Tools and accessories

The pen supplied with the kit is enough to get started: press the tip into the wax, pick up a drill and place it. For long sessions, a thicker pen is easier on the fingers.

Our ergonomic dual-tip pen has a fine tip for details and a wide head that places 3 to 6 drills at once on large areas of one colour.

The wide head has several small tips side by side. After pressing it into the wax, run it along a row of drills lined up in the tray: it picks up 3 to 6 at once, and you place them together on a line of identical symbols.

Use it for large single-colour areas such as sky or background, and switch back to the fine tip for outlines. With square drills, straighten the row in the tray before picking it up.

The wax makes the pen tip slightly tacky, so it can lift a drill and place it on the canvas. A tiny amount is enough; top up when the pen stops picking drills up.

If you run out, a small ball of reusable adhesive putty does the same job. Avoid liquid glue, which marks the drills. Replace the wax once it is worn or full of dust.

It is not essential, but it helps a lot. Placed under the canvas, it lights it from behind, so dark or tiny symbols become easy to read and you stop mixing up 8 and B.

Our A4 LED light pad is 4 mm thick, has 3 brightness levels and runs on USB. On a large canvas, slide it under the area you are working on. Read our light pad guide for more tips.

A neutral white light on an adjustable arm, positioned above the canvas so your hand does not cast a shadow. Light that is too yellow makes similar colours hard to tell apart; light that is too cold tires your eyes in the evening.

A magnifying lamp helps with tiny symbols. To light the canvas from underneath, a light pad works well alongside the lamp.

The roller presses every drill firmly into the glue in one pass. Use it after finishing an area and once more on the completed canvas: drills hold better, the surface becomes flat and the facets reflect light evenly.

Lay a clean sheet of paper over the canvas and roll with firm pressure in several directions. Our smoothing roller is 10 cm wide and works with round and square drills.

It straightens rows of drills. Slide its edge along a line to push stray drills back into place and close small gaps, which matters most with square drills that sit edge to edge.

Do it as you go, while the glue is still fresh. Our alignment ruler and tray measures 14 × 10 cm and does not stick to the canvas. See our alignment guide for the full method.

They are not essential, but handy. Tweezers let you lift a misplaced drill, straighten a crooked square drill or put back one that popped off, without touching the glue with your fingers.

Precision tweezers come with some of our kits. Otherwise, a clean pair of fine tweezers does the job.

The easiest way is a box with clear compartments: one colour per slot, with the bag number written on the lid. You see every colour at a glance and nothing spills.

Our storage box comes with 28 or 56 slots, in rows of 4 that lift out so only the colours you are using sit on the table. More ideas in our storage article.

Write the colour number (DMC code) and the symbol from the key on each box or bag. When two blacks or two blues look alike, the label prevents mistakes.

Our sticker labels measure 20 × 10 mm, the size of a compartment lid, and peel off cleanly when you start a new canvas. They come in packs of 500 to 5,000.

While you work, none: the canvas already has its own glue. If an area has lost its tack, clean it gently with sticky tape, then if needed brush a thin layer of clear craft glue on that spot only.

For a single drill that has popped off, a tiny dot of clear glue on the tip of a cocktail stick is enough. Once the picture is finished, what you want is a sealer (see the sealer question).

A clear sealer made for diamond painting, in a gloss finish so the drills keep their sparkle. It comes as a liquid you apply with a brush or sponge, or as a spray, which is quicker but covers less evenly.

Roll the canvas first to press the drills in, test the sealer in a corner, then apply one thin coat and let it dry flat. If the picture goes behind glass, you do not need a sealer.

Gloss Mod Podge is the most common alternative: it dries clear. A clear gloss acrylic craft varnish also works.

Hairspray is often mentioned, but it holds less well and can turn yellow. Whatever you use, test it on a corner first and apply a thin coat, as a thick layer dulls the facets. If the picture is framed behind glass, you do not need any of these.

Bags usually hold a few more drills than you need. If you run short, check the colour number on the canvas key: it is a DMC code.

You can order replacement drill bags in that code, round (2.8 mm) or square (2.5 mm), with about 200 to 400 drills per bag. If a lot is missing when you open the kit, contact us with a photo and your order number.

DMC is a colour chart first used for embroidery thread. In diamond art, each drill colour carries a number from that chart, for example 310 for black.

The canvas key links each symbol to a DMC code, and the bags carry the same number. It is also the code you need to order replacement drills in the right colour.

Each symbol (a letter, number or sign) stands for one colour. The key printed along the edge of the canvas shows, for every symbol, the DMC colour code and the bag number to use.

When symbols look alike, such as 8 and B or 6 and G, check the key before placing. A light pad makes small symbols easier to read.

AB stands for aurora borealis. These drills have an iridescent coating that reflects several colours depending on the angle of the light.

They are used to make some areas shine: bubbles, water, wings, stars. You place them exactly like the others. In the key they have their own symbol, and their code is often followed by "AB".

It is a picture in which some of the drills glow in the dark. These drills charge up in daylight or lamplight, then give off a soft glow for a while once the room is dark.

You place them like ordinary drills. The effect shows best on a dark background, such as a starry sky, and is stronger after a good dose of light.

In our kits, round drills measure 2.8 mm and square drills 2.5 mm. They are small faceted resin pieces with a flat back so they grip the glue.

Each square on the canvas takes one drill, so a 30 × 40 cm canvas needs about 15,000 (round) to 19,000 (square), supplied in bags sorted by colour. To choose between the two shapes, see our round or square comparison.