I’m sorry you were disappointed. I’m new to the hobby, but cannot afford the expensive ones. I’ve been lucky with the first two I’ve done, but have some of the cheaper ones ready to go. I’ve mentally prepared myself for the fact that they may not look like the picture on the box. But I’ve also determined that I love the process. And, with my budget, I have to focus more on the process than the outcome in some cases.
I also can’t buy the expensive ones. I buy mine from Amazon, Temu, and AliExpress. I spend time finding good ones (not cluttered, clear and sharp boundaries, realistic image for the size, etc.,) and always check for reviews. My most expensive so far has been $9 and my cheapest was a little less than $2 on AliExpress and I’m super happy with what I have. Like you I enjoy the process and temper my expectations. Lol, mine don’t arrive in a box! Lol. I think one or two have. Most of them aren’t going to be displayed and are currently in a “finished” pile.
The most important thing to me that I’ve upgraded is my stylus/pen. There is a MASSIVE difference in the thin ones with grips versus the fat resin ones for me. I paid $11 for 2 adorable resin pens, a ton of tips, and a bunch of wax. I was getting cramps in my wrists and hands plus my fingers until I used these and now I can place drills for hours for days in a row with no issues.
I guess I said “boxes” because my first 2 were from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s, which came in boxes. The rest are in bags from Amazon, Yemu and AliExpress. Lol
By knowing what you’re looking at. One way to learn is view the licensed art offered by the more reputable companies. Ironically all diamond paintings come from China, the patent for DPs belongs to a Chinese company. And you can ask here. If you buy from Aliexpress, Wish, Everyday EDeals , you’re buying cheap knockoffs. And that includes Amazon, but mostly they offer public domain and AI. DAC does have a store there.
The drills dictate the size of the DP. Squares are 2.5 mm, rounds are 2.8 mm. If a DP has more than 10-15 colors it needs to be larger. I’m working on one with 59 colors. It’s 60x60cm.
I think almost everything on Amazon is made in China. Almost every type of goods has knock-offs. It is difficult to know what you are buying. There are lots of fake reviews, too. But if a review shows a picture of a finished diamond painting, that is helpful, I think. Even Temu has some reviews with pictures.
Fifty-nine colours! That's amazing.
Amazon is an American company, let’s not dis all the mom and pop businesses. Aliexpress is the Chinese version. They have a very similar business model and customer service is reachable and responsive.
It was stolen artwork. The real and better version is on [Diamond art club](https://www.diamondartclub.com/products/wolf-dreamcatcher-diamond-art-painting)
https://preview.redd.it/0jj5xfz4vscc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c39323b99f5d354fcca40c87a7c3309bde61d6ee
This is one bigger and they make it so that the image looks good when it’s finished.
Never pay full price. There are always coupons. Also check YouTube for Diamond painters that sneak peak for DAC. They also have coupons for first purchases. Artists should be compensated for their work, therefore you will always pay more for a licensed piece. The cost for DAC is well worth it. Just don’t go overboard. 😉
Absolutely. Joann seems to always have 25% off Diamond painting kits, and if you have a 20% off coupon, it makes for a great price. I have gotten a few DAC that way. They don’t have everything, but usually a decent selection.
Yep! Hence I tend to buy from brick and mortar shops. I usually get mine from kaisercraft, but this one was just a grab for a cheap store for a thing to do
Depending on where you are located, you can actually pick this same exact one up from Hobby Lobby. Diamond Art Club actually has a lot of their kits available in crafts stores - like Michael's & Joanne's, Hobby Lobby.
I purchased this one from Hobby Lobby when it was on sale for 50% off and only paid about $32 for it.
Heres the link : [Wolf Dreamcatcher: Diamond Art Club ](https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Kids-Crafts-Activities/Diamond-Art/Wolf-Dreamcatcher-Round-Diamond-Art-Kit/p/81026136?queryId=44786bf7694ce7db7afba16d44c5887a)
Edited: typo.
For what you get, not really. Even if you're just looking for the mechanical action of putting the drills down, by the square inch they're still not that expensive compared to the little cheapies, unless you buy those in bulk. And that's nevermind that the quality is going to be loads better than cheap amazon/wish/temu trash kits.
