Frequently Asked Questions
Quick, honest answers about our kits, how the crafts work, custom orders, shipping, and returns.
Diamond Painting
10 questionsWhat is diamond painting and how does it work?
Diamond painting is a relaxing craft where you press tiny faceted resin gems onto a pre-printed adhesive canvas, one colour-coded square at a time. The canvas has printed symbols that match a colour chart in your kit. You use a wax-tipped stylus pen to pick up each gem and press it onto its matching symbol. When every section is filled, the design sparkles like a gem-encrusted mosaic.
No artistic skill is needed. The numbers guide every placement. Most beginners feel comfortable within the first 10 minutes.
Read our full beginner guide →What comes inside a diamond painting kit?
Every TheSparkleGrid diamond painting kit includes:
- Waterproof adhesive canvas pre-printed with your chosen design and colour symbols
- 5D resin diamond drills sorted into labelled bags by colour code
- Applicator pen with single and multi-placer tips
- Wax pad to coat the pen tip for picking up gems
- Sorting tray to face the gems flat-top-up for easy picking
- Colour reference chart mapping every symbol to its gem colour
You do not need to buy anything extra to complete your kit.
What is the difference between round drill and square drill?
Round drill gems are circular and dome-shaped. Small gaps appear between gems which is normal and part of the design. Round drill is faster to place because no alignment is needed. Best choice for beginners.
Square drill gems tile together with no gaps, creating a seamless solid mosaic. Requires more careful alignment but produces a stunning gapless finish. Try it after completing two or three round drill kits.
What does 5D mean in 5D diamond painting?
The 5D refers to the 5 facets on each resin drill: a flat top and four angled sides. These facets create the prismatic sparkle effect when light hits the gems from different angles. All our kits use 5D drills. Budget or older kits may use 3D drills which have fewer facets and less sparkle.
What size kit should I buy as a beginner?
Start with a 30x40cm kit. It is large enough to produce a genuinely beautiful finished piece and small enough to complete in a few sessions without losing motivation.
Avoid very small kits under 20cm as they do not show the craft at its best. Avoid jumping straight to 60cm or larger on your first project.
How long does a diamond painting take to complete?
- 20x30cm — approximately 3 to 8 hours
- 30x40cm — approximately 8 to 15 hours
- 40x50cm — approximately 18 to 30 hours
- 60x80cm+ — approximately 50 to 100+ hours
Most crafters work in sessions of 30 to 90 minutes. Diamond painting is highly habit-forming once you find your rhythm.
My pen is not picking up the diamonds. What do I do?
Remove the old wax from the pen tip and reload by pressing the tip firmly into the wax pad for 3 full seconds. The wax coats the tip and creates enough stickiness to pick up gems cleanly.
Also check that your gems are face-up in the tray (flat top facing up, dome facing down into the tray grooves). A face-down gem will not seat on the pen tip correctly.
Do I need to seal my finished diamond painting?
Sealing is optional but recommended for pieces you plan to display long-term or give as a gift. Apply two thin coats of diamond painting sealer or matte Mod Podge using a soft brush, allowing each coat to dry fully.
If you are framing behind glass, skip the sealer entirely. The frame protects the drills and sealing can dull the natural sparkle.
How do I frame and display my finished diamond painting?
- Standard photo frame — buy a frame in your canvas size, remove the glass, and mount the canvas face-forward
- Stretcher bars — stretch the canvas over wooden bars gallery-style for a professional floating look
- Diamond painting frames — frames designed with extra depth to accommodate raised gems
Always remove the glass from standard frames. Glass sits too close to the raised gems and can dislodge them over time.
Why are my diamonds falling off the canvas?
Cover the finished canvas with parchment paper and roll firmly with a rolling pin or heavy book to seat every gem deeper into the adhesive. This is the most effective fix.
If gems keep coming off after pressing, apply a thin coat of diamond painting sealer to lock them in place permanently.
Paint by Numbers
10 questionsWhat is paint by numbers and how does it work?
Paint by numbers is a guided painting kit where the canvas is pre-printed with numbered sections. Each number corresponds to a specific paint colour included in your kit. You fill each numbered section with the matching colour using the provided brushes. Section by section, your painting builds into a complete, realistic artwork.
No drawing ability or artistic experience is needed. The numbers guide every single brushstroke.
What is included in a paint by numbers kit?
Every TheSparkleGrid paint by numbers kit includes:
- Numbered linen canvas printed with your design and colour sections
- All acrylic paint pots matched to your specific design colours
- 3-piece brush set — wide, medium, and fine tip for different section sizes
- Colour reference chart mapping every number to its paint pot
- Beginner instructions covering setup, painting order, and finishing tips
You do not need to buy anything extra to complete your kit.
