For the past 3 months, you've donated every spare waking moment (and moments where you should have been sleeping) to placing thousands of tiny diamonds in little squares.
And now, like magic, you stand back and marvel at a gorgeous Diamond Painting of your own making.
Shine on, you crazy Diamond Painting.
As time goes on, you'll want your Diamond Painting to look and feel as gorgeous as the day you finished it. So what can you do to keep your artwork perfect for years to come?
How To Seal Your Finished Diamond Painting
Sealing your Diamond Painting will lock all of the diamonds in place and significantly increase the longevity of your finished project.
If you plan to hang your Diamond Painting or use Stretcher Bars to showcase it, it's crucial you first seal your finished painting.
Brush-On Sealers
Brush-On Sealers present an all-in-one solution to preserving your Diamond Painting for years to come. They come in a variety of finishes and consistencies depending on your personal preference.
Pros: Functions as an all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish. Water resistant, so perfect if you're mounting your kit on a foam board or framing without glass - makes it easy to dust.
Cons: The big con is that some shine will be lost after sealing. Also, you won't be able to roll up your paintings after the sealer has been applied.
Our Recommendation: DecoArt's Triple Thick Glaze. In our experience, it has the perfect consistency, makes the canvas firm and sturdy, and retains as much sparkle as possible. For a slightly cheaper alternative, you can't go wrong with the classic Mod Podge.
You Should Know: Using Mod Podge Glitter reduces the shininess of the diamonds and replaces it with the 'micro-fine' glitter in the sealer. Some people might not like the look, so be careful when choosing finishes.
How To Seal Your Finished Diamond Painting
As a safety precaution, put pets and children in a separate room while you apply the sealer.
Step 1: Make sure all diamonds are properly set by applying weight or using a rolling pin.
Use the same technique you used initially to flatten out your canvas when you first got it. The goal is to make sure all diamonds are completely flat and locked tight to the canvas adhesive.
Pro Tip: Place an old tee shirt on the canvas to avoid scratching or breaking any diamonds.
Step 2: Dip the tip of your craft brush into your jar of brush-on sealer.
You can use just about any type of brush - foam or bristled. Our official recommendation is the Mod Podge Paint Brush Applicator (pictured) - it's just the right size to give you lots of control over where you apply the sealer.
Step 3: Begin to apply the sealer to your canvas in broad strokes.
The sealer will go on a thick white at first and look a bit like glue, but will become more transparent as it dries. Apply a thick, but full coating - no need to see globs of the stuff spilling over!
The glue will make its way it between each and every diamond, hardening over the next day.
What About Spray Sealers?
Aerosol spray sealers are used to coat the finished Diamond Painting in a crystal-clear finish. They do not function as a glue, so they don't fill the gaps in between your diamonds (like tile grouting!).
- Pros: Helps retain your diamond sparkle over time. It's waterproof, non-yellowing, and dries very quickly. Also, you're still able to roll up your finished canvas.
- Cons: Doesn't help cement drills to the canvas; any gaps between drills will remain unfilled.
Our Recommendation: We personally use Mod Podge® to seal all of our glass-framed Diamond Paintings. It's super easy to apply (just spray it on), non-toxic, and comes in different finishes and formulas.
- Mod Podge Super Gloss: We recommend the Super Gloss variety to preserve the shininess of your Diamond Painting.
- Mod Podge Matte Gloss: Only use matte sealer spray if you want your Diamond Painting to be LESS shiny!
- Mod Podge Pearlized Gloss: This flavor will give your painting an extra pearly sheen to it. It's meant to add an extra little sparkle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use sealers with Partial Drill Kits?
A: Yes, but go with a smaller brush! As much as possible, you want to avoid getting sealant on the parts of the canvas that have no diamonds.
Q: Can I use sealers with Round Drill Kits?
Yes - sealing Round Drill kits works just as well as Square Drill.
Have any helpful tips about sealing your Diamond Painting? Leave them in the comments section!
Comments
Beverly said:
I have done tons of diamond pictures. I always seal them with Glossy Mod Podge 50/50 with water. I smooth on with a brush and then gently use a cloth to take off the extra liquid. No dulling of the dotz, no lifting, no problems. Only con is you can’t roll them after. Love, love diamond painting!
August 29, 2024
Nancy said:
I had a hard time turning drills over when they landed upside down. I got a piece of cardboard and placed ithem on it. They turn over really well and don’t move all over
August 29, 2024
Jean said:
I have a diamond painting tote bad. How to seal? Tote bag
August 29, 2024
Jean said:
I have a diamond painting tote bad. How to seal?
August 29, 2024
Melanie said:
I’ve been using modge podge super brilliant gloss when sealing my diamond paintings. It does lose some of the shine on the diamonds but I’d rather that than losing gems. After sealing it I use a hanger with clips and hang it on the bathroom shower rod. I’ll use another hanger with clips to secure the bottom to keep it tight/ straight. Once it’s dried I place it in an artist portfolio for storage. I’ve done this with 3 of my diamond paintings and I haven’t had a problem yet. Make sure you go over your painting with tape or something to get hair, dust, dirt etc off the canvas first. I also use a roller made for diamond paintings to make sure all the diamonds are secured before sealing. I get the modge podge from Walmart and it is not that expensive. It dries hard and you can’t roll up your painting after sealing it this way so be aware of that. It does look white when putting the sealer on but it dries clear.
