HOW TO

Don't know what Diamond Painting is? It is very similar to Painting by number only much more fun and no mess like back in the day. You end up with a beautiful Picture to hang or give away as a gift.

Here are the steps to begin:

Remove items from packaging
Lay Canvas on flat surface (sometimes as most are rolled when you receive them will be hard to lay flat at first) I roll them backwards to flatten them out. Some people lay them between mattress's, under books etc to flatten them but I have never found a need to do this.
Arrange your diamonds in number order (not necessary but i have found it to be helpful)
Choose a single color diamond to begin after you have pulled back a portion of your film or parchment paper. I uncover about a 6-8 inch square at a time, depending on how I feel about it at the time.
Place diamonds in plastic tray provided not to many in case they spill.
Dip the tip of the pen into the pink wax also provided until end is sticky. (2 or 3 stabs at wax) Some kits but not mine come with tweezers instead of wax for applying diamonds to canvas.
Place pen on round side of the diamond and stick and place on appropriate number or symbol.
Repeat until done
DO NOT throw away any left over diamonds but store them instead. There may be times when you don't receive enough in a kit or you spill them and don't have enough. After awhile you will find that you have the color needed and that will save you from having to buy them later from someone.

Your canvas will be covered with either a plastic film or parchment paper. Do not remove this covering all at once but instead only remove the area that you will be working on. This preserves the glue that is used to stick your Diamonds to the canvas. Place film or parchment paper back onto the canvas to keep it clean when your not working on it.

There are many ways to store your Diamonds while you are waiting to use them. I suggest you join a few Diamond Painting Groups to see all the different ideas. My group can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/990280464729466 . If you cant click link then copy it into your browser. Because I am a serious painter i have invested in little containers that I bought at Amazon but if you are brand new I suggest labeling an egg carton with the numbers you will be using or go to a Dollar Store and buy containers there for $1 package for 6. These diamonds are labeled by what is called a DMC number. It is only a way of universally being able to identify a color.

There are 2 different type of diamonds (aka drills, beads). Round and Square. I only carry a few Square in my shop but other sites have both. The difference is the shape. They are all 5D.

The Rounds are easier to place and you can usually complete a painting much faster. The Square diamonds are a bit harder to deal with and must be lined up perfectly to fit and look good. It is up to you to figure out what is best for you.

There are times when the diamonds just wont stay on the canvas. After you have completed your painting I highly suggest you seal those diamonds in so they never come out. To do this buy a product called Modge Podge. It also can be purchased at Dollar store but I use a Sparkle Modge Podge from Amazon. I just like it better but any is good. Dilute your Modge Podge 2 parts Podge and 1 part water. You will NOT be taking any sparkle away in fact it might add some. Use sponge roller that can be purchased at Walmart or any craft store and apply Podge to your painting and let dry a few hours. Some people use a paint brush and others use a spray. As long as you seal it that is all that matters.

It is hard to find frames to fit Chinese measurements but it can be done or you can frame them any way you want. Dollar store carries a frame that will work for 30x40cm pictures. I frame without glass so the sparkle is better. I also use Foam Board to mount pictures on. I glue them to it. There are many ways to go about framing some also use Wasa tape to border their paintings. Its just a matter of what sounds and works for you. Be sure to share your ideas in a group as others may need to know what you know. lol

There are times (not many) when the diamonds stick together. Put them in a paper bag with a detergent sheet or in the freezer overnight. That usually takes care of the problem.

When purchasing a painting most are good at 30x40cm but if there is a lot of detail in the picture I suggest you buy a larger size to show the detail better.

I am always available to help you in any way I can, so don't hesitate to email me or messaging me. Information on how to reach me is in the ABOUT page.

Happy Painting

Marion