Diamond Painting – All Information, Tips and Recommendations on the "Painting by Numbers" Alternative

Diamond painting is a relaxing and creative hobby that involves creating pictures from small, colorful rhinestones. It's a focused and stress-free experience that allows you to create a unique work of art. In this article, we'll explore why diamond painting is the ultimate hobby for creative people and those seeking relaxation.

We will also give you all information with instructions, tips, tricks and recommendations so that you can get the best out of your creative experience with the glitter stones. Finally, we answer frequently asked questions about this artistic hobby .

Let us immerse yourself together ...

What is Diamond Painting?

Diamond Painting is a new, exciting hobby that inspires more and more people. It is a mixture of painting for numbers and cross stitch , in which small, sparkling diamonds are glued to a canvas. The result is a beautiful, glittering work of art that can be proudly presented.

Diamond painting involves covering a pre-drawn image with sparkling, diamond-shaped plastic rhinestones. Similar to paint-by-numbers, the template consists of a pre-drawn area with numbered sections. The task for the amateur artist is to systematically apply the rhinestones (also called resin stones or rhinestones) to these sections. The color to be used is indicated by a number within each section.

In other words, the picture is decorated with plastic diamonds and framed to adorn a wall.

Diamond Painting has been one of the most popular opportunities in the field of hobby art to try as a layperson in the design of works of art with a three -dimensional effect. On the pre -printed canvas, a boring and ordinary picture awakens to life that sparkles and lights up.

Diamond painting kits are usually available as a complete set containing a motif canvas with self-adhesive protective film, round or square diamonds with a flat underside in all required colors, a painting pen ("applicator") for picking up and placing the diamonds, a tray ("boat") for arranging the stones, and wax to help the diamonds stick to the painting pen.

As a rule, detailed instructions are also included in the set.

It is an enriching activity for all age groups , and the best part is that you don't need any special knowledge of art to immerse yourself in the world of diamond painting.

Before we deal with the diamond painting, however, I would like to tell you something about its origin and history.

Origins and evolution of diamond painting

The concept of diamond painting is not a new invention of the 2020s.

The origins of diamond painting can be traced back to China, where it was known as "5D diamond painting" or "diamond embroidery ." It was first introduced in the early 2000s as a combination of cross-stitch and paint-by-numbers and quickly became enormously popular with craft enthusiasts.

At that time, diamond painting was still done on velvet canvas, which was difficult because it was challenging to glue the beads onto it. Now, with improved adhesive techniques, velvet canvases are experiencing a comeback.

The modern diamond painting was in 2010 in China by Guangdong Yueming Laser Technology Co., Ltd. Invented and has spread greatly in the past fifteen years worldwide.

Over time, diamond painting has evolved and become increasingly sophisticated. Today, there are numerous variations of this creative hobby, such as partial drill , full drill , round drill , and square drill . These terms refer to the shape of the diamonds and whether the entire canvas or only a portion of it is covered.

Furthermore, the designs available for diamond painting have become more complex and detailed. A wide selection of images is available, ranging from landscapes and animals to portraits and abstract designs.

Creative hobby with many positive effects

The great thing about Diamond Painting is that it is suitable for everyone, regardless of age or artistic talent. It is a great way to reduce stress and relax. You can also live out your creativity and create something beautiful. The best thing about this hobby is that there are an infinite number of options.

There are countless designs to choose from, ranging from animals and landscapes to portraits . You can even upload your own images and have them turned into a diamond painting kit.

Depending on individual needs and experience level, a wide variety of motifs can be selected. Diamond painting offers a broad range of designs, from simple motifs for children to elaborate fox pictures or 3D tigers, all the way to monumental, magnificent works of art with enchanting 3D effects for experienced artists.

If your own children take their first steps in the Diamond Painting, it is advisable to stay nearby, as they could possibly swallow the small parts.

So if you are looking for a new hobby that you relax and promote your creativity, try Diamond Painting!

Why is it the ultimate hobby for creative people?

