What is Diamond Painting?

If you’ve heard the term diamond painting your mind may have conjured a picture of someone applying oil color to a precious gemstone and thought…WHAT THE HECK!? But no, diamond painting has nothing to do with real diamonds, but to some, the activity is just as treasured.

Diamond painting is a fairly new (invented in 2015) type of craft that is described as a cross between paint by numbers and cross stitching. It involves using tiny pieces of resin (the “diamonds”) that are applied using a wax tipped stylus to a canvas that has tiny crevices and is marked accordingly to show the user which color goes in which crevice. The end result is an incredibly vibrant picture full of both color and texture.

Creating a diamond painting is as easy as 1-2-3

1. First, you must unroll the canvas and secure it flat. Due to the nature of the material, it is rolled up and must be secured either with tape or something heavy on the corners to ensure it stays flat while you are creating your masterpiece.

2. Next, you pour your “diamonds” into the provided grooved tray, so they are ready for you to place them onto the canvas. Then dip your diamond pen into the wax that is included as well (this wax is used to allow the diamonds to stick to the end of the pen while you position them to be placed onto the canvas…ONLY USE A TINY BIT OF WAX, it won’t take much at all)

3. Finally, it is time to place the diamonds and create your masterpiece! The canvas is covered with a wax paper to protect the adhesive on top. It is recommended that when you start, only peel back a section at a time, otherwise you risk getting the sticky stuff on your hands and arms as you work away. Follow the legend on the side to see which colors go where and before you know it, your vibrant, diamond colored painting will come to life!

It has been some time since a new arts & craft activity has been introduced, and as evidenced by the brisk sales of these kits, it looks like Diamond Paintings may be around for a while. Therapeutic, simple, and gorgeous are 3 words that folks use to describe this new activity, so if you haven’t tried it yet, go out and purchase a diamond painting kit and see for yourself why so many are excited about this fun and beautiful new craft!