Have you noticed all the wooden signs, plaques and serving trays at your favorite craft store? The wooden surfaces department of many craft retailers has exploded with options – and this bodes well for diamond painters because many of these wooden items can be used to “frame” your finished Diamond Dotz® canvas diamond painting kit.
In this easy craft tutorial you'll discover a cool way to frame your sparkling canvas using an inexpensive wooden serving tray. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it doesn’t cost much to do. This is a great framing solution for all of your diamond paintings! Bonus: you can also use the finished "framed" piece as an actual serving tray for parties and entertaining.
GET READY TO MAKE YOUR EASY DIAMOND ART FRAME
Gather your supplies:
- Your finished diamond painting canvas
- Dotz® Stick brush-on adhesive
- Paint brush
- Scissors
- Wooden sign, plaque, tray or similar surface
- Plaid FolkArt® Chalk Paint
Let’s talk a bit about the diamond painting canvas we used. The design shown is Diamond Dotz® Twister diamond painting kit and this is a close-up of what the chart looks like. Twister is a full-drill diamond painting design, which means the diamond gems will completely cover the canvas when it is done.
All Diamond Dotz® diamond painting kits feature sparkling diamond gems that are sorted by color shade. Each shade is packaged in its own packet, and each packet is clearly labeled with two numbers: one number corresponds to the symbol for the specific kit (the “A” number) and the other number universally corresponds to a Diamond Dotz® color shade (the four-digit number).
Take a good look at the Dotz® gems in this kit – they’re square. If you haven’t tried a Diamond Dotz® squares kit yet, you really should. The square facets completely cover the surface area of the canvas when it’s completed, and the shimmering sparkle that they create is phenomenal.
The squares must be placed precisely so that they line up, thus most squares kits are intermediate or advanced skill level. (The Twister kit shown is intermediate.)
Good to know: the Diamond Dotz® squares kits are noted with a “DQ” at the beginning of their item code. (The round diamond facets are noted with a “DD”.)
All Diamond Dotz® premium kits include these application tools: a diamond painting pen, diamond tray and wax pot.
TIP: These are essential diamond painting tools used again and again when diamond painting, so when you kit down upon completing your diamond painting, be sure to save the tray, pen and any leftover wax.
DOT YOUR DIAMOND PAINTING CANVAS
Load your tray with Dotz® and begin dotting your design! Diamond painting is a quick technique to master – see How to Diamond Paint in 12 Easy Steps to get started.
PREPARE YOUR WOODEN TRAY
Once your diamond painting is complete, you’ll want to work on your wooden surface. The sign that we used fit the diamond painting perfectly, so we only had to paint the frame. We chose a black FolkArt® chalk paint to go with the dark shades of the Twister design.
Pick a paint color that complements your diamond painting, and if your wood surface is larger than your diamond painting, apply paint appropriately to cover the surface and give a nicely finished look.
PREP THE CANVAS FOR FRAMING
Trim the edges of your diamond painting canvas using a pair of scissors. You’ll want to trim off the color key, and any other printed information like the name of the design, the Diamond Dotz® logo, etc.
Turn your diamond painting canvas over and squirt some of the Dotz® Stick brush-on diamond painting adhesive onto the back side of the canvas. Don’t apply too much.
Use the paint brush to brush the Dotz® Stick onto the canvas using even brush strokes. The Dotz® Stick adhesive should cover the back of the canvas in a consistent manner.
Let the Dotz® Stick dry until it is slightly tacky to the touch.
FINISH THE EASY DIY DIAMOND ART FRAME
Position the diamond painting as desired on the wooden sign, plaque, or tray, and smooth it in place with your fingers.
That’s it – don’t you love it? Display your newly framed diamond painting with your favorite accessories, or with seasonal Halloween and fall décor when it’s timely.
Be sure to check out all of our creative framing solutions and finishing ideas for your completed diamond paintings. If you need to get started on a new diamond painting, check out our latest arrivals and grab something fresh!
FAQs: FRAMING A DIAMOND PAINTING - COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Is framing a diamond painting required?
No — framing isn’t required, but it gives your finished artwork a clean, professional look and makes it easier to display. The inexpensive serving tray used in this DIY project actually becomes the “frame” for your diamond painting.
Should diamond paintings be framed with or without glass?
Either option works, but framing without glass allows the sparkle and texture to really stand out. Using a serving tray as your frame eliminates the glass altogether.
Is trimming the canvas okay after the painting is finished?
Yes. Many crafters carefully trim the blank margins to achieve a better frame fit, or in this case, to fit inside of the serving tray which becomes the frame.
How can I frame a diamond painting without professional tools?
You can use ready-made frames, adhesive mounting boards, magnetic frames, or a serving tray with decorative edges that become the “frame” for your canvas as we’ve shown here.