Diamond Painting 101 - Prep your Canvas and Workspace

We're almost ready to start painting, but first we need to do a little prep!
For more information about diamond painting and links to the products in this video, please visit my blog Art and Anxiety: alphaanxieties...

[@kaciebellis6529]

Thank you for all of your diamond painting videos. Your series was one of the first that I watched.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I'm so happy you found them helpful!

[@Weird-Girl]

Thank you so much for the tip on the light pad! I'm just grateful I already have one since I do a lot of watercolor stuff. I personally don't think I need it for diamond painting since I can see the symbols pretty well, but my mom sometimes diamond paints with me and her vision definitely isn't what it used to be so I'm glad I can now lend her my light pad.

[@switchbackimage5966]

At first before my light pad, I used a book light, that you clip on the back side of the smaller sections, and the light board holder, a cheap way to go at 1st. I have also used a lap pillow that holds an ipad. Lol if you put the light on iPad on behind the canvas to cheat until the light pad gets there. ;)

[@alexisohara2000]

Very helpful! Just getting ready to start my first project, so thank you!

[@louisabailey1800]

All the paintings I get don’t have that white covering,they just have a sheet of plastic

[@AnnieCappuccino]

Replace it with a sheet of baking parchment

[@pamm2230]

For finding drafting tables try looking in thrift stores or used office furniture stores.

[@Bookish_Fruitz]

I really like the Light Pad stand. Looks really cool

[@HotMessMiniatures]

It works really well, and is a lot more affordable than a lot of the alternatives!

[@claudinepittilloni2896]

C bien. C ce papier que je trouve pas sur Wish. AIDE MOI JE NE SAIS PAS TROP CE QU'IL FAUT FAIRE 😅

[@cindyrhodes7393]

Thank You that was all very helpful ..alot easier exspaned then most and just simple stuff to use ..2 thumbs up 👍👍💛

[@craftinghousekittyjen7246]

Verry helpful vedio

[@hamzusdarker]

Very Nice

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Thank you!

[@sharonfransen1191]

Is that your dogs paw too. Love it.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

My tattoo? Yea, it's a pawprint from the first dog I ever had. He was the bestest boy 💖

[@Crazywiglady]

Question; if you use a sharpie to mark on the small holders how do you remove it to reuse the container? Thanks so much for this very helpful video.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

You can remove the sharpie when you're done with rubbing alcohol

[@carolynadams1249]

I just numbered the containers 1 to 24 and reuse it, all the kits I have used are 24 or less.

[@sarahbarton4977]

Love that storage box . Looks like tic tac boxes

[@jillibeens57]

So far, I've not seen anyone use a magnifier. I have one for fine embroidery and wouldn't work without one. Is there a reason no one seems to use one?

[@theonlybratamy]

If U have a USB light board and U want to be mobile with it ..get a recharge batter pack to keep with you also!

[@spongebobtanu]

Any sort of easel solution for larger canvases? That is if drafting table isn’t an option

[@MECBeads]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, StormRse, EXCELLENT VIDEOS, You have shown this addict SEVERAL tips and tricks, I HAD NOT thought of. My 'puter stand/easel is going to be put to another use ;) Mary-Ellen

[@annebarrow7900]

What's your travel process for painting? It seems like this would be unwieldy to manage.

[@dlminor]

I’m super new to diamond painting. So far I’ve only gotten them from craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Every video I’ve watched on here has the blue and white paper on top that pulls off like what you have. All the ones I’ve gotten so far just has clear plastic that pulls off and can be put back on. What’s the difference? Are there any brands you can recommend for either pictures or supplies?

[@sharonfransen1191]

Make sure you put a sticker on the top of your clear plastic so you don’t put the clear plastic down the wrong side. Otherwise it will be hard to get it up. 😊

[@cynthiavang6712]

How you get the canvas so striaght?

[@BaliDiy]

great informative video!

[@sandrapatenaude186]

What is washy tape and where do you buy it? Thanks

[@maryjames935]

I like your tape idea very much, I'm lazy I just use clear packing tape...and the containers you use are to small for me as a whole maybe they will work better for diamond drill!☺ I hated using the for my very extensive bead collection...love the video! Keep up the good work☺ and happy crafting😘

[@HJKelley47]

Mary James: I've always found it interesting how many diverse ways people use to do the exact same thing. One person likes round beads, and another person likes square beads only. One person requires a certain something to feel like it is the best way, and yet another crafter will think that way is not effective and come up with another way to do the same thing. In my 72 yrs. I've discovered that we are persnickety folks. How we develop those persnickety ways has always been a question I would love to have answered.

[@yvonnemccrindle9989]

Where do u buy your diamond painting please thanks

[@rosie_irl]

Love your watch band. Mind sharing?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I would love to, if I knew where it came from lol. My husband bought it for me ages ago, probably from Amazon.

