Imagine this. You've got thousands of diamonds all carefully laid out on the table, and you're super ready to begin your latest and greatest kit.
There's only one problem: none of your containers have lids! Surprise, your dog just jumped up onto your workstation, and now your diamonds are EVERYWHERE.
There's gotta be a better way! We dug into submissions from our Paint With Diamonds Facebook community to find the absolute best DIY Diamond Painting Storage hacks that'll take your new obsession to the next level!
1. Use A K-Cup Spinner To Hold Your Diamonds.
Coffee addict? Then you probably have one of these wonderful K-Cup Organizing spinners lying around! PWD fan Carrie Frazier created a diamond holder out of a K-Cup holder! How innovative. Thanks for the tip Carrie!!!
In case you need to buy one, Amazon's got them for about $14.99.
2. Medicine Boxes Are Also Handy To Sort Your Gems.
"I use medicine boxes. Works awesome! I'd be afraid of that getting knocked over and a lid coming off. Trust me dumping the diamonds all over a carpeted floor is NOT fun!"
Andria Mary Classen hits the nail on the head with this pro organizing tip!
3. Empty Out An Egg Carton And Sort Your Rhinestones!
This diamond storage tip comes to you over easy! Use an old egg carton to sort your labeled bags of diamonds for later use.
When you're ready to use a specific color, simply empty out a number of beads into your organizing tray and put the rest back in the egg carton. Shoutout to Niña Conklin for the pro tip!
4. Go For Tupperware Containers If You Have Loads Of One Color.
Did you just get a painting with a massive amount of one color? Are you swimming in 310s right now and not sure what to do withy yourself?
"I have 38,916 drills in 195 bags. So not fun. I had to put it in a rubbermaid bowl just to have them fit." Awesome tip, Jessica Bolinger!
5. Get Lazy And Splurge On Amazon Prime.
Okay, so this one isn't so much "DIY," but it certainly gets the job done well! Bead storage trays like this awesome Elizabeth Ward 45-Piece Storage Set ($17.01 on Amazon) can keep the more obsessive compulsive among us happy.
DP enthusiast Kathy Oakley says, "Since this is permanent storage, I used my label maker. The labels that come with the system go on the bottom of the containers so it is hard to see at a glance.
6. Use The "DIY Diamond Dry Cleaning"
You know how all of those clothes at the dry cleaner's are always hung up, labeled, and sorted meticulously? Let's apply the same organizing approach to your diamonds!
As Nathalie Gazaille puts it, "This is my new storage for left over drills... Hanger, pins, mini-bags, stickers (you find in 1$ stores!)... I hang 200 mini-bags! Very cheap to have this storage."
Have an awesome DIY storage tip? Leave it in the comments below! And don't forget to share this post with your fellow die-hard Paint With Diamonds fans!
Comments
Rachel C said:
I bought the plastic storage box for scrapbooking and the little baskets for drawer organizing. The bags fit in the basket perfectly and stand upright, the small/med pictures (12×12) fit in the bottom of the scrapbook box with the basket on top and everything is easy to put away and get out when I have a few minutes.
March 05, 2019
Carol said:
I use bead storage boxes that come 24 to a box, round flat containers. My main problem with the ‘diamonds’ is that the colors numbers from one kit doesn’t match the colors with the same color number in another kit. ie: 310 is black, that one always matches. But say you’ve got 762, which is a creamy white color. I had 762 in three different kits and all three were different shades, noticeably different. Even 3371, which is a very dark brown had two different shades. I love doing my diamonds pictures but it’s very frustrating that colors from one kit don’t match the same color from another kit.
March 05, 2019
Jen said:
Most, Diamond Painting kits follow the DMC Floss color chart. There are 477 colors. Yes as with, yarn, floss, paints. Dye lots could vary. If the dyes ate close enough shade, they can be mixed. You will never see a slight shade difference in a finished Fiamind Painting.
March 05, 2019
Robin said:
I use from previous kit. They are the same colors. I just love Diamond Art. I have already done 3 of them.
March 05, 2019
lola white said:
i bought some little plastic containers that look like tic tac containers works wonderful
March 05, 2019
Sheryl Rolfs said:
I have the same color number from 2 different projects but although it is the same color code they are 2 totally different color— one blue and one green . How do I know what color is correct?