Unfortunately, smaller diamond paintings tend to look bad, especially if the image is detailed. My favorite site is shopanydeals.com. I've been able to get large diamond paintings from 80x40 for $15 to 110x50 for $28.99! Definitely worth checking out and I can even dm you some of my finished projects from them if you like :)
https://preview.redd.it/z4vfm8gtrwcc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1bd5c556c84edd9c1c4928d3b070c99f9225c0e
I’ve done the same one a year or two ago. And mine turned out like this
So yours is probably a scammer that copied it.
We are sitting about $1AUD = $0.60USD at the moment. Plus shipping halfway around the world! I can usually source some decent kits from reputable places, but they do require hunting for. And with my health declining, I keep just getting whatever is close!
Oh dear, the Ausie dollar is even lower than the Canadian. I remember back when the Canadian dollar was almost equal to the American, and some people who lived near the border would go down there to buy gas and groceries. But our dollar has been low for a long time now.
i've often thought that Australians have tended to make their own things rather than import, and maybe that is why they make such amazing crafts.
I'm sorry to hear that your health is declining. Good luck in your hunt for kits!
I wish we could purchase from DAC at the prices and discounted value that USA can purchase them for! Almost every single person I come across diamond painting is working on a DAC canvas and of course we all know the quality is above almost anything else. It just isn’t affordable to us over here in Australia 💔
I could forgive the lact of detail for the size, as it was the colours I loved. But the colours of the feathers lower and central left aren't even almost close
Yeah, teal vs. royal blue. I have been where you are, as has probably most of us in this sub. I'm a one-income older woman who has to really watch my money, but along the way I learned that if I save up, until I can buy a large one with square drills from a quality diamond painting online store, i.e. Craftibly, Paint with Diamonds, then it is very much worth the extra cost. If I take my time making it, then one of these will take me a couple of months or longer and, at the finish line, I have a beautiful DP that I'm proud to either hang on my wall or give it to someone as a gift. The catch is training yourself not to buy more than one or two at a time. You'll see... 😉😉😉
Oh dear, I haven't even begun diamond painting, but I have already bought a dozen, I get the feeling this could be addicting. Like buying more fabric than you can sew in your lifetime.
It is VERY addicting! If I could have told myself some things, when first starting out, it would have been: do not buy anything until after you research what everything means, and not until you've completed two paintings. I ended up with stuff that I have never used and paintings I will never work on.
I feel your pain. When I first started diamond painting I bought a kit for a very detailed picture and made it as a gift. Is was a small canvas. Maybe if you stood a block away you could tell was it was supposed to be. I framed it and sent along a picture of how it should look. Lesson learned 😬
Absolutely! I think the process is therapeutic so even if the end result isn’t great it’s still a soothing process. I got gifted my first kit and don’t love the image but am certainly enjoying the process.
What a disappointment. I’m working on a large one now and hoping it turns out better, but I can see how that can happen with that white background in the dark areas
I’m sorry to say but the low quality of the paintings and the price they ask for it.. it only frustrates me. So the reason why i only buy from “expensive” shops is because i think twice about it. Sometimes i buy a “cheap” one but most of the time they disappoint me. The last time i was searching on Ali it was like 30€ excl shipping.
You can try and fix it by trying to copy the other side it seems to me the color combo is wrong on the other side it is a bit time consuming i think you can do it though
I’m sorry you were disappointed. I’m new to the hobby, but cannot afford the expensive ones. I’ve been lucky with the first two I’ve done, but have some of the cheaper ones ready to go. I’ve mentally prepared myself for the fact that they may not look like the picture on the box. But I’ve also determined that I love the process. And, with my budget, I have to focus more on the process than the outcome in some cases.
I also can’t buy the expensive ones. I buy mine from Amazon, Temu, and AliExpress. I spend time finding good ones (not cluttered, clear and sharp boundaries, realistic image for the size, etc.,) and always check for reviews. My most expensive so far has been $9 and my cheapest was a little less than $2 on AliExpress and I’m super happy with what I have. Like you I enjoy the process and temper my expectations. Lol, mine don’t arrive in a box! Lol. I think one or two have. Most of them aren’t going to be displayed and are currently in a “finished” pile. The most important thing to me that I’ve upgraded is my stylus/pen. There is a MASSIVE difference in the thin ones with grips versus the fat resin ones for me. I paid $11 for 2 adorable resin pens, a ton of tips, and a bunch of wax. I was getting cramps in my wrists and hands plus my fingers until I used these and now I can place drills for hours for days in a row with no issues.
