What To Do With Leftover Diamond Painting Beads (20 Fun Ideas)

Have you finished one or more diamond paintings only to find that you have a lot of leftover diamond painting beads? Since most diamond painting kits come with many more diamonds than you need to complete a full drill diamond painting, you are not alone in wondering what exactly you should do with your leftover beads. 

This guide will give you 20 awesome DIY craft ideas you never thought of to use your leftover diamond painting beads. We have identified several options that require very little skill, as well as few that will appeal to the dedicated hobbyist who does not mind a bit of a challenge. Read on to discover some of the fun things you can do to create handmade crafts with your leftover diamonds that can help you make the most of your diamond painting experience. 

Fun Idea #1 Let the Sun Shine In

Leftover diamond beads can be used to create one of a kind suncatcher! The multi-faceted diamond drills that capture the light and create such sparkle in a 5D diamond painting can easily be repurposed to catch and refract the light from a kitchen window or other sunny space. You may use cut glass or heavy-duty plastic (which can be cut from a plastic milk jug or soda bottle) as a backer once it is cut into the shape you desire. Hearts, circles, moons, suns, and rounded shapes are great for round drills, while square drills may work best with more angular shapes like diamonds or rectangles. 

Use a clear adhesive (we find a high-quality, clear craft glue works well) and some super sharp tweezers to affix the diamond drills to the backing (remember to leave a small hole for hanging), then lightly coat the finished suncatcher with a sealant like Mod Podge to ensure the diamond beads stay in place, and you will have created a suncatcher that will add a bit of sparkle and color wherever it is hung. Some crafters also find that DIY stained glass templates also make great outlines that can be “colored in” with leftover diamond beads. 

Fun Idea #2 Ho, Ho, Hold Up a Minute

What better way to add sparkle to a Christmas tree than to add glittering diamonds? You have a lot of options for creating unique holiday ornaments using leftover diamond dots. The easiest option is to acquire a set of clear glass or plastic ornament globes with removable hanger loops and simply fill them with your leftover beads, but you can customize your look by using monochromatic colors to fill the decorative ball, or you can go all out and use the full rainbow of leftover diamond drills (think of how fun that would look on a tree with multi-colored twinkle lights!). 

Another option may remind you of the oranges stuck all over with whole cloves that used to be a popular option for elementary school holiday crafts. You simply take any plain ornament and decide if you want to completely cover it in diamond rhinestones or if you want to bedazzle it with diamond drills in swirls, lines, or loops. 

Fun Idea #3 How About a Cup of Diamonds?

Want something a little more low key that requires absolutely no precision? Simply fill a jar or mug with leftover diamond drills, and you will have created the perfect storage container for pens and pencils, dry paintbrushes, painting pens/diamond art applicator tools, or even whimsical floral arrangements. 

Fun Idea #4 Mosaics Are Not Prosaic

Do you know how completed diamond paintings are often compared to elaborate mosaics? Gaudi was onto something when he envisioned Park Guell in Barcelona because it turns out that almost any surface can benefit from the brilliance and riotous color of mosaic art. Whether you use a detailed pattern or just allow for an explosion of color, you can decorate the tops of small tables or planters with your leftover diamond drills. 

Use a strong, clear adhesive, then cover the finished table with a clear sealant to make the surface smooth. When your project is complete, you will have created a small nod to the great mosaic artists of the world.

Fun Idea #5 Diamond Storing Does Not Have to Boring

Although Amazon and other retailers offer plenty of options for diamond painting storage and diamond bead organizers, why settle for the practicality of clear plastic boxes? Chances are that you have worked to keep your diamonds separated by color (perhaps you even store them with a dryer sheet to keep the diamonds from sticking together) so that you could create your diamond painting masterpiece without any problems. 

What if you made your storage containers as attractive as the diamonds themselves? Spice jars and other small clear bottles make for attractive containers that can be filled with diamonds before stacking them and lining them along your craft or kitchen shelves. Think of yourself as a witch (a good witch) or a shaman surrounded by the potions and tidbits necessary for your craft. 

