Diamond Painting Wax Alternative
I’m sure you have already read over the instructions on how to create your very own diamond paintings in this new craft that you have discovered. Once you’ve figured out how to do it and have embroidered a few of these to a level where you are gaining satisfaction in the art you are creating, then you may be thinking - what can I do to make this more interesting or to put a new edge to my diamond kits? Sometimes you may find that you are finding frustration in using wax in your diamond painting cross stitch projects which is something that you really don’t want since this is a craft that is designed to relieve you of stress and anxiety.
There are more fun and creative ways to enjoy your newly discovered hobby which we shall discuss in this blog post. Alternatives to using wax can be found in various ways including tweezers and the rotating roller tool, both of which we supply. DIY techniques such as Blu-tack, craft putty, and make-up artist pencils can also be used as diamond embroidery techniques. In this blog post, we shall go through these different methods in order to suggest alternative methods other than using wax so that you can create your diamond paintings in a manner that suits you best.
Instructions on using the wax when diamond painting
I’m sure you have already taken a view at our instructions on how to fully optimize your diamond art kit to a level that allows you to slowly go through your painting in a way that does not frustrate you and makes you feel satisfied with your final masterpiece. One part of the process that may lead to frustration is the wax section of the painting, as this can be a very delicate part and may take you a little bit of practice to get used to. If you are finding this part tricky then don’t stress just yet! A lot of other people are on the same boat as you when it comes to this part of diamond embroidery. Bearing in mind that this is a hobby that is designed to relax you and reduce anxiety then it is clear that the sooner you master this technique the more pleasure you shall gain from your 5D diamond painting kit.
Use of the wax comes once you have peeled back a piece of the film cover in order to get started on your diamond embroidery. The pink square that can be found in our diamond painting kits is the wax. Take this to the side and delicately peel back the sticker that covers the adhesive. It's best to make sure you place it on top of an easily cleanable or disposable object to avoid the wax perhaps mistakenly making its way onto your table counter. Next, take your applicator pen and gently dip the applicator into the wax.
The wax shall stick to the applicator and you are now ready to pick up your first rhinestone diamond bead and begin cross-stitching. After you have placed a few onto your canvas you may begin to notice that the rhinestone beads aren’t collecting as well as they were before. Simply dip your application stylus back in and collect more. It’s best to keep paper towels or wipes at hand to deal with any mishaps with the wax as you are painting.
One of the frustrations that may occur when you are painting with rhinestones is that you may find that your wax is too soft at times. One other tip that applies to both the wax and alternative adhesives is to cool them down before you start working on your diamond painting. If you live in an area that experiences hot summers you may have noticed that your wax, tack, or putty is softer due to the higher temperatures.
Wax has a melting point just above 100°F so as the temperature gets close to these levels you may find that your wax has gone very soft and stringy when you dip your pen into it. A way to overcome this is to store your wax in the fridge so it will stay firm when you are painting. If you are planning a long painting session then simply have some spare wax or alternative adhesive stored in the fridge and you can alternate between them as you work.
One of the cons of using wax that many people come across is that it can sometimes leave residue between the rhinestones meaning that you have to tediously and gently wipe the excess wax away. By using an alternative that is firmer than wax - such as Blu tack - you may find that some small frustrations disappear whilst you are crafting away at your artwork.
Should any mishaps happen to your wax such as misplacing it or your cat getting its paws on it, remember that we have spare wax and pen packs to keep you covered. Alternatively, maybe your pen is causing you some frustration and not the wax, we can always offer you a more comfortable one. Check out this section to find some more diamond kits, painting accessories, and diamond painting tools to add to your wishlist.