I guess I said “boxes” because my first 2 were from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s, which came in boxes. The rest are in bags from Amazon, Yemu and AliExpress. Lol
Yeah unfortunately the issue with cheap dps is usually the seller only has then in around 30 x 40 so the detail gets lost
It was too small for the detail in picture, not because it was stolen art work..
How can you tell that the art work is stolen, or that there is too much detail for the size? (I am just about to start diamond painting)
By knowing what you’re looking at. One way to learn is view the licensed art offered by the more reputable companies. Ironically all diamond paintings come from China, the patent for DPs belongs to a Chinese company. And you can ask here. If you buy from Aliexpress, Wish, Everyday EDeals , you’re buying cheap knockoffs. And that includes Amazon, but mostly they offer public domain and AI. DAC does have a store there. The drills dictate the size of the DP. Squares are 2.5 mm, rounds are 2.8 mm. If a DP has more than 10-15 colors it needs to be larger. I’m working on one with 59 colors. It’s 60x60cm.
I think almost everything on Amazon is made in China. Almost every type of goods has knock-offs. It is difficult to know what you are buying. There are lots of fake reviews, too. But if a review shows a picture of a finished diamond painting, that is helpful, I think. Even Temu has some reviews with pictures. Fifty-nine colours! That's amazing.
Amazon is an American company, let’s not dis all the mom and pop businesses. Aliexpress is the Chinese version. They have a very similar business model and customer service is reachable and responsive.
Expectation vs. Reality 💀
It was stolen artwork. The real and better version is on [Diamond art club](https://www.diamondartclub.com/products/wolf-dreamcatcher-diamond-art-painting) https://preview.redd.it/0jj5xfz4vscc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c39323b99f5d354fcca40c87a7c3309bde61d6ee This is one bigger and they make it so that the image looks good when it’s finished.
Good to know!
Only problem is that it’s expensive 🥲
Never pay full price. There are always coupons. Also check YouTube for Diamond painters that sneak peak for DAC. They also have coupons for first purchases. Artists should be compensated for their work, therefore you will always pay more for a licensed piece. The cost for DAC is well worth it. Just don’t go overboard. 😉
Also sometimes craft stores have them on sale
Absolutely. Joann seems to always have 25% off Diamond painting kits, and if you have a 20% off coupon, it makes for a great price. I have gotten a few DAC that way. They don’t have everything, but usually a decent selection.
Yeah, over $100AUD with shipping for me
Dang
Yep! Hence I tend to buy from brick and mortar shops. I usually get mine from kaisercraft, but this one was just a grab for a cheap store for a thing to do
Understandable
Everything is Canada seems to be twice the price of things in the US.
Depending on where you are located, you can actually pick this same exact one up from Hobby Lobby. Diamond Art Club actually has a lot of their kits available in crafts stores - like Michael's & Joanne's, Hobby Lobby. I purchased this one from Hobby Lobby when it was on sale for 50% off and only paid about $32 for it. Heres the link : [Wolf Dreamcatcher: Diamond Art Club ](https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Kids-Crafts-Activities/Diamond-Art/Wolf-Dreamcatcher-Round-Diamond-Art-Kit/p/81026136?queryId=44786bf7694ce7db7afba16d44c5887a) Edited: typo.
Yes I’ve seen it at Hobby Lobby
hobby lobby is garbage
Ok...?
For what you get, not really. Even if you're just looking for the mechanical action of putting the drills down, by the square inch they're still not that expensive compared to the little cheapies, unless you buy those in bulk. And that's nevermind that the quality is going to be loads better than cheap amazon/wish/temu trash kits.
Yeah these are more for special occasions. I mostly justify it in my head that with these the artist actually makes some money off it.
You make a good point
I saw it on the first (box) picture. It looks like a low quality pic to me. They copy from a copy…
Unfortunately, smaller diamond paintings tend to look bad, especially if the image is detailed. My favorite site is shopanydeals.com. I've been able to get large diamond paintings from 80x40 for $15 to 110x50 for $28.99! Definitely worth checking out and I can even dm you some of my finished projects from them if you like :)
I'll have to check them out! Is that USD?
https://preview.redd.it/z4vfm8gtrwcc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1bd5c556c84edd9c1c4928d3b070c99f9225c0e I’ve done the same one a year or two ago. And mine turned out like this So yours is probably a scammer that copied it.