If you are looking for a creative hobby that brings you relaxation and joy, Diamond Painting is the ideal choice for you. It is a unique hobby for people of all ages that combines the advantages of painting for numbers and knitting and provides you with a beautiful work of art for your wall decoration as a result.

Diamond painting is not only for adults, but also offers itself as a leisure activity for children and seniors . Because both small kids in kindergarten and primary school age as well as people in advanced age can specifically promote and maintain their physical and mental abilities with diamond paintings.

The best thing is that you don't have to bring artistic skills with you to start with it. All you need are a few tools and a set with sparkling diamonds. With every diamond that you glue on the screen, you will fall in love more and more in this hobby.

It not only offers art lovers a wonderful way to live out their creativity, but also promote spatial imagination, dexterity and fine motor skills. It is a great way to calm the mind and free yourself from stress and worries. You can also proudly present your finished works of art and use you as gifts for your loved ones.

How exactly does Diamond Painting work?

The concept is similar to that of "painting by numbers" . Presumed stone made of rhinestones, crystal or acrylic in different colors are entered in a drawing that is divided into numbered fields.

You simply absorb one stone after the other with the applicator and place it on the numbered surfaces on the screen. Once fixed there with the glue, the individual stones gradually result in a picture - just like with a mosaic.

In this way, colorful pictures are created and it is very easy to do. The special thing about Diamond Painting is that sparkling stones are placed on the picture instead of using color to paint. This gives the artwork a unique brilliance and luminosity.

Which materials and utensils are needed?

In a diamond painting shop you'll find complete kits for a wide variety of designs. All the accessories you need for your first diamond painting are:

• A motif screen with self-adhesive protective film
• Round or square diamonds with a flat underside in all colors.
• A painting pen, the "Applicator" with which you can record and place the diamonds
• A bowl ("boat") in which you can lay your stones
• Wax with the help of which the diamonds stick to the Painting pen

If there isn't a store near you, we recommend ordering from an online shop – for example, you'll find everything you need at Zuty, . With over 5,000 designs on offer, the selection is huge.

What different stone shapes are there in diamond painting?

In diamond painting, choosing the right rhinestones – often called “drills” – is indeed a crucial decision, as it significantly influences the final result and the level of difficulty.

The two main shapes are round vs. square.

This is the classic decision one faces with almost every image.

feature	Round Drills	Square drills
handling	Easier and faster. They don't need to be perfectly aligned because they don't have any "corners" that need to fit together.	More demanding. They must be placed very precisely and straight (edge ​​to edge).
Optics / Coverage	Tiny gaps remain visible between the stones, through which the canvas is slightly visible. The look appears somewhat more "organic" (similar to cross-stitch).	The stones fit seamlessly . This creates a closed, mosaic-like surface without a visible canvas.
Sparkle	They are often considered more glittering because the round faceting refracts the light differently.	They tend to create a flat "shimmer" or a "snap" when they fit perfectly.
Forgiveness	High. If a stone is slightly crooked, it's hardly noticeable.	Low. A single crooked stone can shift an entire row or make it look messy.

Special drills

In addition to the standard colors, there are special stones that are often used as highlights in pictures:

• AB stones (Aurora Borealis): These stones have a special, iridescent coating (similar to oil on water) that reflects the colors of the rainbow. They are mostly used to highlight specific areas of an image.
• Rhinestones (Crystal/Rhinestones): These are often translucent (transparent) or have a silver backing. They sparkle extremely brightly and are often used for "partial drill" artwork, where not the entire canvas is covered.
• Special shapes: These include drops, hearts, stars, or larger jewels. They are used almost exclusively in specific sub-images (e.g., mandalas or Watches ).

Which form is best for beginners?

Clearly: Round stones.

Why? The frustration factor is significantly lower. You don't have to perfectly rotate the pen to get the stone at the exact angle. You can simply "pick it up and place it." This makes getting started more relaxed, and progress is visible more quickly.

Tip: If you're looking for a greater challenge later and want a perfectly closed, pixel-perfect "mosaic" look, you can try using square stones. Many experienced painters swear by square stones because of the satisfying "click" sound when the stones snap seamlessly into place.

