What exactly is Diamond Painting and why do you want to do it? Good questions. We have answers for you!
Diamond Painting is a new craft hobby that’s a mix between Cross Stitch and Paint By Numbers. With Diamond Painting, you apply tiny resin “diamonds” to a DMC-coded adhesive canvas to create vibrant mosaic paintings. Intrigued? If you love sparkles and relaxing, repetitive activities, then this just may be the new craft for you.
Why should you consider diamond painting as a new hobby?
Very much like adult colouring books and puzzles, diamond painting as a hobby has many mental, emotional and intellectual health benefits. Diamond painting is a stress free activity. This activity relaxes the amygdala — the fear center of the brain — and allows your mind to get the rest it needs. Plus, it’s sparkly and who doesn’t love a little bling added to their life?
Although you can find a variety of ready-made diamond painting kits at your local craft store or online, we don’t usually love these. Now, there are some cute ones out there, but there’s also a whole bunch of ugly. If you can’t find a cute one that speaks to your sparkly sober heart, then we recommend that you order a custom kit with a photo that you provide for the image.
Sober Curator Pro Tips:
- Start small – this is a project that takes time and patience. If you start with a project that is too large, it’s going to take you longer than this pandemic to finish it. (We’re speaking from experience)
- Pony up the extra money for a light pad to go under your project. This will make it easier to see the DMC-codes. Here’s one from Amazon for under $20
- Most kits will come with a diamond sticky pen. However, if you want to get yourself a small accessories kit, here’s one from Amazon for under $15. This includes a roller for when your project is finished and you want to smooth it out
- We like big trays and we cannot lie. Your kit will likely also come with a tray or two. That said we prefer these larger size trays found on, you guessed it, Amazon for under $10
- You can choose between square and round diamond kits, we’ve only tried the square diamonds so far
Where to order the best kits
It’s been months since we’ve been in quarantine for Covid-19, so we have had the time and opportunity to try kits from several different online shops. Here’s a list of our favs:
- Paint with Diamonds
- Diamond Dots
- Dreamer Designs
- Happy Painting
- Diamond Art Club
- Etsy – various makers
- Vizu Arts
Who else is talking about diamond painting?
Ok, so now you’re interested but you want to learn more
Here are some examples that we DIY’d – prepare to be impressed
Recall when we mentioned above that size does matter? Alysse B., Co-Founder, and CEO of The Sober Curator made a major mistake. She ordered a custom kit of her two Boston Terriers, who are our mascots, Roxie & Bella. Not pictured is Bella because it will likely not be until 2030 that Alysse gets to that part of the diamond painting. OOPS! This one should really be called a Diamond Painting MURAL because it’s way (way) too big.
Here’s another one that was completed by using a great shot photographed at the iconic Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA. This one was size appropriate and took a few weeks of working on it diligently every week.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: Maximize your time by diamond painting and listening to your favorite recovery podcasts! We’ve got you covered with a few recommendations here.
Custom diamond painting kits can be made from photographs or illustrations. When choosing a photo or illustration, think about how the image will transfer into small pixels.
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Recovery Resources are available
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.