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What Is Diamond Painting?

A calm, tactile craft: place faceted diamonds onto a printed canvas to build a shimmering image. Here is what it is, what is in a kit, and where to start.

Diamond painting is a calm, tactile craft: you place thousands of tiny faceted resin diamonds onto a printed, adhesive canvas to build up a shimmering image. Part mosaic, part meditation, it has quietly become one of the most absorbing ways to spend an evening away from a screen.

How it works

Every canvas is printed with a grid of symbols, each standing for one colour. You lift a diamond with a pen-style applicator, press it onto its matching square, and repeat. The adhesive holds each piece instantly, and the picture emerges as you go — see How Diamond Painting Works for the full method.

What is in a kit

A complete kit includes the printed canvas, the diamonds sorted by colour, a pen, wax and a tray. Larger designs simply contain more diamonds and more detail.

Why people love it

The appeal is in the rhythm. Placing diamond after diamond is repetitive in the best sense — steadying, quiet, satisfying. And unlike many crafts, you end with something to keep: a finished piece ready to frame and hang.

Round or square?

Kits come with round or square diamonds. Round place a little faster and give a softer finish; square sit edge-to-edge for a crisper, fuller look. We cover it in Round vs Square Diamonds.

Where to start

If it is your first, choose a design you love at a comfortable size — our Size Guide helps — and give yourself an unhurried evening.