Using tweezers as an alternative to wax when diamond painting
When you receive your 5D diamond painting kit you’ll notice that it contains a stainless steel set of tweezers which are a standard diamond applicator tool. With tweezers, wax or other adhesive alternatives are not required. Tweezers are however a harder skill to master that your diamond painting pen tool is and can sometimes take a lot of time to finish your cross-stitching. To use the tweezers gently pick the rhinestones up and place them on top of the diamond painting glue that covers the flat surface of your diamond art kit. You may find that initially, it is harder to get a firm grip on the rhinestones, particularly if they are round drills and not square drills, as they can slip out a little bit easier.
When it comes to selecting more than one diamond at the same time with the tweezers it can be learned how to pick up multiple square drills, alas with round drills this can be very tricky. One of the great purposes of diamond art is that it is designed to improve your focus. By picking up diamonds with your tweezers, you are optimizing your focus levels due to the delicate nature of using tweezers as opposed to the pen.
Another bonus of using your tweezer set is that it does not leave residue on your diamond painting as the wax does. You may find diamond painting to be a more heartening process with this drawback of painting using wax removed. Here’s an extra tip for painting with tweezers: once you have placed the diamond onto the canvas you may have a feeling that the full drill is on loosely, as when you use the pen you can push down upon the canvas firmly.
If this is something that you have noticed then simply turn your tweezers upside down and use the hardened end to push the rhinestone into place on the canvas. If you find tweezers uncomfortable to use for a long period of time then you can also customize them by adding a pencil grip to them. With this added upon your tweezers, it should hold more comfortably in your hand. Not only that, but it also lessens the distance between the forks of the tweezer, meaning that you can pick up the diamonds quicker and with less effort.
Even if you don’t feel that tweezers are quite your thing and you are having difficulty picking up round diamonds, they can still be a useful tool when it comes to diamond painting. Tweezers can be more precise than the pen so when it comes to a more delicate part of your painting which you want to look good, such as the border of the painting, then tweezers can be the perfect tool to make your painting look just a little bit better. It will take more practice than the pen, but once you have the technique mastered, you may even find using tweezers to be faster than using the pen, particularly if you are using square diamonds. You can find out how to use tweezers in this demonstration video.
Rotate roller tool as an alternative to wax
Many of us like to take our diamond artwork slowly so that we can be precise and ease our minds. Other people, however, may be finding their diamond painting to be slightly tedious and want to speed up the process. For them, the rotating roller tool is ideal. This diamond applicator tool is a circular roller that rotates in a manner that allows you to place multiple drills at the same time. It should be noted that the roller should only be used in areas of the canvas of your diamond art painting that are large areas and only contain the same diamond color. If you use different colors then it is far too easy to make a mistake and you’re almost guaranteed to ruin your painting. The tool comes with adhesive tape as part of the package.
To use the rotating roller, firstly take the end of the adhesive tape and carefully stick it onto the roller. From this point carefully rotate the roller, ensuring that the tape lines up onto the roller correctly and doesn't spur to the side. Once the tape fully encircles the roller, take a pair of scissors and snip the part that is now on the roller away from the bundle of tape and place it to the side. Now, take the end that you have just snipped and peel it off the roller like it’s a sticker and put it in the bin. Your roller is now covered in a sticky adhesive that shall pick up your drills.
The next step of the process is to place the drills into the drill tray and gently shake it from side-to-side so they align in between the barriers on the tray. Now take the roller and run it over the drills to pick them up. It is not necessary to cover the roller the whole way round, just one section is fine. Try to pick up around 8-12 drills. Now take the roller to your canvas and carefully turn the wheel to place the drills into their positions.
Simply repeat this process and you can cover large areas of your diamond painting canvas quickly and accurately. One of the drawbacks of this is that it is a rushed process that maybe takes away from the relaxing enjoyment that many of you experience when creating your masterpiece. However, we understand that some of you have itchy fingers and cannot wait to finish your diamond painting!
