If you’re thinking about trying diamond painting — whether with our Diamond Painting Kit or another beginner set — you might be wondering where to start. At first glance, the trays of tiny diamonds and the sticky canvas can feel a little intimidating. But once you know the basics, you’ll see just how simple (and fun!) this craft really is.
Diamond painting is relaxing, rewarding, and gives you a sparkling finished piece you’ll be proud to hang, gift, or display.
Follow these easy steps, and you’ll be off to a dazzling start.
1. Get Set Up
Before you start, make sure your space is ready:
- Choose a clean, flat workspace with good lighting. Trust us, lighting is key — the sparkle is even better when you can clearly see each symbol.
- A LoliVefe craft mat works perfectly for diamond painting because runaway diamonds will stick to the mat and not end up on your floor.
- Lay your canvas (the design printed with numbers/symbols) flat on the mat and you’re ready to begin.
2. Peel Back the Cover (a Little at a Time)
Your canvas comes covered with a clear plastic sheet. This protects the sticky glue that holds your diamonds in place.
- Only peel back a small section at a time. Don’t remove the entire sheet, or you’ll risk dust and pet hair sticking to the surface. Trust me on this one!
3. Pick Where You Want to Start
Now the fun begins!
- Look at the symbols or numbers in the area you uncovered.
- Find the packet of diamonds with the matching code.
4. Pour & Shake
Open the diamond packet and:
- Pour some into the tray included in your kit.
- Gently shake the tray side to side. This flips most diamonds right-side up, making them easy to grab. Do this over the craft mat so you don’t lose any diamonds if some pop out of the tray. Don’t worry, though, there are plenty of extra diamonds in every kit.
5. Prepare Your “Pen”
This is the tool that makes placing diamonds easy.
- Stick the tip of your diamond pen into the pink wax pad. This creates just enough tack to pick up each diamond.
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Pro tips:
- Remove the plastic film from both sides of the wax square before use. We have done this for you on the wax in the extra tray in our kit, but you will need to do this in any of the actual diamond art kits which have the diamonds, a tray, a pen and a piece of wax rolled up inside.
- Press your pen firmly into the wax so it punches out a tiny hole — the wax clings to the tip.
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You won’t need much. Usually, just loading your pen twice is enough for a whole piece!
6. Place Your Diamonds
Now you’re ready to create:
- Use the pen to pick up a diamond.
- Press it onto the matching symbol on the sticky canvas.
- Repeat until you’ve filled in the section.
7. Keep Going
Work section by section:
- Focus on one small area at a time.
- If you need to pause, re-cover the canvas with the plastic sheet to keep the adhesive sticky and clean.
- I find this to be a bit like Bingo. You have to scan the entire canvas to figure out if there are any remaining spots for the diamond color you’re working on before you put the extra diamonds away and move onto the next color. Inevitably you will find a spot or spots that you missed, so you’ll just go back and grab that color. You can use the storage box in our kit to organize all of your extras. just put a sticker on each box so you know what number, symbol or letter it was.
8. Finishing Touches
Once your masterpiece is complete:
- Optional step: Apply a thin coat of clear sealant to lock diamonds permanently in place.
- Or, mount it onto a backing board and frame it — no trimming needed.
Why You’ll Love Diamond Painting
Diamond painting is more than just a craft — it’s relaxing, meditative, and rewarding. Piece by piece, you’ll watch your design come alive in dazzling color and shine. And when you’re done, you’ll have artwork that’s ready to display or gift.
👉 Ready to start? Explore our Diamond Painting Kits at LoliVefe.com.
Craft. Dazzle. Repeat.