Diamond Painting for Beginners: Tips and Tricks to Get You Started

Creating paintings using colourful rhinestones is very meticulous, but rewarding work as the result is always mind-boggling. You can proudly show the finished piece to your family, friends or guests, give it as a gift to someone you love or even sell it – completed diamond paintings always look intricate and expensive.

However, to make sure this activity brings you pleasure and joy and achieve a fascinating result, keep in mind the following tips:

Don’t go for projects that are too complex if you haven’t tried diamond painting before. It’s best that you start with simple designs with 5-7 colors so that you can practice your skills and enjoy the process.

Ensure proper lighting for your working area. Experts recommend working in natural lighting, but a quality table lamp placed on the left-hand side may be an efficient alternative.

Before you start, cover your working surface and the area around it with a plain plastic sheet – if you drop or lose a few rhinestones, this will help you quickly find them.

Sort the rhinestones and pour them into separate numbered plastic containers so that you can easily find the required color in the process. However, with Crafting Spark/Wizardi diamond painting kits you don’t have to worry about that – the rhinestones already come in numbered zip-lock bags for your convenience.

If you’re not sure that you’ll finish your diamond painting in 14 days, don’t remove the entire protective film from the canvas, as it’s usually within this period that the sticky surface keeps its properties. Remove just a small section of the protective film from the area you plan to complete during your diamond painting session.

It's best that you start from the upper right- or left-hand corner to avoid damaging the completed areas as you move forward.

Pick a rhinestone with a stylus or tweezers and place it on the sticky surface of the canvas according to the color key. Make sure that each successive rhinestone is as close to the previous one as possible – otherwise, your work will look messy. Straighten out the row of rhinestones first and only after that press the rhinestones to the canvas. Use a metal ruler to straighten out the rows and bring them closer together.

Once you’ve finished your diamond painting, spread it out on a flat surface, making sure that no other objects are in contact with the drills to avoid damage.

To lock the drills in place and preserve your project for years to come, you might want to seal your diamond painting. Once it is completely dry, you can frame your masterpiece.

Congratulations! Now you can decorate your home with the work of art that you created yourself or give it as a unique and exclusive gift to your loved one.

You can find more information and tips on diamond painting in this article.

Make sure to browse our collection of Crafting Spark/Wizardi kits and choose your first project from the huge variety of the designs we offer!