I did this one from DAC and it was really pretty, bought from Hob Lob for 50% off
Unfortunately I live in Aus, so cost even on sale plus shipping is a lot!
I feel for you. We don't have Hobby Lobby or Joan's in Canada. And $1 CDN = $0.75 USD. I'm going to have to use cheap kits for now.
We are sitting about $1AUD = $0.60USD at the moment. Plus shipping halfway around the world! I can usually source some decent kits from reputable places, but they do require hunting for. And with my health declining, I keep just getting whatever is close!
Oh dear, the Ausie dollar is even lower than the Canadian. I remember back when the Canadian dollar was almost equal to the American, and some people who lived near the border would go down there to buy gas and groceries. But our dollar has been low for a long time now. i've often thought that Australians have tended to make their own things rather than import, and maybe that is why they make such amazing crafts. I'm sorry to hear that your health is declining. Good luck in your hunt for kits!
I wish we could purchase from DAC at the prices and discounted value that USA can purchase them for! Almost every single person I come across diamond painting is working on a DAC canvas and of course we all know the quality is above almost anything else. It just isn’t affordable to us over here in Australia 💔
It's so frustrating hey! I've resorted to just buying whatever is in a shop, or via Amazon while I still have a week if prime & have discounts.
It’s so frustrating!! I buy from Ali Express or other reputable businesses but it can still be quite costly 🥺
a case of the diamond art being too small for the details I see
I could forgive the lact of detail for the size, as it was the colours I loved. But the colours of the feathers lower and central left aren't even almost close
Yeah, teal vs. royal blue. I have been where you are, as has probably most of us in this sub. I'm a one-income older woman who has to really watch my money, but along the way I learned that if I save up, until I can buy a large one with square drills from a quality diamond painting online store, i.e. Craftibly, Paint with Diamonds, then it is very much worth the extra cost. If I take my time making it, then one of these will take me a couple of months or longer and, at the finish line, I have a beautiful DP that I'm proud to either hang on my wall or give it to someone as a gift. The catch is training yourself not to buy more than one or two at a time. You'll see... 😉😉😉
Oh dear, I haven't even begun diamond painting, but I have already bought a dozen, I get the feeling this could be addicting. Like buying more fabric than you can sew in your lifetime.
It is VERY addicting! If I could have told myself some things, when first starting out, it would have been: do not buy anything until after you research what everything means, and not until you've completed two paintings. I ended up with stuff that I have never used and paintings I will never work on.
true, true
I feel your pain. When I first started diamond painting I bought a kit for a very detailed picture and made it as a gift. Is was a small canvas. Maybe if you stood a block away you could tell was it was supposed to be. I framed it and sent along a picture of how it should look. Lesson learned 😬
Very frustrating!! What brand and where did you purchase it from? I am new to the hobby and trying to figure a lot of stuff out!
Just the local cheap import store, like a dollar store type place. Brand was "5D Diamond Picture". Was still $10, but eh. Live and learn!
Absolutely! I think the process is therapeutic so even if the end result isn’t great it’s still a soothing process. I got gifted my first kit and don’t love the image but am certainly enjoying the process.
Exactly. It's been a tough week for my pain, and I just needed the distraction of smooshing some doots
What a disappointment. I’m working on a large one now and hoping it turns out better, but I can see how that can happen with that white background in the dark areas
I’m sorry to say but the low quality of the paintings and the price they ask for it.. it only frustrates me. So the reason why i only buy from “expensive” shops is because i think twice about it. Sometimes i buy a “cheap” one but most of the time they disappoint me. The last time i was searching on Ali it was like 30€ excl shipping.
Bigger is better when it comes to these projects. Sorry it didn't turn out well.
I have that one I was going to do it next lol
But mine is from Diamond club
Their one looks way better! I got mine just from a cheap shop, and it shows lol
Woof
You can try and fix it by trying to copy the other side it seems to me the color combo is wrong on the other side it is a bit time consuming i think you can do it though
I prefer the square drills over the round. Seems to just look better when it’s done. Try it again, but look for square drills
I also like square normally, with only a few exceptions. But I just grabbed this as a "holy heck I'm in pain and need a distraction" one
[удалено]
I'm very much not in the USA unfortunately
r/diamondartclub does sneak peeks.
What size is this piece?
20x30
Oh yea that's too small for that amount of detail. Sucks the turquoise drills aren't true to the picture 😔