Blu tack as a diamond painting wax alternative
In this part of the blog, we shall explain some DIY diamond painting methods that we know of, that can give you some new ideas on having alternative ways to diamond paint. One of the other alternative DIY diamond painting methods you can use on your diamond paintings is by using Blu tack. Blu tack is a lot more durable than wax and once it is inserted into your drill pen it can typically last twice as long as the wax, if not longer, depending on how fast you paint. To paint with Blu tack, take a small pile of it to the side of your canvas and take it out manually to insert it into your drill pen.
Some of the Blu tack may stick to the side of the pen but simply ensure that the point of the pen is filled just like when using wax. You may also find that your pen is easily overloaded with the tack. To deal with this simply pick up a throwaway full drill, place the nib of your pen onto it and push it down onto a hard surface. This shall remove the excess Blu tack and from then on you are good to go! The method from this point onwards is the same as using wax, but you should find that you don’t need to refill your drill pen as often when using Blu tack, which makes it ideal for long diamond painting sessions.
Craft putty as an alternative to wax when diamond painting
A second DIY diamond painting method that can be used when you’re diamond painting is using craft putty. This can be found in any arts and crafts store, DIY stores and online. Craft putty comes in the form of long strips of tack. Simply cut off a section of the putty and place it by the side of your canvas. The texture of the putty is not as firm as the Blu tack, making it more flexible as well. It should only take one dip of the nib of your stylus in order to pick up a rhinestone.
Putty is also a generally good item to have in your home to carry out basic repairs and to hang posters on the wall, with it being a multi-purpose DIY tool. It has a white texture and doesn’t leave any marks or damage on surfaces so it can also be more ideal for use on walls than Blu tack. Here's an idea - why not buy some and use it to hang up your newly made diamond painting onto your wall! Check out our DIY frame that is customized specifically to fit diamond paintings.
Make-up artist pen as an alternative to wax-based painting
If you or one of your friends have ever been for a manicure, then you may have opted for or noticed the option of having rhinestones placed on your fingernails. Beauty therapists use a special type of pencil in order to carefully pick up the rhinestones and place them upon your nails. This is yet another DIY method that you can utilize for your artwork since these pencils also work for diamond painting.
To use the pencil, you pick the drills up one-by-one and place them down onto your canvas painting. It’s very simple and straightforward. The advantage of these pencils is that no wax or other adhesive is required as the drills simply attach themselves onto the drill pen. A second advantage is that unlike using the tweezers you can push the drills down firmly onto the canvas, with there being no need to turn the pencil around to push the rhinestones down into place with the back end of the pencil.
One drawback of using the pencil is that you can only pick up one diamond at a time, unlike with the standard drill pen or rolling device where you can pick up multiple diamond drills. Another slight disadvantage of using the beautician’s pencil is that if you push down a little bit too hard the pencil can slip to the side and leave a small mark on your painting. These marks rub off easily however and once they’re gone you can continue with your masterpiece.
You may also find that parts of the lead of the pencil can flake off so care must be taken that these flakes don’t fall onto the diamond painting glue that covers the diamond painting canvas. Other than that these pencils are handy and very precise. They can be purchased very cheaply at any beauty therapist store. Here’s a short video that can help you decide if it’s the right non-wax alternative for you.
Conclusion:
Like any new hobby that you’ve found yourself taking up its always good to push it to the next level and to try new techniques to improve your work. Anyone who pursues mountaineering always wants their next mountain to be a little bit higher or have an ascent to the peak that gets their heart pumping a little bit more. Although standing by your desk with a stylus in your hand doesn't carry the same risks and thrills of stumbling over rocks and sheer drops, the logic is still applicable in that a new challenge is healthy for your mind.
Diamond painters can accomplish this by taking on bigger and more complex art pieces or it can be done by introducing new DIY diamond painting techniques into your work. There are many Youtube tutorials on how you can do this or perhaps you can be a maverick and invent some of your own! Once you have the basic skills and understanding of 5d diamond painting there are no limits to how creative you can be. Certainly, this is something that should be encouraged and you can wow friends and family with handmade gifts that sparkle and dazzle!