I’m fairly new to diamond painting and heard about it from an American friend. It’s a creative hobby that involves making pictures out of diamonds.
It originated in Asia a decade ago and has recently become popular with people who are looking for a creative hobby, or need to take some time out to relax and soothe their mind.
If you’re in the UK and wondering where to buy diamond kits, or looking for a new kit to complete, I’ve put together a list of decent diamond painting kits and answered some commonly asked questions too.
Covered in this Article:
Best Place To Get 5D Diamond Painting Kits in the UK
Amazon UK (Click to see current kits)
The best place to get a 5D diamond painting kit at the moment is undoubtedly Amazon, with the most variety and painting kits for both adults and kids, you’re bound to find one you can complete either alone or as a family activity.
For example, this Wolf Pattern can be completed by people of all ages. The surface of the diamond has 17 square sections that makes the diamonds easier to hold and keeps them looking bright and shiny and makes the painting really stand out.
The oil painting canvas has a clear film cover to keep the canvas sticky whilst you complete the picture and a protective film to cover it to stop the diamonds from falling off.
Custom 5D Diamond Painting Kits (Also on Amazon)
This diamond painting custom photo kit allows you to upload a photo of your choice, which will then be adjusted by a designer to be clear and fit the frame size.
It comes with everything you need to turn your special picture into a diamond painting, including the diamonds, diamond pen tool, art canvas and organising tray. This kit would make a perfect gift for someone, or give you an opportunity to turn a treasured photo into a lovely piece of art.
We also have another recommendation below if you want to look at other custom diamond painting kits.
Pros:
- So many different styles to choose from, including kits to customise a photo of your choice
- Most kits come with everything you need to complete the picture (always check the description to be sure)
- Kits for many skill levels, from kids/beginners to adults and experts
- Amazon always have fast delivery times
Cons:
- As with anything from Amazon, make sure that you read the description and reviews so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Some sellers may not put all the information in the description
Cheapest Diamond Painting Kit in the UK
This 5D Diamond Painting Kit by Lidiper is very reasonably priced for such a good quality image. There are 5 different designs, each one is colourful and unique and will complement any room in your home. Choose from the cutest kitten with a butterfly on its nose, a family of giraffes with sunglasses or something else entirely.
The kit comes with a thick, waterproof canvas with a film cover that is designed to keep the canvas sticky and help hold the diamonds in place whilst you finish your masterpiece.
The diamonds themselves have a rounded bottom, with 17 sections to make the picture stand out and the kit comes with everything you need to complete the painting. The picture itself is easy to follow, with each letter on the painting corresponding to a diamond colour making it a great activity to do alone or as a family.
Pros:
- 5 designs to choose from
- Comes with everything you need – high definition 30 x 30cm canvas, cube glue, drill pen, diamond tray and colourful diamonds
- Easy to follow
- Perfect as a calming, individual activity or as fun for the family
Cons:
- The canvas itself isn’t sticky, so you have to stick each individual diamond onto the canvas with glue
Best Full Drill Diamond Kits in the UK
Full Drill Diamond Painting Kits by Paint with Diamonds (Click to see current stock)
If you’re looking for kits that give a more sparkling effect to the finished picture, go for a full drill diamond kit (full drill refers to the diamonds covering the entirety of the canvas).
For example, this version of Starry Night, the famous painting by Van Gogh, is one of my favourite kits as the finished result is just so beautiful. You can choose from rounded or square diamonds which will provide different effects.
A rounded diamond will give a ‘cross-stitched look’ and leave little gaps in the picture, whereas the square diamonds will look more like mosaics, both look great – it just depends on which you prefer.
The iconic ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt has also been recreated as a diamond painting, providing you with more of a challenge and leaving you with a stunning art piece once finished.
You can choose the size of the picture you want to work on, the bigger the canvas you go for the sharper the details will be.
Something I love about the company that sells these full drill diamond kits (paintwithdiamonds.com) is that if something goes wrong with your kit, you lose some diamonds, or you make a mistake, they will replace the picture for free.
