Our adventure with diamond painting began with a gift. We got two patterns, a dog smeared with paint and dolphins against the setting sun, and lots of accessories. And so we began to discover how to start with diamond painting.
Polska wersja: Haft diamentowy – jak zacząć?
What is diamond painting?
Diamond painting is a mosaic made of small crystals which are glued to a special base. Something like coloring by numbers, only the crystals are being used. Diamonds can be round or square, with round ones it is easier and they forgive some mistakes and unevenness.
Diamond painting is a great idea to unwind and relax after a hard day. It is also a fun way to creatively spend time together and with children. In addition, for kids it is a unique form of patience and fine motor skills training.
How to start?
It’s definitely worth starting with a small picture, because diamond painting is an intricate job. But once you try it, it’s hard to stop. There is a huge selection of paintings, so everyone will surely find one that will delight them. There are abstractions, animals, floral motifs, famous paintings or saints (perfect for grandma).
Pictures can be purchased online or in stores like Action. Sometimes there is also a throw in markets, but they are not available there as a permanent assortment.
Small stickers are great for kids to start with because they’re quick to make. There are also pictures with a colored background where only one element is made of beads.
Sample images you can buy online.
Accessories for diamond painting
Together with the special self-adhesive canvas you get crystals, a crystal applicator in the form of a pen, dry glue and a cuvette. In additional sets of accessories, you can buy more applicators with different tips to push the crystals, more cuvettes, boxes, binders for diamonds and a roller for pressing.
All you need is a basic set with a picture to get started. If you like it, then it’s worth expanding the range of accessories.
How to stick crystals?
💎 Before you get to work, it’s worth taking the canvas out of the box, spreading it flat and pressing it with books so that it straightens out.
💎 The entire canvas is covered with a layer of glue to which the crystals are glued. The glue is secured with a protective film. Peel off the protective film only from the part of the canvas that you are going to fill. Gradually peel off the foil from the next fragments so that the glue does not dry and the sleeve does not stick 😉.
💎 Choose diamonds according to the legend on the side of the picture and put them in a plastic cuvette.
💎 Dip the applicator in a special pillow with dry glue and the tool prepared in this way, grab the top of the crystal, transfer it to the appropriate place on the canvas and press it down slightly to make it stick. This is how the whole picture should be made 😁.
💎 Diamonds can be moved slightly with the tip on the applicator. And if it sticks in the wrong place, it’s best to remove it with tweezers.
How to frame a diamond painting?
The finished painting looks best framed. You can buy frames that are perfectly matched to the diamond painting and those that match the passe par-tout canvas. In the second situation, it is enough to wash off the inscriptions and the legend with nail polish remover.
Check out our ideas
Diamond painting is quite similar to hama beads creation, hence check our Hama beads section.
If you are looking for more ideas for playing with children, then you will find them in the DIY with children section.
If you are looking for DIY gifts ideas, then check our other categories such as gift ideas for a child, for her, for him, for the teacher.
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Nothing gives more satisfaction than doing something yourself. I haven’t even thought about DIY as my hobby, I’ve just done different “projects” when it was needed. Sometimes it’s a disguise for the Masquerade Party in kindergarten. Another time, cutting out the pumpkin and baking the witch’s fingers for Haloween. Or simply organizing holiday souvenirs. Now I decided to share my realizations with you. Let’s go it together!