How to start diamond painting: a step-by-step guide

If you are interested in diamond painting, but not (yet) know exactly where to start, you are just right here.

In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to start your first diamond painting project.

Step 1: Motivation selection

Select your motif . There are countless options to choose from, from animals to landscapes, flowers, cityscapes, kitchen motifs, fantasy, zodiac signs, children's motifs, pop art, football motifs and love motifs to abstract designs. Choose a motif that you address and which you would like to hang or give away.

Professionals and experienced "painters" often approach the choice of motif almost scientifically, because they know: An attractive preview image on the computer screen does not guarantee a good-looking finished diamond painting.

Based on our interviews and discussions from the community (Reddit, forums), experienced users pay particular attention to these three technical criteria:

1. The “pixel rule” (size vs. level of detail)

This is the most common beginner mistake, one that professionals avoid. Diamond painting is essentially pixel art. The more detail an image has, the more "pixels" (stones) are needed. The professional eye: They don't just look at the subject matter, but immediately at the ratio of image size to level of detail.

• As a rule of thumb : A face often needs at least 10–15 cm of space on the canvas to avoid looking like a "splash of color". An experienced painter would never buy a group portrait of 5 people on a small 30 × 40 cm canvas, as the faces would be unrecognizable.
• Strategy : For complex images (landscapes, many people), they choose huge formats (e.g., 60 × 80 cm or larger). They only use small formats (30 × 40 cm) for striking "snack-size" motifs with few details (e.g., a single flower, a comic strip motif, or lettering).

2. Rendering: Computer vs. Hand-Charted

This is often where the wheat is separated from the chaff among manufacturers.

• Computer-generated : Many cheap providers simply run an image through software. The result is often "noisy"—there are individual, mismatched color dots in areas where they don't belong.
• Hand-Charted (Manually Edited) : Experienced users specifically search for shops that advertise "hand-charting." In this case, a graphic designer has digitally edited the image, removing "confetti" (meaningless individual color dots) and smoothing edges. The image ultimately appears cleaner and sharper.

3. “Confetti” vs. “Color Blocking”

Professionals scan the image to see how it can be laid out – in other words, what the work experience (“painting”) will be like.

• Confetti : Areas with an extremely high number of color changes in a very small space. This is strenuous and slow, but often looks more realistic in the result.
• Color blocking : large areas of one color (e.g., a black background). This is quick (especially with multi-placers), but can be monotonous.

Many professionals pay attention to balance. Too much color blocking is often perceived as boring, too much confetti as frustrating. Reviews often warn: "Caution, the sky is pure color blocking for over 20 hours."

Recommendation for beginners

If you're just starting out, ignore the huge "masterpiece" images from the professionals for now.

The unanimous opinion for the best start is:

The "golden mean" when it comes to size: Don't buy the smallest picture (under 20 x 20 cm), because the result is often so pixelated that you'll be disappointed. Ideally: 30 x 40 cm. This is large enough to depict a subject well, but small enough to complete in a few evenings before your motivation wanes.

Choose round stones: As mentioned earlier, round stones are more forgiving of mistakes. With angular stones, you have to work very precisely right from the start, which can be stressful at first.

Motif choice “Bold & Simple”

When using this proven approach, choose motifs with clear lines and strong contrasts.

• Good : a single butterfly, a comic character, a mandala, a close-up of a flower.
• Bad : a family photo, a wide landscape with many small houses in the background.

Be careful with dark backgrounds: As a beginner, avoid images with vast black or dark blue backgrounds. Symbols on dark backgrounds are often harder to see (you might need a light pad), and dust or cat hairs are immediately visible. Colorful images are more fun to start with.

It's also possible to transform a personal photo or individual image idea into a diamond painting. Zuty even employs an in-house designer for professional execution.

Step 2: Buy kit

Purchase your painting kit now, complete with all the necessary supplies. A Zuty diamond painting kit contains everything you need to begin your project. This includes the canvas (self-adhesive), the diamonds, tweezers (applicator), wax paper, hooks for hanging, handles for multiple diamonds, and a handy tray for them.

