Have you heard of the new Diamond Dotz craft? You can buy kits to make the sparkly art. But I decided to buy rhinestones in the colors I like (pastel rainbow, of course!) and apply them to vintage finds. I have two that I’ll be using- an ice cream cone and a house. This is a beginner friendly project. All you need are the supplies, patience, and a good podcast to listen to.
Thank you to Jo Gik (@ohsojo_ on Instagram) for the inspiration for this project. I saw her rainbow swan and knew I needed rainbow rhinestones on something vintage!
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diamond dotz craft how to 3d paint an object
Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get see how I made this diamond dotz craft. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:
If it doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. One of my goals this year is to grow my YouTube community. Each Friday I’ll be sharing a video. If you can subscribed to my YouTube channel and/or watch one of my videos I would be so grateful for the support! Thank you!
what is diamond dot art?
Diamond dot art is when you use a stylus to apply hundreds of tiny sparkling faceted gems by hand onto a canvas. This craft is similar to paint by numbers- you match the rhinestone color to it’s corresponding place that’s marked on the canvas. This is also called Diamond painting (though there’s no paint involved).
Here’s some examples of the different canvases available-
To go freestyle with Diamond Dotz, you create your own pattern on a canvas or you can glue the mini crystals to an object. It gives a bedazzled look that can be customized with color, pattern, and the item you’re working with as well. That’s what we’ll be doing!
This is a great way to use leftover Diamond Dotz from a kit or other project. You can glue them on an object for a 3D look that is really striking!
what glue to use for freestyle diamond painting crafts?
If you’re crafting freestyle with Diamond Dotz, you’ll need glue to help the rhinestones to stick to the item. Diamond Dotz creates their own adhesive for this. I’ve seen lots of people use the B700 craft paste for diamond painting objects. I am using Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue.
It works great for me! When first applied, the glue is white and dries clear. The glue holds the diamond dotz easily. After working with it, I definitely recommend it.
Note, if you buy a Diamond Dotz canvas, it comes with adhesive in the kit or already applied on the canvas. So you won’t need to buy any extra.
SUPPLIES
- Diamond Dotz Accessory Pack (trays, gribs, stylus, and wax)
- Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue (adhesive to apply the diamonds to the objects)
- White Crayon or Grease Pencil (for marking where each color should go)
- Fabric Tape Measure (for measuring where each color should go)
- Diamond Dotz in colors of your choice. I used 8070, 8068, 8369, 8370, 8322, 8321, 8191, 8192, 8150, and 8151.
- Vintage Ice Cream Cone Cookie Jar
step 1- prep
To begin, it’s good to make a plan on which colors will go where. Since I’ll be doing a rainbow and want equal space for each color, I measured my object (it’s 12 1/2″ wide) and divided that by 10 (because I have 10 colors of Diamond Dotz). I used a white crayon to mark 1 1/4″ over for how far each color should go so I’ll get an even look.
Once those lines are marked, I made a plan for where each color will go. It’s best to begin on one side and work to the other side. That way rhinestones won’t be knocked off while the new ones are being applied. I’ll be working from left to right in rainbow order. I’m left handed, so it’s best to start on the left. Right handed people should start on the right.
For the last prep step, put the stylus together. All that’s needed is to put the gripper on top. Then, open the little pink pot of wax and remove the plastic covering on the wax. Last, poke the applicator into the wax until it fills the circle opening. By doing this, it makes it so the rhinestones will stick to the stylus when applying them to the object.
One thing I regret not doing as part of the prep is painting my object. I’m going over a dark brown ice cream with pastel rhinestones. There inevitably will be negative space that shows through. If I would’ve painted it to be beige or ivory a week after starting (so it’d have time to cure), that would’ve helped make a better finished product. So think of the colors
step 2- apply rhinestone
Next, pour a small amount of the first color of Diamond Dotz into the tray. I’ll be going in rainbow pastel order which means I start with pink. Shake the tray and tilt it on an angle so that the rhinestones start lining up on the tray. It helps to tap them so they line up with the faceted side up.
Once the dotz are in the tray, apply glue to one section of the object. It’s important to only glue as far as you think you can cover in rhinestones in one setting. I find it helpful to use a paint brush to evenly distribute glue where I want it.
Tip- keep a glass of water and a paper towel close by. That way the brush can easily be cleaned out after being used so it doesn’t get ruined.
Use the stylus to gently grab the rounded sided of the rhinestone. Then place the flat side on the object. Repeat until the section is full of dotz and complete. I find it best to place a row of crystals and then stagger the next row so they nestle as close as possible to the first row.
Note, on my second row I made a mistake. Instead of applying the rhinestones next to the last row, I started at the line I drew for where that color should end. Those were on and then I realized I should’ve started at the last row of the lightest pink. So I filled those in and it resulted in uneven filling of the area. Which doesn’t look great.
Instead, make sure to go row by row to evenly fill all the blank space. If you don’t go row by row, at least go against already placed dotz so they can be pushed to be close together.
step 3
And now, continue color by color adding the rhinestones onto the object.
This project was a slow one! Each of the middle rows took 1-2 hours each.
To get to the bottom of the ice cream, I put it upsides down. I didn’t cover all of the brown, but I did make sure that when it’s on the correct way, the base is bedazzled too.
I estimate that it took at least 10 hours to completely do this project. If I was to do it again, I’d slowly do it over evenings and just do it while watching a show. You know, instead of pushing through and doing it non-stop over a few days.
Here’s how much of the dots I had after completing my project. Only on the biggest sections was I at all close to using the whole bottle. Also, note that the labels had to be removed for the tops to be opened.
after
And here is how the ice cream cone turned out! I think it’s really fun and a one of a kind piece now! I a little bit wish I’d swirled the colors onto the top to look like twist ice cream, but I still love it.
It’s not 100% perfect- some of the brown shows through. But I look it as art. And art is never perfect. I adore it and it’ll be fun to store stuff inside it and remember the week were all I did was add gems to it- lol.
I’m really happy with how it looks in the room. And the colors are worlds better than the dark brown for my house. It sparkles in the light and it’s so fun!
price breakdown
For this project I spent $30 on the ice cream ceramic cookie jar, $4 on the accessory pack, $4 on glue, and $14 on Diamond Dotz. In total, I spent $52. The best spot to save money if you want to spend less than me would be to use a cheaper object. I love that mine is vintage. The shape is fun too, so I don’t mind how much I spent.
I hope this post if you want to do a diamond dotz craft where you put gems on an object. This is a craft anyone can do (my 7 year old tried and thinks it’s easy). Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
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If you love it, pin it!
So creative. I love it.
thank you soooo much!!! 💗💗💗
Original and cute as always
That’s so nice of you! Thank you!