How to Freestyle Diamond Paint with Diamond Dotz® Gems

LEARN HOW TO FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINT

If you love to diamond paint, you are in for a huge treat. With Diamond Dotz® Freestyle diamond painting supplies you can add sparkle to pretty much everything! Freestyle diamond painting allows you to get really creative and personalize projects with the Dotz drill colors and patterns of your choice. See how you can use your diamond painting skills and go beyond the kitted canvas to create embellished home décor items, clothing, shoes and fashion accessories. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use Dotz drills plus Freestyle diamond painting tools and adhesives to customize things you love with sparkle. Let’s take your diamond painting to the next level!

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: CHOOSE YOUR SURFACE

First things first – what do you want to customize with Diamond Dotz®? Begin your Freestyle diamond painting journey by deciding WHAT you want to sparkle. The good news is, you’ve got a lot of options! Freestyle works on all kinds of surfaces – both porous and non-porous – and is ideal for adding flair to clothes, jewelry, shoes and accessories, not to mention all kinds of home décor items!

Here are some of the most popular things that you should consider dotting:

Clothing: T-shirts, jeans, jackets, tops - if you can wear it, you can dot it!
Jewelry: earrings and necklaces are great; bracelets are popular (cuffs and leather bands work especially well). Look for pieces with big medallions or dominant flat spaces to decorate.
Shoes: sneakers, boots and sandals are all fabulous.
Accessories: bags and belts are no-brainers.
Home items: frames, planters, trays, lamp bases, wooden plaques and wall hangings – anything you want to customize with COLOR, and DETAIL!

Tip: we guarantee your favorite craft store has aisles and aisles of surfaces just begging for SPARKLE! (Your closet is probably packed with goodies, too.)

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: PICK YOUR DIAMOND DOTZ® GEM COLORS

Once you’ve decided what you’ll be dotting, it’s time for the really fun part – choosing your Dotz drill colors. Check out our selection of over 400+ individual gem colors -- we know you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for (and then some!). Freestyle diamond painting is also a great way to use all of those extra drills you may have left over from your canvas diamond painting kits – be sure to save them!

All of our Freestyle Diamond Dotz® gems are round faceted sparkling gems, just like those found in premium Diamond Dotz® diamond painting kits. And like we said… there are LOTS of colors to choose from. Ready?

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: CHECK OUT THE SPECIALTY COLOR FAMILIES

While all of the individual drill colors are indeed special, there are a couple of unique color families that we want to make sure you don’t miss.

Diamond Dotz® metallic gems give projects a rich look and are especially good for fashion. Metallic Dotz lend flair to clothing and can really create a vibe. The T-shirt above is a great example of that; it was made using metallic Dotz that play off of the jacket’s bronze buttons. When you think about using metallic Dotz, choose shades that work with hardware finishes of buttons, buckles, etc. Same goes for jewelry projects!

Diamond Dotz® AB sparkle gems really amp things up! AB stands for Aurora Borealis and these drills are extra shiny because they have an iridescent coating. Use AB drills as highlights throughout Freestyle projects in areas you’d like to really emphasize.

Use Diamond Dotz® specialty Neon gems to add emphasis to bright fashions and kids’ projects, or to match the hue of a neon surface that you are applying the gems to. Glow-in-the-dark gems add a fun and unexpected element to Freestyle projects, such as Halloween costumes, accessories or décor – or anything that you simply want to GLOW!

Take a look at all of our Dotz sampler packs and grab your favorite color family.

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: GRAB ESSENTIAL MEDIUMS + TOOLS

Choosing your surface and Dotz color palette is the creative part of Freestyle diamond painting. These additional supplies listed below are straightforward, but essential to the Freestyle diamond painting process. You will need them every time you do a Freestyle diamond painting project:

And of course, the unique surface and the one-of-a-kind selection of gems you’ve already chosen!

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: APPLY DOTZ STICK ADHESIVE

Now you’re ready to really dig in, and apply the Dotz® Stick Adhesive.

Step 1: pour a small amount of adhesive into a shallow bowl or plate by gently squeezing the bottle. This can be a ceramic bowl, a disposable foam bowl or plate, or a plastic craft tray or palette designed specifically for this purpose.
Step 2: use a paint brush to apply the Dotz® Stick adhesive to the areas of your surface that you will then cover with Dotz. For example, if you plan to dot the entire vase shown, apply Dotz Stick to the entire vase. If you only want to dot the top neck of the vase, apply Dotz® Stick to the neck only. Apply two coats, letting dry fully in between each coat.
Step 3: test the dotting area with your finger. When it is tacky to the touch, it’s ready!

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: START DOTTING

Get started placing those gems!

Step 1: pour the gems of your choice into the craft tray.
Step 2: load the diamond painting pen with wax.
Step 3: pick up the Dotz one by one with the diamond painting pen and press into place on the project surface in the area that has been covered with Dotz® Stick.

Seasoned diamond painters will know the “feeling” of applying Diamond Dotz® drills. And whether you’re a pro or not, it’s always a good idea to refer to the basic diamond painting instructions – these instructions are for working a charted design on an adhesive covered canvas, but the motion of loading the diamond painting pen with wax and picking up and placing the Dotz is the same. The difference is that there is no chart to follow and the precise placement is up to you as long as it’s where the Dotz® Stick was applied. That’s why it’s called Freestyle after all!

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: SEAL & PROTECT WITH DOTZ GUARD

After your last dot is placed, you’re ready to seal and protect your project with Dotz® Guard sealant.

Step 1: pour a small amount of Dotz® Guard into a palette (same as Dotz® Stick).
Step 2: use a paint brush to apply Dotz® Guard to the dotted area of your project. Apply a nice even coat, but keep it relatively thin. The Guard is designed to remove any stickiness and cover any areas where Dotz® Stick was applied, so that lint, etc., does not stick to your project.
Step 3: wipe off any excess with a soft, dry cloth. Let Dotz® Guard dry for approximately 30 minutes.

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: WEAR & CARE

Now it’s time to enjoy your sparkling creations! Follow these guidelines for basic wear and care.

Non-porous items, such as jewelry, frames, planters, etc. (most hard surfaces): regularly dust with a dry cloth or duster, as you would normal décor items; for more intensive cleaning, wipe/blot dotted areas gently with a damp cloth.
Clothing and other fabric items (like a pillow cover): hand wash carefully in cold water and hang to dry. Gentle soap/detergent can be used if needed. Do not launder in the washing machine.
Shoes/boots: wipe/blot dotted areas gently with a damp cloth as needed. Do not launder in the washing machine.

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: GET INSPIRED

It’s time to start planning more projects! Check out our Freestyle projects page and also take a look at our Freestyle inspiration videos, and the other Freestyle DIY projects right here on our blog.

We've got so many ideas to keep those creative juices flowing!

FREESTYLE DIAMOND PAINTING: GRAB SUPPLIES

Once you’re ready to start working, make sure your stash of essential Freestyle tools and mediums is stocked.

Happy Freestyle dotting, friends! We can’t wait to see you SPARKLE!