Step 3: Preparations

things organized from the start with your first Diamond painting, it is recommended to take some precautions.

It is best to start spreading the canvas on a flat surface to prevent the motifs from slipping. Make sure that the pad provides sufficient space for the additional accessories.

Tip: It is useful to glue a corresponding stone to the position on the included numbers and symbol table, which is intended for the shape and color of the diamond.

Step 4: Place diamond stones

It is advisable to start at the lower end of your motif and gradually work up from field to field. Remove part of the protective film from the canvas at the point where you want to start the work process.

Please note: Do not remove the entire film, otherwise the canvas dry out and loses your adhesion.

Now start placing the stones. To do this, take the tweezers or the applicator and the wax paper and gradually place the diamonds on the canvas, according to the color coding.

Make sure that the flat side of the stones points down when attached. Place the element carefully in the appropriate position in the appropriate area.

You can now fully populate the first segment. Use tweezers to correct any misplaced elements. Continue in this manner, segment by segment, in ascending numerical order.

After completing each session, you should cover the wax on the applicator instrument with cellophane and place a plastic film about the area where you worked.

Step 5: completion

Now it's time to finish the project. Once you've placed all the diamonds, cover the canvas with plastic wrap and weigh it down with a heavy book, a rolling pin, or a board. Gently roll over the finished picture to ensure the diamonds adhere well.

That's it! You've completed your first diamond painting project 🙂

How to get the best out of your hobby: tips and tricks

Have you chose Diamond Painting as a new hobby and now want to make the best of it? No problem!

Here are some tips and tricks that will help you optimize your diamond painting experience.

1. First of all, you should make sure that you the right accessories ready. Good tweezers, a ruler and a pen are essential to track the pattern carefully and to place the diamonds precisely.
2. You should also make sure that you enough time and space to fully concentrate on your hobby.
3. Another important aspect is the choice of the right motif . Think about which colors and patterns you want the most and what size of the image you want to create. If you choose a particularly complex pattern, you should also plan enough time to complete it.
4. Secure the canvas using adhesive tape at the table to prevent slipping when placing the stones.
5. It is advisable to start attaching the stones in the lower corner and work up from there.
6. Protect already completed areas of your diamond mosaic by covering with usual baking paper to avoid wax residues.
7. If your wax glue is used up, you can order supplies. In the meantime, you can use as an alternative water. Simply dip the applicator with the tip in a glass of water and then raise the stones.
8. If you want to take a break and have no space to store your Diamond Painting flat, you can use a hanger with brackets and hang it on the closet or door until you can continue.

And last but not least, you should understand your diamond painting experience as a meditative moment of relaxation . Take time for yourself and enjoy the process. If you feel stressed or frustrated, simply take a break and come back later.

Have fun creative!

The different types of diamond paintings and their advantages

Which type of Diamond Painting suits you best?

There are different types of diamond paintings that all have their own advantages. For example, there are round and square stones that can achieve different effects. The size of the image and the number of colors can also vary.

If you'd like to create a detailed image, a larger one with many colors is the right choice. However, if you want to see results quickly, a smaller image with fewer colors is more suitable.

For which you can use your finished painting

You have completed your diamond painting and are very proud of your work. But what now?

There are many ways to further appreciate your work of art and enjoy it. An option is to use a wall decoration You can hang it up in a frame or glue it to a canvas to highlight it even more.

Another suggestion is to use it as a gift . You could give it a friend or family member or even sell it to give others joy.

You can also use it as part of a DIY project and turn it into a pillow or bag. The possibilities are endless and it is completely up to you how to use your diamond painting.

Final words

And we have reached the end of our article. We have learned why Diamond Painting is the ultimate hobby for creative and relaxation seekers. It not only offers the opportunity to create beautiful works of art, but also a way to relax and leave everyday life behind.

The combination of creative activity and meditative effect makes Diamond Painting a wonderful experience.