Final step: Frame your diamond painting

After you are finished, you need to frame your diamond painting. You really don’t want to hide it deep inside the closet. After all, you put so much love, diligence, and time into this amazing drawing. You will probably want to frame it nicely and securely, hang it on a wall or give it to someone you love.

Like the setting for a diamond, the frame around a work of art is the finishing touch, the element that completes and elevates a painting, presenting it to the viewer in its best possible light.

Leonardo da Vinci thought that “frames create a special aura around a painting, they do not just have to be framed – they have to form a whole with the picture”. You probably need to listen to Leonard’s opinion and choose your frame responsibly. No matter what picture you want to sponsor, how you do it is important. On the one hand, frames must emphasize the uniqueness and individuality of a work of art. On the other hand, it must be a complete décor that unites the work and the interior in which it is housed.

The dark frame for a dark image, a light frame for light color and a warm color frame for warm color, and a cold frame for cold color.

The golden framing rule

Difference between frames with or without glass for diamond painting

I used to choose the fastest and easiest way to frame a diamond painting – a glass frame. In the mall, I find a very large selection of such frames – from the smallest to the largest possible. Sometimes the dimensions of my painting are not standard, then I visit a framing workshop that makes an ideal frame specifically for my unique drawing. In this workshop, I can choose frame width, color, pattern or ornament, and glass real or acrylic (safer option).

Some users claim that the glass frame slightly reduces the sparkling of the painting, which is especially attractive to viewers. But in my opinion, if the real sunlight illuminates the drawing, it is just as wonderful as you would look at it without glass. In artificial light, under the simple light of a room, you won’t usually notice the brilliance of a picture on a wall, whether framed in plain frame or glass.

The biggest benefit of a glass frame is that it prevents the dusting of the painting. Even when diamonds are perfectly placed, the picture still has sticky spaces that attract dust and dirt perfectly. Also, glass protects the painting from damage. Nobody really wants to look for the lost diamonds of the picture after a few months or years.

Modern or traditional framing

Paintings that surround a wooden frame are very popular because they allow the artist to extend the painting on the sides of the painting. In this case, the frame appears to spoil the effect of the painting. Art professionals offer a contemporary theme and an abstract picture hanging without a frame. Conversely, a traditional landscape image is hard to imagine without a heavy ornate gold frame.

If you chose a glassless frame

Then you will have the opportunity to enjoy not only handicrafts but also woodwork. To frame a rolled canvas, you’ll need a few extra items:

• Stretcher bar frame
• Staple gun
• Canvas pliers (optional)
• Wood, metal or floater frame

Do-it-yourself. Framing a diamond painting

1. Step 1: First, measure the height and width of your diamond painting to see what frame size you’ll need. Make sure to leave enough canvas to fold and staple to the stretcher-bar. The edges of diamond painting are usually not wide, so do not cut them before framing. Because the table of the colors of diamonds remains on the edge of the canvas, you can try to clean it with a nail polish remover.
2. Step 2: Place your diamond painting face down on a clean and smooth surface. To ensure that the canvas is placed evenly, measure the distance between the corners -they should be the same.
3. Step 3: Start on one of the shorter sides of the painting. Fold one side of the extra canvas over the stretcher-bar. Use the canvas pliers to hold it in place. If you’re not using canvas pliers, you can simply begin stapling. Staple once in the middle of the folded piece of canvas.
4. Step 4: Turn the painting to the opposite side and repeat the folding and stapling step until all sides are done.
5. Step 5: Once each side of the frame has a single staple. Pull the canvas slightly — not too much, or your canvas won’t be able to shrink or expand. Add a staple on either side of the middle one, spaced evenly apart.
6. Step 6: Fold the corners by tucking one side under the other, making sure that you are pulling tightly. Cut the tip of the corner before folding down and then staple it to the frame.

Choosing the right type diamond painting frame

Framing is a real art, and choosing the right frame for your diamond painting can enhance a work of art. A wrong frame can be distracting or not reflect the beauty of the picture. In addition to the aesthetic features of a frame, there are other factors to consider when choosing the right frame, such as environmental factors or lifestyle, that can influence your artwork. While personal taste and subjectivity are indeed very important in framing your picture, here are some basic tips before you get started!

Colour, Material & Style

Nowadays, the choice of frames is limitless. Remember, however, that you are always viewing a diamond painting and its frames together – always as one piece, so they should complement each other. If the frame is incorrectly selected, it may overshadow or not show the drawing.