Pros:
- The company will replace your kit if something goes wrong
- Plenty of pictures to choose from, from landscape scenes to recreations of famous paintings
- Choose the canvas size
- Comes with everything you need
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee
- Free delivery to the UK
Cons:
- Full drill kits may not be suitable for beginners as they need a bit more precision
Best Place To Get Custom Diamond Kits
PaintWithDiamonds Custom Kits (Click to check latest offers)
Not only are they the best place to get Full Drill Kits, paintwithdiamonds.com are the best place to get Custom Diamond Kits too.
They offer a variety of sizes and a range of styles to choose from, including one picture across different canvases. I love this custom kit that allows you to spread one picture of your choosing across 3 canvases that’d make a great feature piece on your walls, why not turn your wedding pictures into something even more spectacular?
They also offer a JUMBO Custom Diamond Kit that allows you to recreate a group picture without losing any detail due to the large size of the canvas. Again, you can choose between square or rounded diamonds and the kit comes with everything you need.
The company takes away any pressure of making sure your photo is perfect as they will ensure that the subject of your photo is the main focus of the diamond painting, that no details are lost and they will enhance the colour balance so there are no odd diamond colours in your picture.
Pros:
- The company will enhance your photo to ensure that your diamond painting kit doesn’t lose any details and will look the best it can
- Choose from a variety of sizes, from 20 x 30cm to 120 x 90cm
- They also do different styles of kit, spreading one picture over 3 or 5 different rectangular canvases to create a unique piece
- Kit includes everything you need
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee
Cons:
- Again, may not be suitable for beginners
Best Disney Diamond Painting Kits
If you have a little one that loves Disney, or even love it yourself, then this Disney Diamond Painting Kit by Joydiy may be one for you.
It’s a full drill kit with rounded diamonds and a high quality image that is clear depicting the disney castle, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in a boat. The canvas is waterproof, eco-friendly and has a special protective covering that ensures the finished picture will last for years to come.
Again, it comes with everything you need to complete the scene and framing it once finished would make it really stand out and add a lovely finishing touch.
It also comes with extra diamonds, which is great as it’s easy to lose a few when you’re working. Reviewers have said that the finished picture is lovely and the design is really easy to follow.
Pros:
- Everything included
- Full drill kit with rounded diamonds
- Waterproof and eco-friendly canvas
- Comes with extra diamonds
- Design is easy to follow
- Comes with tweezers that make it easy to remove diamonds that have been placed wrong or have fallen onto the picture by mistake
Cons:
- The instructions are printed around the border of the picture, so if you want to display the finished product then you may have to frame it to hide them
What Is Diamond Painting?
Diamond painting has recently grown in popularity and it involves following instructions to complete a picture painted with multi-faceted diamonds – similar to a paint by numbers! Painting with diamonds in this way makes the picture stand out, and gives it a 3D effect.
What’s The Difference Between 3D And 5D Diamond Painting?
You may be confused as to what the difference is between 3D diamond painting and 5D diamond painting, and it all comes down to the style of diamonds provided in the kit.
3D diamonds have 3 facets on each side, whereas 5D diamonds have 5. The more facets a diamond has – the more sparkling the effect will be.
How Do I Paint With Diamonds?
Diamond painting isn’t as complicated as it looks and a lot of kits come with easy to follow instructions. All you have to do is apply the corresponding diamond to the picture using tweezers or the diamond applicator tool, placing them as close together as possible.
Something to note is that the canvases often come with a protective film, especially if the canvas is sticky. It’s important not to fully remove the film completely, instead only remove it from the part that you’re working on. If you take the film off completely, the canvas can be exposed to dust and dirt particles and it can also dry out meaning that your crystals won’t stick.
Remember to recover the painting when you stop working on it too so that it doesn’t dry out – although this won’t be an issue if your kit has glue with it and each individual diamond needs to be glued down.
After reading this article, I hope you’ve found all the information that you’re looking for. Whether you’re a diamond painting newbie or it’s something you’ve been doing for years, I hope you find a kit that you like and treat yourself to some relaxing, ‘me-time’. Have fun!