The Ultimate Diamond Art FAQ with Links
(A continuing series of excerpts from my Amazon Kindle Book)
Yesterday's Question Answered: How to Choose a Diamond Painting Kit
Next Question to be Answered: Drill Picker Pens and Styluses
All diamond art painting kits come with a little plastic tray, which is sometimes called a “boat” because it looks somewhat like it has a bow and a stern. Although it may be any color, green is the most common and there are numerous questions surrounding it. One of the main ones is how to deal with the drills in the tray.
How do we get the drills to lay flat in the tray?
First, pour just a few, no more than a half teaspoonful, of a single drill color into your tray. Not too many, or there won’t be enough room for them to move around without spilling over the edge. Then gently shake the tray from side to side until most of the drills have aligned themselves into neat rows along the grid lines from the vibration. When you are first getting started, leave the tray on the table when you shake it. Later, when you have more confidence and control of the process, you can shake the tray anywhere in the air. Here are a couple of videos that show how to “rock the boat”: https://www.tiktok.com/@diamondartwithave/video/7522897469013839117 and this one: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/OB84G7_qnDw?ra=m
What is that single line for that is perpendicular to all the other grid lines in the boat?
In some trays you may notice a perpendicular line near the bow of the boat. This acts as a “stop” to prevent flipped drills from sliding into the end of the tray when you tilt it, especially if you've poured too many into it. Some people put a strip of decorative washi tape at that end, to act as the stop in trays that don’t have one, like the standard green trays. The stop is also useful when filling certain multi-placers. See Multi-Placers and How to use them for more information.
Can’t I just use cellophane tape, painter’s tape or duct tape as the STOP line in my tray?
You could, but drills may stick to the adhesive that is on the edge of the cellophane tape, even more so with duct tape, which is just too strong and can damage the canvas. Painter’s tape can work as a stop line and is also an option for sealing around the edges of a canvas when painting the edges to hide the wording, because it won’t pull the drills off the canvas, but it only comes in solid colors. Washi tape is preferable for all diamond art purposes due to its versatility. Washi tape is a decorative Japanese masking tape made from natural fibers like bamboo or hemp. It has a lower tackiness than painter’s tape, and like painter’s tape, it is repositionable, and easily torn by hand. It comes in lovely patterns and in many widths. It is sometimes used to section off working areas of a large canvas, or as a decorative mat when framing diamond art paintings. https://amzn.to/4mBIOQr
Is there a trick to not spilling the drills when we empty the tray into our storage container?
Using a funnel is an option, and you can make one by making a cone out of printer paper, or you can purchase one of these 3D printed items depending on the size and shape of your storage containers. I have one of each style of diamond art funnel because I have so many different types and sizes of containers. https://amzn.to/48BkisH
We’ve noticed that the little green tray slides around too easily on a table. Is there a way to keep from spilling it or knocking it off the table accidentally?
Yes! There are little silicone sticky mats that are ideal for keeping your trays, whatever style you choose to use, from being knocked off the table by yourself or a rambunctious cat or kid. It will even keep your drill pen from rolling away. They are great for all sorts of craft, office, kitchen items, or workshop items that you don’t want to slide or roll. If they get dirty, just wash them off with plain water, and maybe a drop of soap, and they’re sticky again. They do not interfere with the shaking process, but rather they force you to shake more gently. They can also be cut into different sizes if you feel the full-sized one is too sticky or holds your tray too tightly when you’re ready to pull it off and pour your drills back into their storage container. https://amzn.to/3PkVQFi
Is there something better than the little green tray that is either larger, or has higher sides, or that doesn’t get spilled so easily when we shake it?
Trays with higher sides, such as this No Cats Allowed set, makes shaking the tray less worrisome, as well as easier to pour the leftover drills back into your storage container without spilling the lot of them, thanks to the little guard section. They also stack nicely, which allows you to use one on top of the other as a safety lid, to further keep spillage to a minimum as you get used to the shaking process. .https://amzn.to/4sXBsZy
Trays with clear lids are a good option as well. Those with opaque lids, such as the tray set above, don’t let you see the results of your shaking, although over time you will know if the majority are upright or not even if you can’t see them. Sometimes, the movement from taking a snap-style lid off a tray may cause some drills to flip back over. Here is a set with clear sliding lids in 2 sizes that solves both situations. https://amzn.to/4lGzCtx
Now, these little drawers/boxes below are my new favorites! The drawers are large enough to hold multiple packets of drills, (I often do more than one of the same kits) and the removable tray keeps the lot of them out of your way while you work until you need to refill it. The perpendicular line allows you to pour excess drills back into the bottom storage area without disturbing those that have flipped. You can close the attached lid (without snapping it closed), to tilt the drills onto the upper tray; then shake them along the grid; open the lid and get to work. They easily double as storage for the leftovers, and the containers travel well. The drawers do tend to slip out of the white shelf, so be careful with accidentally tipping it forward. https://amzn.to/4cWbCQK
There is a variety of clear box/drawer sets to choose from, but while they are large and can store more of your drills, you can’t fill them too full if you want to use the built-in grid on the floor of these, because too many gems will be in the way. That’s why I love the removable tray in the previous set, because it solves this problem.
What can we do with the 1001 little green trays we’ve been collecting with our kits over the years?
Well, if you happen to like using the little green trays, or simply can’t bring yourself to throwing anything away, you can get a few of these shelves: https://amzn.to/40FZRXh
Or this style: https://amzn.to/4bROmST
Or maybe not… :)
Help! We are being overrun by little green trays! How can I use them rather than purchase the item in the solution above?
Someone has given this some thought as well. One method is to use all those green trays you’re collecting and put them in racks such as these. However, the first two do include trays, which can only compound the problem, but it shows what is possible if you want to make your own. https://amzn.to/4bpugPW
This is the same concept but in a different orientation: https://amzn.to/4sXmQsX
Or you can stack them in a tower. This one does not appear to come with trays so you can use your little green ones in it. Yay! https://amzn.to/40KDNLk
Or you can teach freestyle diamond art classes using little 5 x 7 mini diamond art cards that don’t come with any drills at all and give everybody their own little pack of 3 tools from your monstrous stash. They are a great use of excess drills, too. See the last page of this book for advice. https://amzn.to/4vBGxZl
I use square drills and they don’t always line up well in the trays I have. Is there any tray that is specifically designed for square drills?
I recently came across this unique set of cool square drill trays that offer multiple options for getting your square drills sorted quickly. They have higher walls for drill shaking, thicker internal lines for flipping drills, and drill-catching grooves for smooth multi-drill pickup, along with a drill reservoir to keep the extra ones out of the way, Some have single compartments and others have combinations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 drill compartments for those who like to use multi-placers. They also have sliding lids, stack well and come in multiple sizes. https://www.bellaartdenicole.com/products/dots-of-kindness-3d-printed-diamond-painting-drill-trays?variant=47230581899513
Yesterday's Question Answered: How to Choose a Diamond Art Painting Kit
Next Question to be Answered: Drill Picker Pens and Styluses
I have been doing diamond art for over 10 years. My book was published under my pen name. You can contact me through my blog here at https://ei-kan.blogspot.com if you have any additional questions to add to this section or to notify me of any dead links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualified purchases. This book is available in its entirety on Amazon Kindle (visible link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZKGSVKS) and there are some discount coupon codes for up to 15% off your purchases at select websites near the end of it And yes, I earn a few pennies from a few other sites mentioned as well, but not all.
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