If you’re new to diamond painting, you have come to the right place! Diamond Art Club® is all about making sure your first experience painting with diamonds is an enjoyable one. Whether you’ve tried cross stitch, paint by numbers or neither, diamond art painting is easy—and we’ll show you how in our step by step tutorial below.
To get started, you will need a diamond painting for beginners kit from Diamond Art Club®. As you browse, you’ll notice that the faceted diamond drills come in one of two shapes: round or square. Most crafters choose based on the look they want for their finished piece. Round diamonds give a more mosaic feel, with small bits of canvas peeking through the corners around each drill. Square diamonds line up edge to edge and cover the entire canvas, creating a more detailed look. Whether you choose round or square diamonds, all Diamond Art Club® kits come with all the diamond painting tools you need to complete the project. The following items are included in our diamond painting kits made in 2026:
New 2026 Twist & Pick Tool Kit
- Premium Velvet Tarpaulin Patented Canvas or Self-Adhesive Surface
- 5D Superior Quality Resin Diamond Drills
- Twist & Pick Applicator (diamond painting pen) with Wax and Multiplacer
- Stackable Grooved Tray with Lid and Stopper
- Resealable Baggies
- Heart-Shaped Wax
- Canvas kits include a printed Legend (key), an Inventory Sheet, and Pre-Cut Sticker Labels
Diamond Painting Instructions
Step 1. Remove all items from the package and lay your project on a clean, flat worktop. Peel back a portion of the protective film to uncover the adhesive surface.
Step 2. Select a symbol on your project’s surface you would like to work on.
Step 3. Identify the diamond bag that matches that symbol (or color number). Check that the stopper is in your diamond tray and pour some drills into it.
Step 4. Remove the cap from the applicator and twist the applicator to release the wax.
Step 5. Use the applicator to pick up the faceted side of a diamond.
Step 6. Place the diamond onto the corresponding symbol or color number on the project.
You are now officially diamond painting! Repeat the process until your shimmering masterpiece is complete!
What Makes Diamond Art Club Tool Kits So Special?
Tips to Keep the Magic Flowing
To settle the drills in the grooved tray flat side down, hold it at a slight angle and gently shake it back and forth. Uncover and work in small areas at a time to help keep the canvas clean and the process easier. In sections that have a lot of the same color (AKA color blocking), use the multiplacer to place many resin diamonds at once
If your applicator (AKA drill pen) stops picking up diamonds, twist the pen to extrude the used wax, pinch it off and continue. If the pen runs out of wax, unscrew the tip and cartridge, press in a small rolled piece of new wax, and reassemble. If you place a drill in the wrong spot, a set of tweezers is recommended for gently pulling a drill off the canvas.
To store your diamond drills between sessions, carefully remove the stopper from the tray and pour the drills into a reusable bag or container. When your diamond painting is complete, adding a frame is the perfect finishing touch. If you’re ready for more, Diamond Art Club® offers a wide array of diamond art kits from Keychains and Gem Houses to custom diamond painting kits made from your own photos.
Original Tool Kit Diamond Painting Instructions
While our new kits typically sell out quickly, you will find some kits manufactured prior to 2026 that are still available for sale on our website, Amazon, or elsewhere. These kits may contain our original tool kits, which, while still including everything you need for the project, differ slightly from our current tool kits. Here's what to expect:
- Premium Velvet Tarpaulin Canvas or Self-Adhesive Project
- 5D Superior Quality Resin Diamond Drills
- Putty Twist and Pick Applicator, or Stylus Pen
- Diamond Drill Tray
- Resealable Baggies
- Wax or Putty
- It’s also possible for a Diamond Art Club® kit to contain one or more of the following: a soft grip for the applicator, a multi-placer, washi tape and/or tweezers.
The instructions for how to diamond paint remain the same as above with a couple of exceptions:
- If your drill tray does not have a stopper, be careful that drills don’t spill out as you pour them in.
- If your kit has a stylus pen, you'll need to fill the tip of it before use–which is very simple:
- Peel off the clear plastic from your wax or putty.
- Lightly push the tip of the applicator pen into the wax/putty to fill it.
- You are now ready to use that end of the pen to pick up diamond drills.
Diamond Art Club Instructions How-To Diamond Paint
Once you've worked through these steps a few times, diamond painting has a way of feeling more relaxing than any other craft — there's something soothing about placing each diamond, one by one, and watching the project come to life. The hours fly by as you channel your creativity into a stunning finished artwork.
Whether you have a New Twist & Pick Toolkit or an Original Toolkit, the process is meant to be fun and easy for everyone. A kit from Diamond Art Club® gives you everything you need to make beautiful diamond art with little effort and no mess.
And don’t forget to join our VIP Facebook group to share crafting tips, vote on artists, connect with other diamond painters, and more sparkling fun!
Frequently Asked Questions about How to Do Diamond Art
Are they called Diamonds? Drills? Dots? Gems? What are they?
All of the above! Like many other art forms, diamond painting terminology has evolved with the craft and can be a bit confusing. There is a Diamond Art Painting Dictionary on our website, but here’s a quick breakdown of the basics to get you started:
- Drills: Tiny resin diamonds (gems, beads, dots or rhinestones) that are applied to a surface to create shimmering mosaic artwork.
- Drill Pen: A tool used to pick up drills and place them on the canvas. (AKA: stylus, applicator)
- Tray: A container to hold the drills that are in use. (AKA: sorting tray, grooved tray, diamond tray).
- Multi-Placer: A drill pen tip that can be used to pick up and place multiple drills at one time.
What do I do if my canvas is curling?
You can flatten it by covering it with a towel or blanket and setting heavy books on top for a day or two. That said, you won't run into that issue with a Diamond Art Club® canvas. Ours are made with our patent-pending, self-flattening velvet tarpaulin material, which is designed to lie flat and stay that way.
Should I start a diamond painting at the top or the bottom?
The best place to start on a diamond painting is really up to you. However, experienced diamond painters have told us that matching your starting point to your dominant hand can help you avoid leaning or resting your arm on exposed glue or finished drills as you work. (Left-handed: start top left. Right-handed: start bottom right.)
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