Diamond painting is an easy and enjoyable activity for crafters young and old. It is based on the same concept as mosaics and paint-by-numbers. The diamond painting uses tiny “diamond”-like facets to create colorful designs and patterns for finished designs that sparkle. Applying the diamonds is a simple three-step process. It is meditative and relaxing, providing hours of enjoyment as you re-create your design. First, pick a diamond drill, second – check the symbol, third – put the diamond drill on sticky canvas to its place. Diamond painting kits are available in a variety of sizes and styles from simple to elaborate so crafters of all skill levels can find a project to enjoy.
Diamond painting guide for beginners
Diamond painting or 5D painting as it’s sometimes called is the process of applying small resin beads or drills to a piece of self-adhesive canvas. The canvas has come in a variety of sizes from as small as 20 by 20 centimeters to as big as you can imagine. I’ve seen them as wide as you can stretch your arms. But the bigger your canvas is the more detailed view you’ll be able to get.
A new diamond painting kit includes your canvas, your drills that come in packets, your drill pen, red wax, and a drill tray. Sometimes you’ll get tweezers in your kit. Most people find the drill pens are easier for application because tweezers can sometimes be squeezed a bit too hard and you’ll end up pinking your drills.
The diamond painting pens
First of all, you have to prepare your drill pen. You should peel back the film on the red wax. Push the tip of the pen into it and it will pick up the wax which will be embedded into the tip. So the wax has a light stick to it which allows you to pick up your drills and apply them to the canvas.
Also, if included in the package, or you can purchase additionally, you can use the other side of the pen to pick up for drills at once. This tool is a massive time saver. It is useful if you’ve got an area on the canvas that has loads of the same color in one area. You can actually get drill pens which are much wider than an ordinary one and they allow you to pick up 9 drills at a time. But if you prefer to take your time and have a bit more accuracy, stick with the end of regular pen and apply one drill at a time. It’s totally up to you.
The diamond painting tray
In the diamond painting kit, you will find a tray for diamond. It’s a tray where you pour your drills to make it easier to pick them up. The tray has a series of long ridges down it. When you pour your drills in and give it a shake from side to side.
Most of the drills will lunge and blend the right way up. You want your drills to land on their flat bottom in a straight line. That will make it quicker to pick them up with your pen. When they’re the right side up, you may pick up a drill with your waxed drill pen. If you align drills correctly, you may pick up three diamonds at once. It makes it a lot easier to actually pour your drills into this tray rather than keeping them in the bags or the boxes.
The trays also have a little spout at the end. With this you can use to pour your drills back into the bag or wherever you store the leftover diamonds.
Some kits come with multiple trays. You can use the other trays for the other colors in that section.
Keep the tray just below the edge of your canvas; this will make it easier to access.
Diamond painting canvas, symbols, and colors
You’ll notice on the canvas that each square has its own symbol or number and this corresponds to the key or the legend that’s on the left or right side of the canvas.
These letters and numbers symbols are your keys to your drill packets. For example symbol {H} needs diamonds from package No. {310}. You may try to guess the number of the package by color. But you may get misguided because there are over 3000 colors and shades in the diamond painting palette. Choose a box to start with and note the symbol in it. Match the symbol on the canvas with the chart, and then find the bag with the same symbol.
Gently press the tip of the pen against the top, faceted part of the drill. Lift the pen away from the tray; the drill should be stuck to it. Gently press the drill onto the corresponding square. Pull the pen away; the crystal should be stuck against the canvas. If you are just starting out, it might be a good idea to press lightly at first. This way, if the drill is off-set, you can nudge it back into place, then press down on it to secure it. Don’t worry if you’ve ended up putting a drill down in the wrong place. You can just slide it across and the adhesive it’s still really sticky so the drills do stick down very well.
This is exactly like painting by number, except that you are using drills instead.
Flatten your canvas
Unroll the canvas and tape it down onto a flat surface. If the canvas won’t lay flat, roll it back the other way, and then unroll it. Spread it down onto a flat surface, and then secure the edges with masking tape.
Should I start from the top or bottom?
It’s up to you – you may start working from the top, or the bottom, or even from the middle. Just all the time you should work with a protective film or paper over all the painting. It’s gonna stop you from sticking to the adhesive while you paint with diamonds. Also, you can cut slits in the film or paper, and that just makes it a lot easier than you can cover it back up. Please, remember – always cover your diamond paintings after you finished a session so that the adhesive and the drills are protected.
Finished diamond painting
Go over the canvas with a rolling pin. This will press down any loose diamonds and secure them. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a can or jar instead. But before doing so, be ensured that the protective film or paper is on the painting. Rolling over the uncovered diamonds can damage their surface and they may lose that shinning effect. You can also gently rub the canvas with your hands instead. This is more effective if you roll or rub the canvas upside down – you can put more pressure. You can also stack some heavy books on top of the canvas overnight. This should help further adhere to the diamonds to the canvas and ensure that they bond properly.
When the painting is complete you can frame it in glass frames to give them as gifts to friends and family. Also, you could staple the edges of the canvas to those cheap canvases you can pick up from the shop and you’d have an instant mounted canvas.
