Diamond painting.... Who’s tried it before?

Hey there....
I’m on the hunt for “something new” again and have now actually stumbled across diamond painting.... Not that I hadn’t noticed it before... It’s just that I’ve now discovered soooo many beautiful designs online 😇😁😇
The pictures look as if they were painted 🤔 or did they “just” photograph the templates? 
Who can “help” me? So what does a finished picture actually look like? Is it like with a jigsaw puzzle: the beautiful design is on the box, and once you’ve put it together, you do have the design, but it’s not really something you can hang on the wall and frame. 
Is it the same here??? 

Hi.
I haven’t tried it myself yet, but my friend really enjoys doing it.
From a distance, the finished designs look like paintings, but when you get closer, you can see the little stones. And depending on the light, they even sparkle.
You can even order your own photos as diamond painting templates—my friend did this with a photo of her dog, and it looks really good.
  So, if you like it, it’s a great hobby.
If you want to try it out first to see if it’s for you—many budget stores, like Action, for example, sell affordable kits that include everything you need.

Best,
Michaela 

I haven’t tried it yet either, but I did check out some Christmas pictures at Kreativa. My daughter makes beautiful pictures and really enjoys it.

Take a look here—it’s been discussed before. Marlies (DievomDeich) shared a beautiful picture.

https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/180948/maerz-projekte-2023-teil-2

Thanks for the info.... I’ll give it a try. Working on something with such tiny pieces should “help” me get my chaos sorted out a bit. Just clear my mind and focus entirely on the picture/the little pieces.... 

It’s a bit “like back in the day” with Ministeck. Does anyone else remember that? Only the little stones are smaller. 

Hi Steffi,

I’ve done Ministeck too. With diamond painting, the stones are much smaller.
Petra has already picked out my little tree for me. It’s a small picture. I have another finished ship picture and one in progress. Next, I wanted to make a picture for my brother and sister-in-law for their wedding anniversary. But I’d have to get a move on with that.



You can see the tiny stones when you take a photo. But once it’s hanging on the wall, they kind of “blur together.”

I really think you’ll enjoy it.

Hugs, Marlies

Marlies, don’t you have to attach the pieces with glue? Is it pretty runny, or does it work well? I have another picture with a black cat, but I haven’t dared to try it yet… I failed spectacularly with the glue when building model cars 😳 I loved Ministeck, though…

Hugs, Silvia

Well, “my” sets come with a little pen—you pick up the diamonds with it—and then there’s a pad where you apply the adhesive, and you dab the pen with the diamonds onto it..... I hope I read the description correctly....
  Anyway, there are tons of accessories—from pens that pick up several diamonds in a row to some kind of squeegee for pressing the diamonds down, or sheets of plastic meant to keep everything dust-free....
I’m really looking forward to my sets now (there are three—I just couldn’t decide 😁😇) 

The adhesive is already on the base. So you don’t need to apply any yourself, Silvia. You just have to be careful not to touch the adhesive surface too much. Important: Don’t peel off the protective film completely—it makes the process easier and keeps the adhesive surface from getting dirty. Pick up the tiles with the pen you’ve previously inserted into the wax pad. This keeps the tile in the pen so you can “transport” it to the desired spot.

I’ve unpacked the new set. But it still needs to lie flat so it’s easier to work with. I always place heavy books on top of it.



These are the stones, the tray for picking up the stones, as well as the pen and the wax sheet



I hope I’ve explained it reasonably well.

Thanks, Marlies—you explained that really well; now I can picture it a bit better. Steffi, that technique sounds exciting from what you’ve said. Will you show us your designs, too? I know that feeling of not being able to decide 😁😉 Maybe I should order something smaller to try out—there are so many beautiful Christmas designs....

This is the second ship picture—it’s become a UFO now because so many other things keep getting in the way.

Silvia, I bought the little tree picture really cheap at Tedi.

@Woll-zauberei-Steffi

Doing something completely different like that can be really good, because the entirely new steps actually let you clear your mind completely and focus only on the new thing. 
I had that during my therapy in psychosomatics; that’s where I discovered my love of soapstone and spent almost the whole time in the workshop. It was really wonderful; during that time I completely forgot everything around me.... 

Hi, so you can apply additional glue as well. For example, I’m working on a door wreath right now, and the instructions recommend applying more glue after you’re done so the little stones stay in place.
Otherwise, it’s a ton of fun to make these things.
Best regards, Ines 

You can apply a sealant to finished pictures. It adds strength, protects against dust, and preserves the shine. Before sealing, you should “roll out” the finished piece—this presses the stones even more firmly against the base plate and results in a better-looking picture.

Hi everyone,

I’ve tried diamond painting too, and I still have 3 small pictures and 1 large one lying around here that I need to finish—I just don’t know when yet.

I find it super relaxing.
There are also greeting cards made with this technique; beginners could try those first, and they’re not too big, so you can see the end in sight pretty quickly.

I ordered these pens online (they look like white colored pencils). They have a wax-like tip, which works much better for picking up the stones. You don’t need those wax pads. You can sharpen the pens normally with a pencil sharpener. I’m thrilled.

There are round and square adhesive stones. The round ones are easier to work with, since with the square ones you have to be very careful to make sure they’re glued straight against each other. With the round ones, there’s more space in between, which can be sealed. Personally, though, I didn’t do that—I just framed the picture behind glass, trimmed it to size, and that was it.