[@nicolekalicazk5839]

I would like to buy this canvas.I am just starting out.If you use permanent marker on your containers do you reuse them?? Would a small sticky paper stuck on the box with the number on it?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

The sharpie comes off the containers with a bit of rubbing alcohol

[@dianalovescolors]

Hi. I liked your video. What is washy tape and where did you get it? I love the tic tac box idea for the drills. Do you buy those somewhere or did you just save them all from the store? Thanks for the tip about the stand for my light pad. My back's been killing me since I found my new addiction. 🤪

[@carlaknowles4423]

Yes! My back is killing me, I thought I was sitting weird or something. Glad to know it's not only me.

[@flowersflowers5070]

Why would you work with DMC numbers? All canvases have lettering, symbols, or numbers printed on them not DMC numbers? After you have finished the project I keep only a few of each diamond in case a few might come off even after it has been sealed. But then again, I leave a few of the beads in each baggy with a copy of the leger and labeled what the picture is. The rest get thrown away. I write the number, symbols, letters on each of the bags they come with. That's it. Why would anyone work this way?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

A couple of things to note before I answer your question. This video is over four years old, and back when I made it diamond painting was not as accessible as it is today. At that time kits were almost exclusively purchased from China, took close to a month to be delivered, and were almost always missing drills when they arrived. So back then, we used the DMC numbers because they're universal while the numbers and symbols on the canvas are not. You can have two separate kits from two different companies, and if the drills have the same DMC, they're the same color. So if I purchased a kit and it was missing drills for DMC 152, and I or a friend had them leftover from another kit, I could use those while I waited the month for the replacement drills to arrive (if they arrived at all). Now that you can purchase kits and replacement drills at your local craft store it may not make sense to you to use the DMC numbers, but when this video was filmed it was a necessity to be able to complete some of our canvases.

[@flowersflowers5070]

@@HotMessMiniatures thank you. That explains it. I just couldn't figure it out.

[@marjan6008]

and I'm crafting om my couch

[@teresahampton7873]

Where did you get your tic tac container?

[@teresahampton7873]

I figured it out. Micheals.

[@chaihidalgo588]

Hi maam do i need to remove under the paper sticky plastic??thnks

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I'm not sure what you mean. Perhaps this video will answer your question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJu5oaFne96aftU

[@carolynadams1249]

Have you found a use for all the leftover diamonds.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

You can keep them in case other kits that use the same colors are short, or I've seen cute projects where people use them to mosaic frames and boxes. You can also buy books that have small cross stitch patterns in them, and use the patterns and left over drills to make stickers, magnets, or to decorate other surfaces.

[@SuperRashead]

Is there some diamonds left when you are finnished with one?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Yes, you should have some leftovers

[@wendym2987]

I'm loving the light pad and stand but I'm guessing it's not so good to use if you are doing a 50x50cm painting?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I still use them for larger paintings! I start my paintings in the upper left corner, and work them like I would read a book. So at the beginning, I just bend the portion that would be in my lap under the stand, making sure I'm not creating a crease. Then, I just move the canvas as I finish sections, and let the sides drape over the edges. As long as it's not creasing, it's all good. As I work down the canvas, if the drape over the top starts to get unruly, I roll it over a foam noodle, securing it with a couple of straight pins on the edges of the canvas. I've done a 60x90 canvas using the little stand without any problems. :)

[@wendym2987]

@@HotMessMiniatures Thanks for the reply. Here in the UK we don't have foam noodles, I didn't even know what they were until I watched another video which showed them! I'm thinking I could maybe roll up some bubble wrap.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Some of the canvases I've purchased have come wrapped around a foam noodle. I think a towel rolled up and taped into a tube might also work.

[@wendym2987]

@@HotMessMiniatures Good idea…thank you!

[@MsHunne62]

If you have drills leftover what do you do with them and do all the paintings us the same codes, symbols & number setup? Thank you for your helpful videos. Carrie

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I save my drills by putting them in baggies with the DMC number on them. That way if I'm missing drills on another project, I have a stash at home to use instead of having to wait a month for the seller to replace them. They can also be used in other craft projects, you can glue them to wood frames, ceramic figurines, or even greeting cards. Almost all kits use the same DMC codes, but not the same symbols

[@MsHunne62]

Thank you so much for getting back to me. Not all people reply, that makes you a very good person. Thank You Carrie

[@minikraut]

Dear MsHunne, The nice thing is that aaaall those patterns are based on DMC colour numbers. Why is that? It's because the people producing those kits are using the software to create cross stitch patterns from pictures.

