Looking for the best diamond painting kits after admiring a drop-dead gorgeous piece of artwork in a magazine or on the Web somewhere, and upon further inspection found out it was NOT a painting, per-se, but a work of art made from teeny tiny FACETED GEMS! You were probably like, “Where do I sign up”?
Diamond painting, or diamond art, kits, are set to be the next big crafting addiction! Your typical kit includes a grid, usually made of canvas, Next to the main grid (where your beautiful picture will be formed) is a guide, which tells you via a symbol or code, what color goes where.
In addition you also get a stylus pen used to pick up the tiny diamonds and place them in the grid, and a small square of wax which is used to coat the pen tip to make the gems easier to pick up.
===> In a hurry? See all the best diamond art kits HERE
It’s kind of similar to paint-by-number; which I never got into; I always found it kind of regimented…. plus I always wanted to do “real art” (I’m not saying there is anything wrong with paint by number kits, it just wasn’t my idea of fun.) But replace paint with gems and I’m like, count me in😁 .
I Got My First Diamond Kit!
When the intrigue and curiosity got the better of me, I picked up one of these kits. The one thing I found tricky was getting the little diamonds all laid out faceted side up so I could pick them up.
This was a small picture and only six colors as you can see, which would be great for you if you’re a newbie. It took me about an hour to do – I wonder if part of that was getting acquainted with the method, or differentiating between two shades of blue? There were two bags one labeled A4 and the other A6 but they looked so similar.
This is my finished piece, as you can see it does sparkle when you look at it from a few angles. I think it’s cute; next one of these kits I get, I think I want something with fruit in it, for the kitchen.
Below is a little mini-introductory to assist when choosing a kit for you or someone else. These make great gifts, too by the way!
What Does 3D and 5D Mean?
You may have seen these numbers on kits and wondered what they mean? For example, you see a kit with “3D” on it and one with “5D” on it. The “D” represents the facets on each gem. 5D means five facets, these tend to sparkle more and have a flat bottom. 3D gems, have three facets and sparkle a little less (still pretty, though!)
Round and Square Gems Explained
You’ve also seen no doubt, “square drills and “round drills” Square drills are more precise and produce mosaic like results, but are harder to get into a straight line. Round drills are more abstract looking and maybe leave a few gaps in the picture. They tend to be best for beginners. All the gems, generally, are 25mm in size.
Partial vs Full Drills
As the name implies, partial drills cover parts of a design; full drills involve the gems covering the whole picture in rows.(It almost looks like cross-stitch or needlepoint close-up.) If you’re not sure how long of a time commitment you’d like to undergo, I would recommend you look at the partial drill kits.
So you might need to persevere a little more with a full drill, but the results can be pretty impressive.
Five Best Diamond Painting Kits
There’s certainly no lack of subject matter available to you when looking for a new diamond painting kit. Birds, cats, beach scenes, flowers, you name it! The key is to start with a simple design; in which case I suggest the round gems and partial drill kits which may take you a few hours.
All of the kits below I have chosen, include all the materials you need to get started creating a winning piece of art:
- Diamonds (colors bagged individually)
- Stylus applicator pen
- Tray to put the diamonds in as you work
- Square of wax to aid application
They also have a self-adhesive lined grid…and a pull-back sheet to protect your work in progress if you ever want to take a break and finish later.
Round Partial Drill Unicorn Diamond Art Kit
For beginners, kids and especially young girls who love crafts (as well as magical creatures- so many do!) take a look at this pretty unicorn kit. It’s a partial drill with bold colors, so ideal for small hands. I love it; it makes me think of the kind of artwork I really got into back in grade school. It’s a 12 by 12″ size that’ll look great on a child’s wall.
And the galaxy of stars really syncs up well with the rainbow unicorn. All the bling attaches to the mane, horn, eye and ear to create a glittery effect in just the right amount.
Related Post: Diamond Painting Kits for Kids!
5D America The Beautiful Full Drill Kit
This gorgeous kit above is made by a company with a great reputation – Paint With Diamonds, established a few years ago and has a claim that “99.9% diamond accuracy” meaning you should not run out of the right color in particular at a crucial moment.
Cherry Blossom 5D Partial Drill Painting
How about this cherry blossom scene? I think once completed, it would look really nice hanging in your living room, it’s pretty without being overpowering. This company makes nice simple to follow diamond kits including floral designs, a sailboat, and roses.
Each one is a 12″ by 12″ finished size that you can frame and hang anywhere.And the backgrounds in these partial drill kits really complements the bling!
5D DIY Starry Night Full Drill Diamond Art Kit
You may recognize this scene, as such, it’s pretty popular as far as choices of kits with famous “repros” go. The perfect gift for Van Gogh fans, it’s a full drill masterpiece waiting to happen! The grid size is 16 by 20, a nice medium size that could go in the living room, office, or bedroom easily.
The company has a stellar reputation and offers to send replacement diamond gems if you happen to come up short (not likely, as a fair amount of extras is included, including the tray, pen, and wax.)
Two Roses Diamond Painting Kit
Whoever said rose paintings are hard has never seen this…A pair of roses (both of them are to be covered in gems only) against a dark background with butterflies. It is sure to compliment the room of your choice. This brand also has a few other similar botanical-themed kits for your consideration.
At some point, you can preserve your finished diamond art with a coat of spray sealant. They will retain their sparkle, but if you’re worried that any of them may fall off, this will help.
And don’t forget, all of these works are made to be framed and hung on your wall, because, well…diamonds 💎
Choose a good size frame, and the grid guide will not show. Hope you enjoyed this list of the best diamond painting kits…let’s hope you don’t get diamond-ed out by all these sparkly gems. 💎Happy blinging!
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