May 17, 2023
Alwyn said:
We’re can I get sealer from please
May 17, 2023
Marlene Meyer said:
I first iron very lightly on the backside…. Still going to try the PRAY ON GLUE, but so scared I’m going to mess it up…. So, excited and hooked on this ART FORM….. ALSO FRAMED ONE!!!…. Put so much time @ passion into this…. Just!!!!……Still DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO SECURE IT PERMANENTLY!!!!…….ANNOYING, BUT FULL FILLING🙏💕🙏
January 04, 2023
Heather said:
I used super gloss mod podge..good but lost some of the shine? Hadn’t seen about watering it down 50/50 so will try that next. Tried a aerosol clear sealer…NOT a good move..it melted all the adhesive base an the diamonds all lifted off…so DON’T try that? 😜
August 17, 2022
Gina said:
I tried using the Mod Podge on a few of mine and I didn’t like how it turned out. I went on Amazon and found Cludoo Diamond Art sealer and it makes my paintings shine and it is not even messy…
August 17, 2022
Jennifer Melanson said:
It sounds Like the mod podge shiny version is the best after reading all these comments. But I do think that people have missed the part where it says mix 50-50 with water. It seems like the people who mentioned using water had great results and the people who did not mention using water head dull results- just wanted to point that out
May 11, 2022
Debbie said:
I used high gloss mod podge on my DP and found it loosened the backing adhesive and caused movement on the canvas. Very annoying.
April 04, 2022
Marge said:
A lot of people have asked questions in the reviews… Where can we find the answers?
April 04, 2022
edith seelhoff said:
does anyone know how to straghten the tweezers when the tips are bent
April 04, 2022
Martha said:
I’ve found the aquamono glue from tombow to be the best sealer that doesn’t dull the sparkle at all. It’s water based so I put some on and spread it on with a small craft paintbrush in water to get an even coat and let dry which is super fast. And you’d never even know it was sealed.
April 04, 2022
Susan D MacLeod said:
I have used the DecoArt Triple Thick sealer along with ModPodge brush for a very long time, in fact it is the only one I will use. It seals very well and you don’t lose hardly any shine if any at all.
April 04, 2022
Helen Gillies said:
What’s the best glue to use on diamond painting when finished
February 01, 2022
Donna D. Follin said:
I was told to delute the ModPodge Super gloss with water and mix well. I did this on 2 pictures and so far so good. Is that correct?
December 21, 2021
Keith Perry said:
October 29, 2021
Peggy maggard said:
I bought mod pog looks like elmer glue i am framing mine under glass do I need to use it .I don’t want to to loose the shine
September 07, 2021
Kat B said:
In response to: [LInda said:(OCTOBER 06, 2019): When I pulled the cover off part of my canvas, it pulled some of the sticky off the canvas and I was not able to replace it. What can I use to get the drills to stick to the canvas?] And others with this issue!
There are various brands of Spray Mount Repositionable Adhesives and Repositionable Tacky Sprays that can be bought at Michales and Hobby Lobby. I have not personally had to use any of these yet, so can not make any recommendations. Maybe someone else has used them and can reply with further suggestions.
September 07, 2021
Audrey Harris said:
I have just begun my first ever diamond mosaic art and would like to know when to take the plastic off
September 07, 2021
Melanie Phillips said:
I use Modge Podge super brilliant gloss to seal my diamond paintings. For smaller ones I lay them flat in a drawer to prevent any dust or cat hair from getting on the wet canvas. For the bigger canvases I use a clothes hanger with clips on them. I clip the canvas to the clothes hanger and clip a few clothes pins on the bottom to keep it straight and weighed down. Make sure you hang your painting somewhere it won’t get bumped into or attacked by your furry friends. I hang mine on my shower rod in the bathroom and turn on the ceiling fan. I’ve done this with a 75×50 canvas and it worked well. If you have air bubbles in your sealant I use a hairdryer on a low heat setting to get rid of them. When your canvas is hardened and dry I then put my canvases in an assis artist portfolio to complete the curing process. I haven’t had a problem yet. Hope this helps!
May 03, 2021
Bruce Fortin said:
How much does a sealer and the finishing cost. And how do I get custom work done do you do family portraits and how long does it take to receive them after you done.
May 03, 2021
Chitra said:
How much TRIPLE THICK GLOSS GLAZE i need to seal my diamond painting of 120 cm X 80 Cm
March 01, 2021
Sheri R Mollenhour can someone explain to me said:
Can someone explain to me how to seal partial round diamond paintings thank you
March 01, 2021
Lillian Anderson said:
I have done dozens of these. I have framed the really expensive ones professionally and have never sealed them. The ones that I do not frame, I have in plastic sleeves that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. Never had an issue with them falling off or anything. I keep them in a portfolio if I do not hang them in a frame. I would be careful sealing anything. I also do sculptures and different sprays make the colors and textures change sometimes and not for the better.