[@libabygurl8879]

Hello where did you by the exact o cutter thank you

[@bertiehardison2689]

Tara B. Not meaning to step out of line here but I saw your question and know the answer. You can buy the X-acto knife from Walmart, Amazon and at most of your craft stores. I actually just purchased 5 from Ali-Express for $1.00 each. They took about a month to get here but that was fine, I had others.

[@melodyluvsherhobbies9454]

Wow that’s taking a chance of cutting the canvas. I think I’ll skip that tip.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

You're welcome to skip it, but in all of the paintings I've done, I've never once cut through my canvas. It's sturdier than you might believe.

[@rhondamitchell5892]

How many diamond painting have you finished.?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I don't diamond paint anymore because I developed arthritis in my thumbs, but when I was actively doing it, I completed around 15 paintings. 💖

[@TrishasNailInspo]

How do you reuse the tik tac containers If you write on them with sharpie?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

You can remove the sharpie when you're done with rubbing alcohol

[@tracygoodenough7198]

We’re do put your tray when you have your drafting table tilted please

[@HotMessMiniatures]

My table has a flat surface next to the tilted table. If yours doesn't, you could try a cheap tv tray.

[@tracygoodenough7198]

Ok thankyou

[@lindamccaffery2442]

A note on your hand problem. I saw another lady use the foam to make a pen by sticking a painting pen in one end and it shorter. She get a lot of pain in her hands

[@jeama123]

do you advise that I get a larger size vs smaller? I'm looking at some that have various sizes. I'm looking to buy my first diamond painting so a total newbie to this.

[@HotMessMiniatures]

It all depends on the detail... If you're getting something that doesn't have a lot of detail, like a cartoon or logo, you can usually go with a smaller size and be ok. If you're getting something with a lot of detail and shading, like a photograph or painting, you're going to want to go bigger. As a general rule, I don't go under 40cm for more detailed paintings, but even that can be too small for a lot of projects. The general rule is the bigger the canvas, the more detailed your finished project will be.

[@euvid1]

You should buy a ceramic pen. It wont make a deep cut.

[@tanamurphy7388]

Is it storm rose, stormers or storm rise? Not quite catching the name of your channel.

[@michellekeene1340]

Do you remove Washi tape when your done the one time I tried it the tape stuck and only some came up now my painting doesn't look good

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Yes I remove it. I peel it away slowly at a right angle. If it tears, or part of it doesn't come off, you can scrape it off gently with an Xacto knife.

[@valoriestark4499]

Where is the link to the metal easel?? Great videos!! 💜 StormRse

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Right here: amzn.to/2tcbVQK :)

[@naomihume1008]

where did you get wonder women my mum loves her would love to do this one?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

If you go to the blog link in the description, I have links to all of the products shown posted there. I don't think this canvas is available anymore though, I think the store on AliExpress may have closed. If so, there's another cute Wonder Woman canvas in my "How to inventory your kit" video that was still available the last time I checked.

[@lesliezimmerman9162]

I really have enjoyed watching your videos, the best and have learned so much. Just received a round kit. Would you recommend still using the plastic gift card along the border for round drills?

[@HotMessMiniatures]

Yes, because while it's not as important to have a straight edge to keep everything aligned when you're working with round drills, it makes the finished project look neater and it will be easier to frame or mount your completed piece.

[@emmanuelle7662]

Great video! I am doing my first DP right now and using resealable baggies as I am waiting for a box. My question is : with your tictac box, how do you erase the numbers and symbols you've written when you're ready for another painting? Also thatnks for the link for the light pad stand! It will be change my life!!! I always have back stains and have no space to buy a full easel table thing!!

[@emmanuelle7662]

@@nmHispana Thanks so much!!

[@amydavis4945]

Or.... you could just cut out those numbers that are on the bags IN the kit and tape them on to the side of the box. When the project is done, pull off the tape. :) [Edit: I see NO reason to put the symbols on your storage boxes... the symbols are on the Legend of the canvas. Those symbols probably won't be the same as in another project. So all you really need to keep is the number - especially if it's an actual DMC number).

[@jayvycaballero3265]

Ate anong pangalan ng lalagyanan powede bang makihingi

[@debiargust6596]

Your watchband!!!

[@user-hz2of7ge3h]

How we can fold the paper ❤🎉🎉❤

[@puffyjo]

scissors are a good invention , people dont use a exacto knife!!!

[@HotMessMiniatures]

I don't use scissors because the one time I tried I ended up wrinkling the paper as I pulled it up to cut it, and wasn't able to get straight lines. If you're concerned about using an exacto knife, I've heard the gift wrap cutters work really well, and you don't have to lift the paper up as much to use them.

[@countrygirl4422]

Puffy Jo I use an exacto knife. Some canvases have bubbles and you can lightly use your exacto knife to pop the air bubble. People do use them they come in very handy for a lot of thing's!!!