Everyone is looking for ways to save money , go faster , work more easily and efficiently , solve small problems , find alternatives, organize themselves better , find the best tools , waste as little time and money as possible, etc.

Diamond painting is no exception, and dozens of different techniques have been discovered or invented all around the world by diamond embroidery fans. Ingenuity and resourcefulness have no limits!

That's why we decided to compile here the best DP tips & tricks of 2021 , found on the Internet or passed on by our customers.

These are practical, economical, ergonomic nuggets , unexpected products, simple tutorials , "how-to" explanations, "make do" (like Débrouille), etc. In short, everything so that you become DP aces, kings/queens of diamond embroidery, who succeed in all their paintings with ease!

In this article, we also give you links to all the products needed to apply these findings, whether from our store or other online stores, including Amazon.

For now, still few tips, but we will add more every week .

( Reminder: this article is our exclusive property. Any reproduction, even partial, without our prior agreement is strictly prohibited.)

Summary

  1. Improve the color chart by sticking real rhinestones on it
  2. Flatten the canvas and remove the creases
  3. Replace sticky stylus paste with repositionable adhesive putty
  4. Remove Static Electricity from Diamonds with Linen Perfume
  5. Removing Static Electricity from Diamonds - 2 More Tips
  6. Repair areas of canvas that no longer stick
  7. Smooth out the rhinestones with a wooden rolling pin
  8. ...

💎 Improve the color chart by sticking real rhinestones on it

Each DP kit comes with a color summary chart, sometimes called a color index.

It gives at least 2 pieces of information: the visual code representing the color on the diagram (for example, a diamond) and the reference in the DMC color chart (310). Sometimes, it adds a sequence number (1) and the number of beads required (1724).

To make it easier to identify at a glance which diamonds to use, it is recommended to stick 1 or more (depending on the space available) next to the code. Use glue or double-sided tape.

There are always more rhinestones than necessary, so it is not a disadvantage, but it is a valuable aid to work better and faster!

💎 Flatten the canvas and remove the creases

When you receive your kit, the canvas is sometimes warped or full of folds. There are several ways to get it flat again, we have combined them into 3 steps:

  1. Lay the canvas on a large, flat, clean surface, such as a table, and gently flatten it with your hand.
  2. Peel off the plastic film covering the canvas, stretch it by pulling on the edges, then stick the film back on. By doing this, you "release" the folds trapped by the film.
    If necessary, repeat the operation.
  3. Finally, if there are still ripples, lay the canvas flat on a surface and place a large, heavy object on top. This can work by sliding it under your mattress! Leave it overnight, and the next day, it's flat...

💎 Replace sticky stylus paste with repositionable adhesive putty

All diamond painting kits come with a diamond painting pen ( drill pen or pick-up tool ) and one or more small squares of pink drill pen glue or sticky wax.

This paste must be inserted into the tip of the stylus to be able to easily pick up the rhinestones , before placing them on the canvas.

It should be adhesive enough to catch the beads, but not too adhesive, so that they settle on the canvas without difficulty and without being covered in glue.

Very often, the quantity of sticky paste is insufficient for the size of the kit received, and it is necessary to buy more on a site specialized in DP. But are there alternatives? Can we find a commonly used product that replaces it , possibly cheaper, and perhaps even more effective?

Many DP fans have discovered that repositionable putty squares, which are used for example to stick posters or very light objects on walls, are perfectly suited to this use!

They recommend 2 well-known brands (Amazon links), which offer packages of all sizes:

You probably already have some at home, and it's so effective that some people only use it!

And maybe other brands work too (Pattex Ni Clou Ni Vis, Pritt Poster Buddies, etc.)

💎 Remove static electricity from diamonds with laundry perfume

Already annoyed by a batch of magnetized diamonds that stick everywhere except the canvas? It's due to static electricity. You know, the same phenomenon that makes your dry hair stick to your wool sweater...

In short, you open a bag of rhinestones, they start to stick to your fingers, to your sleeve, to the wall of the bottle in which you are trying to store them, etc. And suddenly they become almost unusable...

You'll never guess what trick helps remove unwanted stickiness ( well yes, it's in the title... ): Lenor laundry perfume beads ! This is the typical example of a product that wasn't created for antistatic action at all, but works incredibly well.

How to do it? Transfer the contents of your stubborn bags into a container (bottle or jar) , then pour SOME Lenor pearls into it. Close the container and wait a few hours: miracle, your diamonds are no longer electrostatic!

💎 Removing Static Electricity from Diamonds - 2 More Tips

The antistatic effect is also provided by 2 other types of products:

  • Anti-static spray for clothing (Static Guard spray, Odif, etc.): spray a small amount on the diamonds.
  • Dryer cloths (Lenor dryer sheets, Soupline, etc. -- be careful, not for washing machines! ): pour your rhinestones onto a cloth to remove their electrostatic magnetism.

💎 Repair areas of canvas that no longer stick

It may happen that areas of your kit are no longer sticky. This could be due to a manufacturing issue, or a part that has dried out because it was exposed to the air for too long, or a part where too much dust has accumulated.

In cases where the glue has dried or is dirty, the trick is to lightly wipe the area with a baby wipe : this removes dust and re-moistens the canvas!

In cases where there was no adhesive at all or it is no longer recoverable, the area must be re-glued. To do this, use diamond painting glue , sold in small tubes.
If the surface is very small, a strong commercial glue (such as Super Glue) can also do the trick.
As a last resort, double-sided tape can work.
(But don't use paper glue or repositionable glue!)

As a precaution, remember that the plastic film protecting the canvas should only be removed strip by strip, when you are working on a specific area.

💎 Flatten the rhinestones with a rolling pin

When you have finished your diamond painting work, you must do the "finishing touches" . This consists, among other things, of ensuring that all the diamonds stuck on the canvas are flat and well aligned .

This is all the more important to preserve your work over time : to prevent the pearls from coming loose, from "catching", or from interfering with the framing of the painting.

To do this, you don't need a specific DP tool (although they do exist): a simple rolling pin applied to the finished canvas will put everything back in place! Roll it slowly but firmly , in a straight line from one end of the work to the other. Each time a bead falls back into place, you will hear a small "click". You can pass the roller in the other direction, more quickly, to make sure that everything is flat. That's all!

💎 (More tips coming soon -- check back regularly!)