March 05, 2019
Maggie Barrack said:
I use small medicine bottles to hold my drills and glue hearts…
March 05, 2019
Diana said:
I use an index card file and small plastic baggies that I got to keep the bag that the drills came in. I have a set of index card dividers with the letters on them and on the back side I used a label maker to put the numbers 1-26 on. I use that for my WIP and when I’m done I clip the graph from each piece and store all the drills in the zip bags and the graph in a larger zip bag. I just started my first piece with the DMC numbers and square drills so I may switch it up for long term storage in the future, but the WIP system is easy for me.
March 05, 2019
Jerri Watts said:
I just got a book from Amazon called DMC Color Chart Book for diamond painting. It’s for drills without DMC numbers or drills with unknown DMC or bad shade drills. It has all the numbers over 400 and a color chart so you can match the ones that don’t have DMC numbers or numbers but don’t match the color you already have. It’s worth it especially if you do a lot of diamond paintings like I do
March 05, 2019
Nelson Evans II said:
I LOVE number 5…
March 05, 2019
melanie said:
To answer the question about Colors for diamond painting…All the colors are based on DMC colors (embroidery thread color) the symbols change from painting to plaiting but the DMC number for the color should be the same for that particular number no matter what painting, and usually found on bags the beads are in.
March 05, 2019
Marylin Hall-Zunino said:
I use the same method as used in #5. While I am working on a project, I do not open a pack of diamonds until I am ready to use it. Then I place the remaining beads in one of the twenty eight sets. That way if I missed a symbol from a previous color it is handy. When I am all done I store them and move on to the next.
February 03, 2019
Sunday said:
I use small Manila envelopes. The coin size. I write the numbers on them in pencil and file them in order. You can reuse the envelopes and they are easy to find. A shoe box with a piece of cardboard down the middle works great. Also baseball card boxes.
February 03, 2019
Rachel Diggs said:
Sharon Roscher, yes they are the same numbers to the same color rounds with rounds and squares with squares at least. I can’t compared round colors to square colors yet.
To the DIY, some ideas, I use the ziplock method to store and a 28 slot (pill storage type of box) to keep my current project nearby. So when my cat is moody and slaps my tray off my lap or the arm of the couch when I grab a soda I still have the stored colors.
February 03, 2019
D said:
I would like to know the answer to Sharon Roscher’s question. Can u use the same color beads from one pic to another. Do u use the same numbers or colors.
February 03, 2019
Tina Wickham said:
I went to dollar tree and bought tiny little plastic jars with lids. They are found by the crafts. For 8 of them it is only 1.00. Then I purchased a flat container that is found in the kitchen stuff to store them in. It also has a lid. For 6.oo dollars it is cheap and does the job.
February 03, 2019
Pamela said:
Sharon the colors are suppose to be the same but just like yarn the hue is different on each batch so the colors won’t be exactly the same from every kit. But yes all the numbers are the same. They are DMC embroidery colors. I have done about 20 kits and I match what I can, then number the odd colors the color it says and sometimes I can use them again as different colors or in different kits. I always go through my left over colors before I start a new kit and add them in case I don’t receive enough. Hope this helps.
February 03, 2019
Donna Hyde said:
What does one do with all the left over diamonds? Why is there NOT one numerical system for all diamond paintings? Why do they use symbols as opposed to numbers or letters of the alphabet?
February 03, 2019
Christy Villari said:
No Sharon the numbers don’t all match I have 3 and 4 of some numbers and the colors for 1 number can range from brown to orange to pink to blue. And some kits the colors only go by the number or symbol or letter. As for how many colors I don’t think anyone can answer that honestly since there are so many company’s and they have so many different colors. I hope this helps. I also hope you love this I am on disability and I sell my completed ones to help make ends meet since I live in a tiny apt and very few friends and family and I love doing them. Enjoy!!
February 03, 2019
Deanna Chant said:
I have done 9 custom and many others so I really needed something to keep my diamonds in. I use the round containers that screw together to make a tower. I make tower 6-8 containers in about 6 rows. My containers are interchangeable so easily switched out for each painting. I am totally addicted and love doing them! If you would like photos of how my containers are please email me.