March 01, 2021
Chris said:
To all those complaining about these guys not answering some of these questions,
The article said, and i quote “Have any helpful tips about sealing your diamond painting? leave them in the comments below”
as much as i’m sure that they would love to freely give their time to try to respond to every question, it is not practical especially if they have full time jobs and family responsibilities, with a little research you can find the answers you need online 😊
February 09, 2021
Rita Laboski said:
I over sealed and now have dried globs of glue on pic. I should have left it alone, but picked at it!!!! Now I have a patch with glue edges. What can I do to salvage this picture?
December 23, 2020
Sharon Maurice said:
Hi when I seal my dp with mod podge can I still roll it up in a tube. It’s a surprise present for someone or do you advise not to seal it thank you x
December 16, 2020
Lucy Bevan said:
I prefer to use the tweezers to place square drills, it’s a whole lot easier!
December 16, 2020
Dawn Kocsis said:
Will Mod Podge satin water based sealer work?
December 16, 2020
Cathy said:
When I’m done working for the day on my DP, to keep it flat, I hang it with a store’s hanger that has the clip ends they use for slacks and skirts. this way you can clip the ends of the painting on both ends of the canvas and let it hang straight. This has been working well for me. I use E6000 to seal my work; which has been working well so far.
December 16, 2020
Samantha said:
I’ve sealed many of my diamond paintings with mod podge super gloss. I water it down 50/50 and just brush it over the top quite liberally. I then just wipe over with a damp cloth to take it off the top of the drills. It doesn’t loose much shine at all and is still pliable enough to roll up bead side out of course 😉
December 16, 2020
Debbie Duckworth said:
Place Foam Board under your DA while working it. When finished, place another FB on top. Turn the DA over. Gently slide out the bottom FB and then the top board. Roll over with heavy rolling pin in only one direction. After the popping sound is finished, press the backside of the canvas with a warm iron to soften the adhesive so the beads imbed well.
Cool then turn back over and seal with the sealer of your choice.
December 16, 2020
Pam Abel said:
Used the high gloss Mod Podge to seal and was extremely disappointed in the outcome! All the dimensional sparkle was almost gone 😕. Not happy with the look at all. Gives it a one dimensional look. Any suggestions?
December 16, 2020
Blanche said:
I have tried mod page and found it made the drills dull. I have heard the aqua one is good so will try that and will also try the craft one you have talked about. I suppose it’s personal taste, but this has been really helpful. Thank you
December 16, 2020
CJ said:
Greetings from the UK! If I am going to get my painting professionally framed, will be okay to only use a spray sealant and not necessary to use a brush on sealant as well?
December 16, 2020
Marlene Mednansky said:
Could you look at some of these comments and see they aren’t just comments, there are a lot of questions people would like answers to. You could add them to your FAQ.
December 16, 2020
Nancy v Maki said:
My painting feels slightly sticky to the touch. I put 2 coats of Mod Podge gloss-lustre on it. It will not be framed under glass. Is there a solution for this?
December 16, 2020
Megan Denecke said:
FYI decoart triple thick glaze and mod podge super gloss glaze are both out of stock EVERYWHERE, idk if they are being discontinued or everyone is using time at home during covid to do and seal paintings, and factories are shut down and can’t resupply stock. I found the last bottle of mod podge super gloss at Michael’s. Literally the last one in warehouse stock. Would be nice if you gave us more suggestions for brush on products.
December 16, 2020
Andrea Stylianou said:
Once you’ve finished and glossed it do you cut around the painting to take of the whitr edges? X
December 16, 2020
Brenda said:
I am thinking of making a tabletop with DP, I need to figure out how to seal it, HELP!!!
December 16, 2020
Charlotte said:
Diamond Glaze works and will even restore shine to areas where you have tried other sealers. I usually order from Amazon or Walmart.com. I cannot find it at any stores. I buy the refill size now.
April 17, 2020
Thistle said:
You can get Mod Podge at Walmart and Hobby Lobby. You can get Deco Art Triple Thick Glaze at Hobby Lobby.
April 02, 2020
CrfZEXQBT said:
qtwzsRgN
April 17, 2020
ikJKDGujFrwvxVSY said:
tZuMPVbGvxUIT
April 17, 2020
Kristine Talbot said:
We’re do I get the cealent from
March 03, 2020
Michelle said:
I have been DP’ing for over 5 years. None of mine have been sealed. I frame (most) under glass. There has been no movement of diamonds or loss of shine.
March 03, 2020
Lori Piontek said:
I love one commenter’s idea about Hobby Lobby’s heat service to melt out the wax and suck in the diamonds to the adhesive. After putting under glass (unless there is a distance between it and the background) I don’t feel the need to seal it.
January 16, 2020
Ruth Shubert said:
Where can you buy the decoart sealant. I have like 20 diamond art already done. I didn’t realize it needs to have a sealant put on it. From all the places I have ordered these pictures from. None of them said to use a sealant when you done with it. Thank you
January 16, 2020