Diamond painting is an addictive and artistic hobby that revolves around patience, dedication, patterns and concentration. It can be challenging but the results are well worth the work and with a bit of practice, you will find the hobby to be therapeutic in no time. The community of diamond painting is growing rapidly and it is no question as to why; a deeply relaxing artistic form of expression that will only benefit your mental health.

Welcome to The Diamond Painting Guide!

To help you to create the perfect diamond painting first time and every time, follow the steps below:

1. Set up your workspace. Choose a flat, well-lit surface and lay out everything that came in the kit: the rolled canvas, the bags of drills, the tray, the pen and the wax.
2. Take an inventory before you start. Match the numbered bags against the colour legend printed on the canvas (or supplied on a separate sheet) and check nothing is missing. It is much easier to chase a missing colour now than three quarters of the way through.
3. Unroll and flatten the canvas. Lay it face up and weight the corners with books for a few minutes so it sits flat. A curling canvas makes straight lines almost impossible.
4. Peel back only a section of the protective film. Work in areas roughly the size of your hand and keep the rest of the adhesive covered, so dust and stray hairs never reach it.
5. Pour a colour into the tray and shake gently. Tip the tray side to side until the drills settle facet-side up - that is the side you want to pick up.
6. Dab the pen into the wax until the tip is tacky, then touch it to a drill and lift.
7. Place the drill on the matching symbol. Work one colour and one section at a time; it is faster than jumping around the canvas, and it keeps the legend easy to follow.
8. Cover your work when you stop. Replace the film over the section you were working on so the adhesive stays sticky between sessions.
9. Finish the canvas. Once every symbol is filled, cover the painting, run a rolling pin over it and leave it under a stack of heavy books overnight. This bonds the drills so none of them pop off later.
10. Frame or seal it. A finished canvas deserves to be on a wall - you can frame it without glass so the sparkle is not dulled, or seal it if the painting will be handled often.

That is the whole hobby: peel, pour, pick up, place, repeat. Everything else - the sizes, the drill types, the storage - is detail you pick up along the way as you go.