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I had not really paid attention to the exciting new hobby of diamond painting until recently when I was scrolling through Facebook.  But I have to say that when I first saw the glittering images of mosaic artwork, I was easily captivated, mesmerized and could not take my eyes off these pictures.  So I could not help myself and ordered my first diamond painting kit, a second kit, and then a third.  

Level of Difficulty 

I purchased an easy diamond painting kit, an intermediate kit, and one that was far more complex.  I chose to work on the intermediate kit first.  It was a landscape scene with cherry blossom trees near a river.  As I began to use my stylus to place the tiny beads called drills onto the sticky canvas, I became hooked and did not want to put it away.  Working on these patterns has become engrossing.  I can watch a good movie, listen to the dialogue while working and never miss a beat!  Crafting this way is quite fun and I would be looking forward to buying more kits as a way of taking a break from some of my other crafts such as crocheting and cross stitch, but I have found that it is buyer beware when purchasing a diamond painting kit.

Buy from a Reputable Source 

There are legitimate companies out there who sell these kits and there are also knockoff companies.  On Facebook, it is tempting to want to buy from companies selling these kits, and once they find out you have taken an interest in their product, you will be bombarded by their advertisements.  The problem with many of these companies is that they do not tell you their place of origin, and a lot of these kits are being put together hastily and shipped from as far away as China.  Sometimes these companies fail to disclose that information to you, and you could be waiting a very long time for your kit to arrive, sometimes up to 2 months.  You can get a feel for this if you read some of the comments people leave who have ordered them.  To avoid ending up with a knockoff company, the best thing to do is to order off Amazon.  Amazon is very strict with companies in making them tow the line when it comes to providing good service to customers and providing quality products.  If you run out of drills and the company refuses to send you enough to finish the project, Amazon will make them comply and make things right for you.  They normally do what it takes to rectify the situation and the company would not want to risk getting a one-star review, or they could find themselves no longer permitted to sell on Amazon.  Amazon is also a great place to shop for these kits as you can see how many people have purchased a particular kit, read their reviews of the quality, and if the seller practices good customer service.  

Secondly, people complain about companies not including enough drills (beads) to complete the project and customers are having a difficult time getting additional drills to finish their projects sometimes having to wait a month to get additional drills. 

Lastly, a common complaint is that after spending so many hours, days and weeks working on your project, you find that the finished product does not look like or is not a true representation of the original artwork.  This can be disappointing.   To combat this problem, companies are telling customers to buy the pattern in the largest size available in order to obtain more definition of the finished picture.

   

Buyer Beware—Final Warning 

You’ll want to go with a reputable company as there are knockoff companies out there producing low quality, high volume incomplete kits.  Three reputable prominent companies are DIY 5D Diamond Painting, Diamond Dotz, and The Dome, Inc Diamond Painting. 

It’s All About the Drills 

Sometimes you will be given a choice between getting round or square drills.  Some people like to use the round drills for easability in picking them up with the stylus.  But the drawback for using the round drills is that there will always be spaces showing between the drills.  People love the square drills for opposite reasons.  While they give a more finished defined look providing more detail in the picture, and I heard there is a satisfying “click” of completion heard whenever you place the squares on the canvas fitting them together like a glove leaving no space in between the drills which gives it a more uniform look.  This makes for a more well-defined picture with neater sharper lines.  The drawback is that the square drills are much harder to pick up with the stylus than the round.    

 So if you have been crocheting or doing needlepoint and would like something easy and not very challenging to the brain, take a break and try diamond painting.  It is credited with relieving stress, and is in general a very enjoyable hobby to work on.  To put it mildly, this craft lets you check out mentally and is a relaxing craft that is a great diversion to any other needlecraft.  But if you really want the look of extreme realism, counted cross stitch can still provide that and then some including top stitching for added definition and texture.  Hopefully there will always be a market for both crafts as I see them being around for years to come.