10 Ways to Display Your Diamond Paintings
As soon as you have pressed the very last diamond in place on the canvas of your DIY diamond painting masterpiece, you are faced with a new crafting challenge. Now you get to consider how you will display your completed 5D diamond painting, and you will be pleased to learn that there are lots of options in a range of prices and skill levels, no matter which diamond painting kit you have completed.
This post will explore such age-old painting with diamonds questions as To Seal or Not To Seal? and What Kind of Frame is Best for My Taste (and Budget and Skill Set)? in our quest to find just the right method to preserve and display your diamond art.
Before we consider the framing and placement options, let’s take a minute to understand some of the basic finishing notes, tools and supplies, and other considerations for preserving diamond art pieces.
Let Your Diamond Painting Shine
Once you’ve finished your diamond painting and you’re getting ready to store or display it, first roll it out on a flat surface to admire your handiwork. As you examine your paint-with-diamonds masterpiece, look for any spaces where drills are missing. Fill in any gaps with your extra drills. As you look over the completed diamond painting, take note of any of the rhinestones that stand out. Diamonds may stand out when they are not properly affixed to the canvas, or, on occasion, you may notice a diamond that has a small surface imperfection. If you find a drill that looks a little wonky, you can replace it or wait until the sealing step to gloss over it.
After you are satisfied that the painting is complete, take a soft brush (toothbrushes work well) and remove any dust or debris from the diamond painting. If you find a bit of debris that is stuck in the small crevices between diamonds, use the tweezers that are included with every 5D full drill diamond painting art kit to remove it. Then, take a damp (not wet), soft cloth and gently clean the surface of the diamond painting. It is imperative that your diamond painting is clean and ready for the next stage of the process. If you are not ready to frame or display your diamond art, check out this post on storing your diamond painting.
Rollin’ With Your Home Decor
In addition to the diamond painting tools that come with every full drill diamond painting kits, some diamond art hobbyists will recommend a brayer, which is a handheld rolling device that you can use to press over your finished diamond painting to ensure all of the diamond beads are firmly in place and well-attached to the adhesive canvas. However, most diamond art crafters find that a standard rolling pin works just fine, and you may already have one of these in your kitchen, awaiting the day you decide to perfect the art of flakiness in your homemade pie crust.
Regardless of the rolling tool you use, lay your diamond painting on a clean, flat surface. With consistent pressure, roll over the beads from one side to the other, then from top to bottom. You may hear the distinctive popping or clicking sound that comes from square diamonds snapping into place.
To Seal or Not To Seal, or, Can I Leave My Diamond Painting Exposed to the Elements?
Now that you have a clean, pressed diamond art piece, you are ready to seal your artwork. You do not have to seal your diamond painting, especially if you anticipate framing it under glass. However, most diamond painters feel that the diamond painting is not truly finished unless it has been sealed. Sealing your diamond painting helps to ensure that the beads themselves and any exposed canvas between the beads can resist accumulating dust and debris.
If you have completed a diamond painting using round diamond drills, you likely have a completed diamond art piece that looks a bit like a section of cross-stitch or embroidery, and there are tiny spaces around each of the beads. The canvas below the diamonds is sticky, and this combination of stickiness and small crevices guarantees that your shimmering diamond painting will be a dust catcher if left unprotected.
Even if you have used square drills, an unprotected diamond painting is more likely to be marred by dust or dirt, and, over time, the exposure to the elements may break down the adhesive that keeps the diamonds firmly attached to the canvas.
If you are using a form-fitting glass cover in a frame that sandwiches the beads of the diamond painting firmly between the glass and the back of the frame, sealing your art before framing may not be necessary. However, in addition to keeping the beads in their proper place on the canvas, sealing can also help you fill in and smooth over small imperfections in the finished piece. You can find more about the options and techniques for sealing your diamond painting, from using spray-on adhesive to the other stalwart companion to crafters everywhere, Mod Podge, in this post.
Trim It Up, But Wait Until You Have Chosen Your Display Method
After you complete your painting, you may be tempted to immediately cut off the white canvas border around the edges of your diamond art scene. Trimming is recommended for many, but not all, framing and display options. Wait until you decide on your framing and display preference before you begin trimming.
When you are ready to trim the excess canvas from your diamond painting, you can do one of two things. The easiest option is simply to cut away the excess canvas with a pair of sharp scissors designed for fabric or crafting, and this option is certainly used by many diamond painters, especially for smaller diamond art pieces. A more advanced option involves cutting away excess material using a craft knife, ruler, and cutting mat. Again, though, many display and framing options don’t even require precision trimming, so read on to find the method that will best serve your diamond painting display needs.