Good luck to all beginners trying out this technique.

Thanks for all the tips....
I wouldn’t have thought the adhesive was already on the canvas... Then those protective films make sense—you can use them to cover the picture when you’re not working on certain areas. And this little tile is made of wax.... The excitement is building...
  My package might even arrive today—I’m so excited 🥳
They’re round little stones; I checked the description again. It’s almost like Christmas when I was a kid 😄

It arrived.... Yay... 
Somehow I must have added four of these sets to my cart after all 🙈
I’ve unpacked one of them now and flattened out the canvas.... Then I took a look at the rest. The pen, the little stones (really tiny), the wax sheet.... There’s one of those little trays included—when you’re working on a picture, do you stick them on by color or by section? I’ve got 20 colors here 😳 
@ Marlies... Could you take a photo of your “workspace,” please.... 

I think it’s better to stick it on section by section, because then you don’t have to peel off the entire protective film at once.

....then I’ll have to figure out how to “work in” all these colors.... 

@steffi: “Sorting” is the next problem. I’ve used those little pill boxes or regular sorting boxes. I labeled them with a small sticker and a number.

But there are also special “cases” made just for this diamond painting hobby, with little containers inside for sorting. That’s what I have.
You can also sort the stones into resealable bags.
If you cut open the little bags that come with the stones, you can reseal them with a tiny wooden clip.

It’s so much fun. It’s best to start at the top and work your way down bit by bit—that’s how I do it. And be sure to cover the rest with the protective film as you go, otherwise everything will stick together.
Or you can start with the “few” stones first.

Have fun “puzzling”!

....I’m sitting here right now “completely without” music, audiobooks, and the like... Just doing a puzzle to pass the time...
I started in the lower right corner 

Today while sorting things out, I just thought to myself, “You’re really good at not throwing away cans, little jars, and stuff like that” 😄 See, now I know why I absolutely still need them.
I got my magnifying glass out—it makes the work go great 

I’m afraid I read this too late, Steffi. My workstation is already packed up. I’m done except for a few small bits I overlooked. Then it’s just a matter of rolling it out and putting it in the frame.

I start depending on the design. There’s a little box on my workstation where I put the cut-open packets. Then I work (depending on the design) with two to six small bowls.

A magnifying glass is a good idea. Sometimes it’s a little hard to see, especially if you don’t have eagle eyes 😂

When everything is done, I seal the bags and pack them all together into a zip-top bag. I label that with the design.

I’m curious to see how quickly you make progress and whether you enjoy it as much as I do.

Best regards
Marlies

You sure were quick with your picture.
I work in “sections”—that’s how the design is laid out. I started in one corner; that’s how I work—first I do the corner designs, including the bottom edges in between, and then I’ll see how it goes.
  I have a really old sorting box with removable compartments—it’s very handy because they’re the perfect size for the little bags. That way, I can work through it color by color: take out a little bag, glue the pieces, and then sort them into the second compartment.... That way, I don’t miss any colors. 
One set (out of the four) has the stones already packed in zipper bags. The canvas also seems higher quality—more like a painting canvas.... That’ll be my next project 😊
It really helps me unwind 👍
Now I need to take advantage of the “cooler” weather and put the dog in her harness.... She can run around a bit more... 

@ Steffi  
I’m currently working on my ship picture, which I’d unpacked a while back, and this is what it looks like for me:



Tomorrow I’m going to see if I can find some suitable frames around here.

How’s your project coming along?

Best regards
Marlies

There’s an end in sight....m
It’s weird how often I’ve “forgotten” a little piece...
Four colors are still “left”—I’m now working by color.
Two of them are pretty dark; I definitely won’t be laying those tonight. I worked on the glass table today and realized that the light from below is really helpful. Once my son moves into his new apartment in a few days, I’ll ask him if he can build me a “light table”… You know, with a switch and a plug. I do a lot of DIY, and I’m pretty handy with wood, but I don’t dare mess with electrical work. I have a huge amount of respect for that… 

The wedding anniversary gift is finished...




...and so is my ship 😊😊

Your pictures turned out really great. Where can I find these awesome designs? (Couple)
So far, I’ve only done landscapes and beaches.

Since I couldn’t find anything suitable here in “our” stores either, I decided to browse the internet... 

I also browsed the web and 1 - 2 - 3—there it was, mine 😁😉

I can definitely confirm that. My daughter’s been doing this for a while, too. There really are differences—ranging from “not for the wall” (though that doesn’t happen often) to “this absolutely has to go on the wall.” It’s not about the price either; you just have to find the company you like best.
All I can say is… have fun!

I just finished “one of those” myself.... The design itself is actually pretty dark, and it really had “potential” to look great—thanks to the little stones with their subtle sheen. But unfortunately, what I ended up with is so different from the photo of it. 

Although, it was actually while taking the photo that I was able to make out the bird 🙈🥳
I’ve already learned that I should choose my designs carefully—some images just don’t work for diamond painting.
Out of the four I ordered, there are two I’d actually hang up; one is already framed. 

Well, Steffi, unfortunately that happens sometimes. 😒

I brought home a horse picture yesterday. You couldn’t tell from the package that only the horse was made of little stones, and it looks completely different, too. I’m so disappointed 😞

That’s exactly how I’d feel too… it just doesn’t fit together at all… too bad.
It’s a good thing it wasn’t your first picture—otherwise you wouldn’t have made those other beautiful ones.