Fun Idea #6 The Trade Winds Are Blowing

With its vibrant presence on social media, paint with diamonds (PWD) support groups abound, and experienced diamond painters are always looking for specific colors or shapes to complete their own diamond art projects.  A quick Google search, a perusal of diamond art #paintwithdiamonds social media listings, or browsing through the Etsy community will help you find your own PWD crafting partners. 

Fun Idea #7 There’s No Style Like Freestyle

Once you have gotten the hang of diamond painting using one of the many exciting diamond painting kits, it might be a good time to try out your own design by creating a DIY diamond painting. Using a pre-stretched canvas, you can sketch your own image and fill it in with diamonds. If a freestyle drawing feels a little too intimidating, consider upcycling your favorite needlepoint and cross stitch patterns or repurposing a paint by numbers scene! If you use a pattern that already has DMC coding, you are all set. 

Another option may be to borrow a concept from partial drill diamond painting where only part of the canvas is covered by diamonds. Take an existing photograph or sketch, and add a bit of bling to parts of the image, similar to the way you can use filters to call out specific colors or details in an otherwise standard photo.

Fun Idea #8 Don’t Feel Boxed In

Dull trinket boxes or lackluster jewelry boxes have no place in the home of someone who loves beading or diamond painting. Use your imagination as you look to transform a blah box into a bling box! Whether you cover the whole box in a design of your own or you just trim the edges with delicate diamond beading, decorating a box is a great way to give everyday items new life. 

Fun Idea #9 Live, Laugh, Love, Etc.

You can use your beads to embellish plain wall art! If you have a plaque or flat wooden piece, you can kick it up a notch by covering it with diamond beads. How much more eye-catching is your home decor when it literally sparkles? Like other projects, a clear adhesive to affix the diamonds to the background, super sharp tweezers, and a good sealant will help you take your home decor from ho-hum to extraordinary.

Fun Idea #10 If I Could Put Diamonds In a Bottle

Another simple idea is to use your leftover diamond dotz to create bottle art. Similar to the concept of bottled sand art, you simply layer single colors on top of other colors until you fill the bottle. The end result can be a subtle ombre, like a sunset, or perhaps you prefer a bright rainbow of colors. Either way, this simple concept is a great way to put leftover diamond beads to good use. 

Fun Idea #11 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Okay, so maybe diamond beads do not belong on the soles of shoes, but they can bring a fun splash of originality and color to otherwise basic shoes. Using very strong fabric glue, you can affix the diamonds along the natural lines of the shoes. 

Fun Idea #12 Why Not Dress Up in Glittering Costumes, Party Wear, and Masks?

What better place to showcase diamonds than at a masquerade? Diamond beads can add all the detail you could ever want to otherwise bland masks, and they can also be used to bling out a Roaring 20s flapper costume or any other outfit that needs a bit of zing. Anything sequins or glitter can do, diamond dots can do, so consider amplifying your wardrobe with glittering skirts, embellished tee shirts, or sparkling belts!

Fun Idea #13 Get in the Right Frame of Mind

Need a fun idea for Mother’s Day? Take an inexpensive frame with a wide, flat face, and cover the frame with diamond beads. Whether you take a multi-colored, rainbow mosaic approach or you carefully line the frame in alternating colors and patterns, a bedazzled frame will draw attention to Mom’s favorite photograph like nothing else can. 

Fun Idea #14 Can You Find It?

Need an easy idea that will keep kids occupied on long car trips or while you participate in yet another Zoom meeting? Select several small objects -- tiny plastic dinosaurs, a golf tee, a penny, flat circles or squares, a bit of ribbon, a rubber band, a jingle bell -- you get the idea. 

Place the objects in a clear jar, then fill the jar with diamond beads and securely attach the lid. Maybe you should even glue the lid shut for extra security. List the items in the jar with a checkbox by each of the items, and you will have created an “I Spy” jar that can provide hours (or maybe just a few blissful minutes) of entertainment for your young ones. 