The Craft of Diamond Painting: Diamond Art Display Edition
Now that we have covered the basics of prepping your completed diamond art piece for posterity, consider the options below for choosing the best way to showcase your diamond art masterpiece so that you can get on with the important business of selecting your next diamond art kit.
Each option will provide a brief overview of the process as well as the tools and supplies you will need, an estimated cost range of this phase of the project relative to other options, and suggested skill level for successful completion. You can find more about diamond framing techniques in this post.
- One of the simplest, least expensive options involves using a premade frame with a back that slides or pops out. To make sure your diamond painting stays flat and centered, you may first attach it color-coordinated posterboard, as in this example. These frames are available from any craft store, and you can find them online or at major retailers.
This option is best for smaller canvases that will be displayed on bedside tables, next to a lamp in a reading nook, on a bookshelf, or hung in niches like alcoves or hallways. You can customize your frame and the color of the posterboard backdrop to your painting and your preference, and you can go from completed painting to displayed painting in short order. Also, you can choose to leave the glass cover off since diamond paintings, with their dimension and beaded effects, are so … touchable.
Tools and Supplies: Small frame, double-sided tape or glue, scissors, posterboard, ruler
Estimated cost: $
Skill level: Beginner
- One of the biggest bang-for-your-buck options involves attaching your finished diamond painting to a pre-stretched canvas on a wooden frame. Measure the bejeweled part of your diamond art piece, then choose a pre-stretched canvas that is an inch or so smaller in height and width than your completed diamond painting.
Liberally apply standard glue to the front of the pre-stretched canvas, then carefully place your completed diamond art canvas on the pre-stretched canvas frame. Center it as best you can. Working quickly, position the painting so that all sides have an equal overhang of excess material.
Once you are satisfied that the diamond art is reasonably centered on the pre-stretched canvas, use the brayer or rolling pin to smooth the piece out and press the diamond art canvas firmly against the glued canvas. Flip the whole thing over and use the roller to press the back of the canvas as well.
After allowing the glue to dry, you will measure two inches around the diamond art overhang with the face of your art piece lying flat on the flat surface or cutting mat. This will give you two inches of the excess material that you will use to wrap the diamonds around the sides of the diamond art piece, so the effect will be like an oil painting that you would buy from an art gallery.
Mark two inches on the back side of the diamond painting with a marker or fabric pen, then cut away all but the two-inch overhang using your craft trimming tools. If you have ever re-upholstered a chair cushion, you will find that this method from here on out is similar to that process. Some crafters also compare this process to an elaborate form of gift wrapping.
Line up the edge of your ruler with one of the edges of the pre-stretched canvas, then cut from the edge of the pre-stretched canvas to the outer edge of the diamond art canvas. Repeat for all four corners. When you have finished, you will have a large cross shape that will become your completed framed diamond art, and there will be four small squares or rectangles that you have cut away.
With firm pressure, wrap one of the edges around the back of the frame. For larger pieces, some diamond painters find it helpful to have a partner hold the fabric in place while you use a staple gun to secure the overhang to the wooden part of the frame. Staple the center section of the overhang, then the two outer edges, then between the center and outer edges so that the canvas is secured and smooth against the frame. Repeat this process on the parallel side, then on the other two sides.
This option is great for more elaborate or larger diamond art pieces that you want to showcase above a mantel or in another prominent position in your home or workplace. This framing and display method also provides a three-dimensional effect to the work since the edges are wrapped with diamonds.
Tools and supplies: Stretched canvas on a frame, glue, scissors or craft knife and cutting mat, staple gun, brayer or rolling pin, marker, ruler
Estimated cost: $$
Skill level: Advanced
- So you call yourself a crafter? Take your DIY skills to the next level by creating your own frame. With DIY framing kits available from Amazon, customizable DIY frames from VizuArts, and framing classes at hardware stores, the world in which you can create your own diamond painting, as well as your own high-quality, custom frame, has arrived.
Creating your own frame is a great option for the hobbyist whose interests extend beyond diamond painting and into the world of woodworking. This option will prepare your diamond painting for display anywhere, and it also makes a nice addition when gifting for a wholly home-crafted diamond painting project.
Tools and supplies: DIY frame kit or access to carpentry tools (miter saw, lumber, hammer, nails, clamps, etc.)
Estimated cost: $$
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced
- For a budget option, consider pasting your completed diamond painting to foamboard or heavy-duty cardboard. This process is fairly straightforward, and it is similar to the method outlined in our first example.
Buy a section of sturdy backer board. If you want the backer to serve as a sort of frame, be sure to select one that complements the colors and theme of your diamond painting. You have a couple of options for trimming the backer board. You can trim it to be exactly sized to the edge of the bejeweled section of your diamond painting, in which case you may find a craft knife, ruler, and cutting mat to be useful.