It’s important to choose a frame that is less eye-catching than your artwork. I recommend not to choose frames that are similar in color to the picture or very elaborate, such as the artwork itself. Note how frames can best present your work. For example, contrasting a light background of a painting with a dark frame often helps to enhance and distinguish your work from other paintings in the room or on the same wall.

If you can select one or two primary colors from the image, repeat them in the frame or where the image will be hung. For example, yachts with white sails overlooking the ocean’s blue ocean may serve one of those frame colors.

Of course, you don’t have to choose a specific color from the picture. You may absolutely love it if the wide dark wooden frame with gold bezels does not match any of the colors in the picture, but can also add real charm to your work.

Moreover, if you prefer to have neutral color framing, remember, that white and black colors are the new neutrals. If the white frame is chosen – match your whites. When you pair a white frame with a white wall and it doesn’t look quite right, it’s because the undertones of the whites aren’t aligned. If there is an off-white or cream wall, a bright white frame will look too stark against it. Stay away from super sleek white frames, and opt instead for a slightly distressed white frame.

Golden framing rule

If you do not want to experiment, you can follow the simple, but the golden rule. A dark frame goes for a dark image, a light frame for light color and a warm color frame for warm color, and a cold frame for cold color. Various shades of gold are especially popular and bring life to life.

If I give a framed picture to friends, do I need to adjust the frame to the interior of their home?

Definitely not. The frame should be aligned with the painting, not the room where the hanging is. In this case, it is best to choose light wood, white or black color frames that fit well with most interiors and most artworks.

Choosing the right mat for diamond painting

It is also popular to fit a mat when framing. A mat is a space that separates a picture from a frame. The mat can help align the picture with the frame. Focus on certain details of the picture, or simply give it more space – very important for work that depicts motion. You can achieve a special effect by selecting a wide range of mats that are several times larger than the framed subject for a small image. Match the color of the mat with the color of the painting and should not overshadow the artwork. So pastel mats that do not accentuate are usually chosen.

A more interesting solution is the multi-layered mats of several related hues that can create a sense of space and depth. If you are looking to create a modern gallery-like grouping, use a mat that is at least 3 inches wide. It’s best to avoid snow-white matting, which tends to be dazzling and distracting. The mat and frame should not be of equal widths. Preferably, the matting should be wider than the frame. If frame and mat are the same size, the eye tends to visualize stripes around the work.

Supporting part

If you are framing a pattern on a flexible canvas that does not retain shape, you will need another layer – support. For this purpose, use thin cardboard. You can stick a picture on it to fix the artwork.

Frames create a special aura around a painting, they do not just have to be framed – they have to form a whole with the picture.

Leonardo da Vinci

Hanging: the key principles

1. Plot out your display. Before picking up a hammer, plot out what’s going to go where
2. Trust your instincts. If you think you’ll be hanging the picture in a good place – that’s right. This is especially true when the picture is hung in a space that is influenced by furniture, arches, windows or doors. First, ask someone to support the painting and you would look at it while sitting and standing. A common mistake is to hang the painting too high, so it can look as if it is floating alone. Or hang too low, then the artwork is obstructed by furniture or living room elements – arches, windows, doors, air conditioners, curtains …
3. Use a measuring tape. This is essential, especially when hanging in small areas.
4. Embrace irregularity. If you want to hang a lot of paintings, first place your artwork on the floor near the wall and model it. To hang artwork on a wall, measure its full height and width (not the wall, but all the paintings), then paint a border on the walls with a strip for paintings. From there, start hanging. Remember, imperfection is great. Although the recommended spacing between pictures is two inches, you may not follow this advice strictly.
5. Don’t line everything up. Often people tempt to line with the middle of a molding or the height of a sofa. It feels monotonous – instead of this, give each piece its own unique horizon line, transforming the entire room with dynamism.
6. If you make a mistake, don’t panic. Any holes in the wall from a picture hook are purely cosmetic. You’ll likely cover them up once you hang the art properly; if not, use some original paint if you have it, or even bit of toothpaste.
7. Use the images to create focus. Some images can distract, even create a mood. For example, if you are hanging a group of pictures that have a side-facing portrait, hang the portrait so that they look at the group rather than the other way around. Or, if the same portrait is on the window, point it to the side of the window. Similarly, darker creations have more visual weight, so they hang above to avoid focusing all the way down.