As for a table, I use a lg flat TV tray. It works perfectly except I wish I could pull it in closer to me so maybe a big tray that has legs that slides under the couch. I’ve looked but the trays are too small or they aren’t flat. Just an idea.
Also I wish you would get more Rottweiler pictures!
February 03, 2019
Clara said:
Use Tic Tac containers
February 03, 2019
Renee Rachels said:
I’ve used the #5 storage containers from the very beginning. It really works great and keeps the drills organized.
February 03, 2019
Dawn Marie Brownlow said:
Loved number #5 really much
February 03, 2019
Terri Adams said:
I was wondering the same thing about the numbers. If one kit has #314 and I got another kit with #314 are they the same color?
February 03, 2019
Denise LeBlanc said:
Sharon Rosher has a very good question. Could you please let me know the answer..
Also what does one do with all the left over beads. Thank you
February 03, 2019
Lisa C. said:
I use a large shoe box and small prescription bottles. I can write the numbers on the bottles with a sharpie and change the letter/number/symbol with each new picture using rubbing alcohol. I keep drills I don’t use in labeled baggies.
February 03, 2019
Wendy said:
I found that all drills are not the exact same color. Possibly different colors lots? The color isn’t off by much but just enough to tell the difference so I double check before storing them with drills from other kits. I use #5 and it works just fine.
February 03, 2019
Sheila said:
Great Idea,s ,u guys are creative, thanks for sharing ur tips. 👍
February 03, 2019
Vicki Perkins said:
Sharon Roscher – I have the exact same question. Wish somebody would respond.
February 03, 2019
Donna Fontenot said:
I use #5, but they are not $17 ( I wish) . They are $24 each at this time. I have 3 of them and love them, but not cheap
February 03, 2019
Barb Barth said:
Sharon Roscher…the numbers should be the same kit to kit and company to company. However, like yarn there can be slight variations in “dye lots.” As far as how many different colors, I would have to guess a colorful ton looking at what is available to order!.
February 03, 2019
Michelle said:
I bought a floss organizer from Walmart and organize all my bags numerically. When I’m done I just throw the extras away and set up my next canvas.
February 03, 2019
Gayle Bassett said:
This is for Sharon Roscher. Yes the colors and numbers run the same for every kit. The numbers match up with the DMC cross stitch colors. The only difference you’ll have is square or round! Hope this helps. These storage ideas are great for this very reason. You can put leftovers of the same colors from different kits into one bag. 😁
February 03, 2019
Darlene A Geloso said:
Sharon Roscher most go by the DMC number code system. But Diamond Dots have different numbers and some don’t use any color. Watch some videos . And there are facebook groups for Diamond Paintings
February 03, 2019
pamela slagel said:
Sharon Rocher, yes you can I combine mine and that helps keep the left overs to a minimum I have done several of the large ones and have quite a few of the 310’s left so I put them all in one container and have them ready for the next one. most numbers are the same I have had maybe 2 that were a little shade different but they came from different manufacturers so like yarn they can differ a little but usually it won’t affect the picture finish. I try to use all one color in one area and the other in a different area if they are a shade different but I have only had that once with a 818 pink color
February 03, 2019
Jessica Cain said:
I really like #5. I use the little round clear bead container that you can find at the craft stores in the beading aisle and a label maker. It makes so you can keep everything neat and organized especially if you have leftover diamonds
January 24, 2019
Sharon Roscher said:
I’m new to this and have a question about the 5 kits that I’ve received: Are all the numbers/colors the same in each kit? (example: all 167s are the same color in every kit; all 345s are all the same color in every kit). In other words can I pour the 167 diamonds from each kit together so I don’t have to go through the separating and finding their numbers more than just once? And, just how many numbers are there?
January 24, 2019
Gloria said:
Love all the storage ideas, great job ladies👍🏼
January 24, 2019
Ylenia said:
Sslve, mia sorella x natale mi ha regalato un diamond paintig, due giorni fá finalmente ho cominciato e mi sono accorta che manca un colore tra le buste. Ora il problema e che non si riesce a risalire al venditore e volevo chiedere dove si possono prendere i diamond sfusi. Grazie a chi mi aiuterà
January 24, 2019
Angela said:
The #5 tip it’s the way to go, easy clean and organized.
January 15, 2019