Remember what your grandfather told you -- measure twice, cut once. Trim the canvas to its diamond edge, trim the board to the matching dimensions, and glue the diamond painting to the backer board. Roll over the front and the back of the project with a brayer or rolling pin to ensure the painting is free from air pockets.
Another popular option is to buy a backer board with the intention of leaving a defined edge all around the diamond painting so that the backer serves as a frame or matting for the diamond art. You can leave the backer board as it comes, or you can decorate it by covering with washi tape, duct tape, strips of felt, or even paint.
You can now display the painting as is, or you can pop it into a poster frame with glass front removed. This is a great option for the extra crafty, as well as those who are on a budget.
Tools and supplies: Sturdy backer board, glue, scissors or craft knife and cutting mat, brayer or rolling pin, marker, ruler, decorative trim (optional)
Estimated cost: $
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Perhaps you love creating diamond art, but you don’t need the added stress of figuring out framing. Many craft stores and framing businesses are happy to help! With custom framing, you can choose exactly the right size and material for your diamond art frame.
Ensure that the framer uses stretcher bars to hold your artwork firmly in place, preventing sagging or wrinkles (think of it like Botox for artwork). Also, remember those most popular craft and framing stores offer discounts and coupons, so feel free to wait on a great sale, then take all of your diamond paintings in for framing.
Having someone else take care of your framing removes any stress you may have about damaging the diamond art piece you’ve spent so much time on, and custom-framed pieces make excellent gifts or diamond art displays that showcase the quality of the art.
Tools and supplies: n/a
Estimated cost: $$$
Skill Level: Beginner
- Okay, we’ve covered some basic framing and display options, so let’s dial it down a notch and get creative. Smaller pieces can be used to create a stunning cover for a photo album or other heavy-duty, hardcover book.
Think of turning an otherwise plain photo album into a sparkling treasure that features a Disney castle for your special vacation album, or perhaps even a personalized photo that gives you a preview of what’s inside! The techniques we’ve covered so far -- measuring, trimming, gluing, and rolling -- all apply here.
Tools and supplies: glue, scissors or cutting tools, photo album or heavy book
Estimated cost: $
Skill Level: Beginner
- Perhaps you don’t use photo or scrapbooking albums, but my guess is you have some boxes or tins at your disposal. Wooden cigar boxes, heavy craft paper boxes, leftover butter cookie tins, and trinket boxes of all sizes could benefit from being decorated with diamond art. You can turn an ordinary wooden box into a glittering chest suitable for storing jewelry, craft supplies, needles and thread, or whatever else strikes your fancy.
As with the album/book option, the process uses the same techniques we covered in earlier sections. Imagine giving someone homemade Christmas cookies in a box covered with your own diamond art painting!
Tools and supplies: glue, scissors or cutting tools, appropriately sized box or tin
Estimated cost: $
Skill level: Beginner
- How long has it been since you’ve had your own artwork hung on the refrigerator? For smaller diamond art pieces, you can adapt the backer board method to create a magnet. After completing the steps needed to secure your diamond art painting to foamboard or heavy-duty cardboard, simply attach durable magnets in each corner of the backer board.
You now have a piece of art that can go on your refrigerator and many other metal surfaces!
Tools and supplies: Sturdy backer board, glue, scissors or craft knife and cutting mat, brayer or rolling pin, marker, ruler, magnets
Estimated cost: $
Skill level: Beginner
- You know how square diamond art pieces are often described as mosaics? Consider using a finished diamond art piece as a mosaic inset on a cabinet door or on the side of a statement piece of furniture. Using the backer board method, you can attach the finished piece directly to the inset of a wooden cabinet door, use the magnet method for metal doors and furniture, or simply attach a low-profile frame to an unexpected place. Hey, Gaudi and Guell did it, why shouldn’t you?
Tools and supplies: Sturdy backer board or low-profile frame, glue, scissors or craft knife and cutting mat, brayer or rolling pin, ruler
Estimated cost: $
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- And one final idea for displaying your diamond painting...turn it into a pillow! Just as decorative embroidered pillows add a pop of color to sofas and occasional chairs, diamond embroidery can be applied to fabric in an easy-to-make art pillow. You can attach the diamond art piece to an existing pillow using high-quality fabric glue, or you can create a custom-sized pillow by sewing the fabric together. Just don’t try to sleep on them!
As you may have guessed, this option is best for hobbyists who have some experience with sewing and using sewing machines.
Tools and supplies: Fabric, access to a sewing machine, sewing needles and thread, stuffing for the pillow, fabric glue
Estimated cost: $ to $$
Skill Level: Advanced
No matter which of the 10 ways to display your diamond paintings that you choose, or, heck, maybe you want to add all of them to your crafting wishlist, you are sure to find the best one for your taste, skill level, and budget.