Fun Idea #15 It’s In the Cards

Why spend money on intricate greeting cards when you craft your own? You can select an inexpensive card and customize it with diamond beads, or you can create your own with cardstock. When you give someone a card that sparkles, they will know you cared enough to create a card just for them.  

Fun Idea #16 No-Carve Glam Gourds

Does carving open a pumpkin, scooping out its guts, and creating a grinning snaggletooth face with a kitchen knife not sound all that appealing? This fall, take a cue from Martha Stewart and create your very own no-carve glam gourds with leftover beads! If you are not cutting the pumpkin open, your gourd can last for months on your front stoop or inside your home.

Whether you create diamond dot faces, elaborate swirls, stripes, and loops, or even cover the whole pumpkins with an array of diamond beads, you will be sure to draw comments and admiration from friends, family, and neighbors. 

Fun Idea #17 Give Them Away!

Schools, nursing homes, and after school programs are always looking for craft supplies, so if you have collected more diamond drills than you know what to do with, consider donating them! Community centers, your local YMCA, women’s shelters, and children’s hospitals may appreciate them more than you can, and you can feel good knowing that you are helping others while keeping your craft area neat and tidy. 

Fun Idea #18 Just...Breathe.

A calm down jar filled with glitter and diamond dots will help anxious pre-schoolers by giving them something to observe while they work through their emotions. There are lots of DIY instructions for calm down jars, but they are typically made with some combination of glitter, glue, and water. Some versions also use corn syrup or even oil, and they produce the same soothing effects that lava lamps do. Parents, teachers, and childcare workers have discovered that a calm down jar works because the child is so enraptured by watching the beads and glitter settle after the jar is shaken that they forget to be upset. 

If you want to add a bit of charm to your calm down jar, you can even glue a tiny house, figurines, and trees to the bottom of the lid to create a sort of fairytale snow globe.  

Fun Idea #19 Bits and Bobs of Bling

Beaders the world over have long used beads in jewelry making, and diamond beads can be used in much the same way. Beaded barrettes and other hair jewelry can make an updo shine, and diamond beads can also be used to make earrings and stunning brooches. Let yourself be inspired by bouquets of spring flowers, graceful moths and butterflies, geometric or abstract patterns, or perhaps even Native American designs.

Fun Idea #20 Transform Vases and Flower Pots

Diamond beads can elevate ordinary items from back of the cupboard status to front and center status, and vases and flower pots are no exception. Plain glass vases can become bold statement pieces when bejeweled by diamond beads, and an ordinary clay pot can be transformed into the kind of artistic pottery that costs a pretty penny at your local garden store. 

Not sure you want to glue diamond beads to the outside of a pretty vase? You may want to consider adding a handful of diamond beads to the water in a clear glass vase. This trick is similar to one picked up by experienced florists who use seashells, colored bits of glass, or marbles to anchor and support arrangements while adding visual interest. The diamonds will help hold fresh stems in place while also adding a wonderful depth of color and texture that will elevate any flower arrangement to showstopper status. 

Which Fun Idea Is Right For You?

Are you inspired by the many different ways to create your very own wonderful DIY diamond creations? Will you go with the simple route by making bottle art or an I Spy jar? Or are you up for the challenge of some of the more complex art projects like creating your own diamond painting or making a calm down jar? Or perhaps you are just looking for a way to store, share, or donate your leftover diamond beads. 

If you are interested in diamond painting tips, or if all this talk of diamond painting has left you in the mood to start a new diamond painting, consider putting another of the bestselling diamond painting art kits from VizuArts to your wishlist. Experienced crafters and hobbyists know that painting with diamonds is not just a single event that ends when you have completed a diamond painting (whether the diamond painting is your first one or your 100th one). Rather, painting with diamonds and being resourceful with your leftover diamonds is a way to continue the fun that painting with diamonds can bring.