolfe said:
Please tell me how to use that pen
February 03, 2019
Heather said:
I bought a box of bead storage bags. 100 for $5 @ a craft store. Write the bead # on the outside with magic marker. And for the person asking how to align the square diamonds up, use tweezers to move them into place. Sometimes you have to put a little pressure on one to get it to squeeze between stones on either side, but it helps. Framing is a whole other issue I haven’t figured out yet.
February 03, 2019
Samadi Morales said:
I would like to know when I’m getting my packages I order like a month ago
February 03, 2019
Chrissy said:
Try dampening the canvas down place a dry towel over it and iron dry don’t run the iron over the cloth otherwise you could stretch it pick up iron and place the iron down sometime you have to iron both sides
February 03, 2019
Gary said:
Hi all,
I need help trying to get an bunch of diamonds unstuck from each other! They are stuck back to back and not very easily removed!
Any ideas on how to remedy this?
Thanks a bunch!
Gary Delano
February 03, 2019
Tina Wickham said:
For framing I measure finished product only. Do not measure where there is not any diamonds. I buy a frame closest to that size. If I need to make the picture fit the frame I cut cardstock to put around the edges and glue it to the canvas and any excess canvas I cut off. I also take a permanent marker that closes matches the edge of the picture and I go around entire picture edges with it. So now there wont be any white showing.
February 03, 2019
Lori McKellar said:
I seen in a UTube tutorial that if you pull back on the two top corners a small amount on each side & put back in place your page will lie flat. Worked for me, working on a piece of cardboard, seems to be working fine, my first Diamond Art project. The women says she likes some type of putty too instead of the provided wax, but not exactly sure. There are Diamond Art demos on UTube.
February 03, 2019
Grandma Betty said:
An empty tray that held chocolates is also a good holder for your diamonds. There is also always a lid.
February 03, 2019
Meredith said:
I use a painter’s tray to sort my tiles into for quick access while I’m working on my canvas, with each spot marked per the symbol on the canvas. I keep them stored in sealing jewelry bags marked with both the number and the symbol. Everything is then stored in an oversized ziplock bag so that nothing gets lost. I have small grandchildren so I have to keep projects together and out of reach.
February 03, 2019
BrandiLinn said:
TO GET MY CANVASES TO STOP CURLING BACK UP IS BY WRAPPING IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN IT WAS PACKAGED IN AROUND A ROLLING PIN. IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM AND STRAIGHTENS OUT IMMEDIATELY! NO WAITING! IVE DONE THIS WITH ALL OF THEM! THE BOOK TRICK WORKS BUT I DON’T WANT TO WAIT THAT LONG LOL
February 03, 2019
Linda Piasetsky said:
To get the canvas to flatten out just peel back the white top and then put it back down and it should flatten out. Mine flattened out right away.
February 03, 2019
ALice said:
Karen try your hair dryer on the back just warm then place heavy object on it
February 03, 2019
Donita Hagemeier said:
Would love to be about to do these beautiful paintings while relaxing in my recliner. Has anyone else tryed this and my have a pointer or 2
February 03, 2019
Diana said:
I use a large index card box with dividers for my diamonds. The index dividers camewith the alphabet on one side and I made labels with 1-27 to put on the other side. I keep the diamonds in their bags and then put them in small ziplock bags. I have to do everything “cat proof” because they like to play with anything left out.
January 24, 2019
Karen said:
I am having serious problems with my canvas I cannot get it to lay flat I have tried everything in the book and it’s not working I have I earned it I have put it under heavy books I have taped it down I have put it under my mattress I don’t know what else to try any suggestions
January 24, 2019
Sonia Benel said:
What is an easy way to frame the completed project?
January 24, 2019
Jo said:
HELP I removed the white sheet on my diamond painting and put clear film on it ! I can’t get it off now !! Please help !
January 24, 2019
Marjorie A Grafton said:
You can go to goodwill etc. For frames!!!
January 24, 2019
Nicki said:
I recently finished a custom picture of my husband and I on my wedding day and I wish i had copied the picture before I applied my diamonds. My next picture I will do this so I can always cross stitch another picture since DMC floss matches the colour chart colours.
Also I think I will use my unused diamonds from the previous kits I’ve purchased to create my own picture creation so the diamonds aren’t wasted.
January 24, 2019
Troylan Garrett said:
Most of the pictures I’ve done are a weird size. I can’t find frames anywhere. I can’t afford to have them professionally framed. Can anyone tell me how to make my own? Thanks Troylan Garrett
January 24, 2019
Connie McCoy said:
Ice cube trays also makes for a good diamond storsge.
January 24, 2019
Shazz said:
When you finished your painting. Get a brush and brush on PVA glue. It dries clear and will hold all the beads in place and when you mount it to a board you don’t need glass just a frame. Plus it makes the diamonds glitter more.
January 24, 2019
Nancy said:
I use the weekly pill containers I get at Walmart or the pharmacy to hold my drills. Use masking tape to label each section. When done with project I put drills back in zip locks and reuse pill container.
January 24, 2019
Athea said:
Use a sarp xacto knife to cut bubbles in the canvas.
January 24, 2019