What it is and how to do it
A diamond painting kit has three parts: a canvas coated in adhesive under a protective film, printed with a grid of symbols; bags of resin drills, one bag per colour, each labelled with its symbol and usually a DMC-style number; and a pen, wax and tray to pick them up. Each square on the canvas takes one drill.
- Lay the canvas flat and peel back the film from one small section.
- Pour one colour of drills into the tray and shake it gently so they land facet side up.
- Press the pen into the wax, then touch it to a drill to pick it up.
- Press the drill onto every square showing that colour’s symbol in the open section.
- Repeat colour by colour, then move on to the next section and close the film over the finished part.
- Roll or press the finished canvas so every drill is seated, then seal or frame it.
The rest of this guide covers the tools that make each step easier and the habits that keep the rows straight.
The basic toolkit
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drill pen | picks up drills with a waxed tip |
| Wax | makes the pen tip sticky |
| Trays | hold one colour at a time; a ridged tray flips drills face up when shaken |
| Tweezers | lift out misplaced drills |
| Light pad | lights the canvas from behind, making symbols easy to read |
| Roller | presses finished areas to seat the drills |
Multi-placer pen tips that pick up three or more drills at once speed up large single-colour areas.
Square or round?
Square drills cover the canvas completely and give a crisp, photographic finish; nudge them into line with the edge of a ruler or a spatula as you go. Round drills sit in the middle of each square, leaving tiny gaps that catch the light, and are much faster for beginners. The chart is the same for both: one drill per square.
How many drills is that?
It helps to know the scale of a project before you open the bags. Here is how many drills fill common drill areas, at the usual drill sizes:
| Drill area | Square drills (2.5 mm) | Total | Round drills (2.8 mm) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 × 25 cm | 80 × 100 | 8,000 | 71 × 89 | 6,319 |
| 30 × 40 cm | 120 × 160 | 19,200 | 107 × 142 | 15,194 |
| 40 × 50 cm | 160 × 200 | 32,000 | 142 × 178 | 25,276 |
| 50 × 65 cm | 200 × 260 | 52,000 | 178 × 232 | 41,296 |
| 60 × 80 cm | 240 × 320 | 76,800 | 214 × 285 | 60,990 |
| 80 × 100 cm | 320 × 400 | 128,000 | 285 × 357 | 101,745 |
Square drills are slightly smaller, so the same canvas holds about a quarter more of them, which means more detail and more placing.
Working methods
- Colour by colour: pick one symbol and place every drill of that colour in a section before moving to the next. Few tray changes, fast.
- Checkerboard: in big areas of one colour, place every other drill first, then fill the gaps. Square drills line up better this way.
- Row by row: good for intricate areas with many colours.
Whatever you choose, peel back the protective film one small section at a time. Leaving the adhesive exposed collects dust and hair, and the glue loses its grip.
Avoiding common problems
- Gaps and crooked rows (square drills): press each row against a straight edge as you finish it.
- Drills popping off: the adhesive was exposed too long or the drills were not pressed down. Roll the area firmly.
- Missing drills: count your bags before starting. Our materials lists add 10% spare to every colour; kits vary, so check yours.
- Wrong colours: similar symbols are easy to confuse. Work under good light, and use a light pad for dark canvases.
Storing drills
| Storage | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Original kit bags | A single project | Bags tear and labels rub off |
| Small screw-top jars or cylinders | Leftovers, sorted by DMC number | Label every lid with the number |
| Compartment boxes | Working on a project | Lids that do not seal let drills jump between compartments |
Leftover drills use DMC numbering, so they slot straight into future projects; our colour pages list every DMC number with its name.
Should you seal?
| Seal | Do not seal | |
|---|---|---|
| Drills stay put | Yes, even with handling | Usually, if seated well and framed |
| Sparkle | Some sealers dull it slightly; test a corner | Full sparkle |
| Reversible | No | Yes, drills can be replaced |
| Best for | Pieces hung without glass, or handled often | Pieces framed behind glass |
Finishing and display
- Seat the drills: place the finished canvas face down on a clean surface, cover with a sheet of paper and stack heavy books on it overnight, or go over it with a roller.
- Seal (optional): apply a diamond painting sealer or a thin coat of clear PVA-based sealer with a soft brush to lock the drills in place. Test it on a corner first.
- Frame: mount the canvas on board and frame it behind glass, or stretch it over a canvas frame like a painting.
Making your own charts
Every chart in the diamond painting library lists drills per colour by their DMC numbers, the same numbering most drill suppliers use. The diamond painting maker turns a photo into a chart with drill counts; see diamond painting from a photo for choosing a picture and canvas size.