What is the difference between Classic, Premium, and Ultra kits?
- Classic (24 colours) — bold, clean, painterly result. Great for beginners and simple designs. Faster to complete.
- Premium (36 colours) — the best balance of detail and paintability. Captures important tonal nuances in faces and fur. Recommended for most custom kits.
- Ultra (48 colours) — maximum photographic realism. The finest gradients and skin tones. Best suited to confident painters who want the highest detail.
Why is my paint by numbers painting streaky?
Streaking usually happens when the paint is too thick or applied too fast. Let the first coat dry completely, then apply a second thin coat in smooth even strokes moving in the same direction.
Light colours almost always need two coats for solid, streak-free coverage. This is normal and expected, not a fault with the paint.
The numbers are still showing through my paint. How do I fix it?
Apply a second coat once the first is completely dry. For very light or translucent colours, mix a tiny amount of white paint into the colour before your second coat to increase opacity.
If numbers are still visible after two coats, a light third coat will cover them. Always let each coat dry fully before adding the next.
What order should I paint the colours in?
- Dark colours first — prevents dark paint from bleeding into lighter sections nearby while wet
- Background first — filling large background sections first gives you the most dramatic sense of visual progress
- Work top to bottom — reduces the chance of resting your hand on still-wet paint
Always allow sections to dry before painting directly adjacent areas.
My paint has dried out in the pot. Can I fix it?
Add one or two drops of clean water to the paint pot, replace the lid, and shake gently. Leave it for 5 minutes then stir with a toothpick or the end of a brush. The paint should return to a workable consistency.
Add water very sparingly. Too much water makes the paint thin and leads to streaking. Contact us if a pot has dried out completely and we will send a replacement.
How do I varnish my finished paint by numbers painting?
Wait until the painting is completely dry (at least 24 hours after the final coat). Apply a matte or gloss acrylic varnish in two thin coats using a wide soft brush, allowing full drying time between each coat.
Matte varnish gives a classic fine-art look. Gloss varnish makes colours appear more vivid. Both protect against UV fading, moisture, and dust.
How do I frame my finished paint by numbers painting?
A standard photo frame in your canvas size works well. Most paint by numbers canvases have a blank border for trimming to fit. You can also stretch the canvas over stretcher bars for a gallery-wrap display with no frame edge visible.
Unlike diamond painting, you can keep the glass in a standard frame as the surface is flat.
Can I do paint by numbers if I have never painted before?
Absolutely. Paint by numbers is specifically designed for people with no painting experience at all. The numbers guide every colour decision and the sections guide your brush. There is no drawing, no colour mixing, and no artistic judgement required.
Most complete beginners are pleasantly surprised by how professional their finished painting looks after their first kit.
Custom Kits
8 questionsHow does the custom kit process work?
The process takes just a few minutes on your end:
- Choose your kit type (diamond painting or paint by numbers), canvas size, and detail level
- Upload your photo at checkout
- Our team converts your photo into a numbered canvas design with a hand-reviewed colour palette
- We print your canvas and pack it with all matching gems or paints
- Your complete kit ships to your door with full tracking
We do not use automated filters. Every custom conversion is reviewed by a real person.
What photos work best for a custom kit?
- Sharp and in focus with no motion blur
- Well lit with good contrast between subject and background
- Subject fills the frame rather than being small in the distance
- Simple or blurred background rather than a cluttered scene
Popular choices include pets, portraits, wedding photos, landscapes, and memorial tributes. Not sure if your photo works? Upload it anyway and we will review it before production.
What size canvas should I choose for a custom kit?
For photos with faces, fine fur, or detailed patterns, choose 40x50cm or larger. More canvas means more colour codes and more detail in the finished piece.
For bold landscapes or photos with large solid colour areas, a 30x40cm canvas works well. When in doubt, go one size up.
How long does a custom kit take to process and ship?
Custom kits require 3 to 5 business days of production time before they ship, as each kit is individually converted, reviewed, and printed. Standard delivery then applies: 7 to 15 business days depending on your location.
Total estimated time from order to delivery: 10 to 20 business days. You will receive a tracking number when your kit ships.
Can I get the same photo as both a diamond painting and a paint by numbers kit?
Yes. We offer both custom diamond painting and custom paint by numbers kits. You can order the same photo as both craft types if you would like to try both or give one as a gift.
Can I give a custom kit as a gift?
Custom kits make one of the most personal and memorable gifts available. Popular gift occasions include birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, new pets, Christmas, and memorial tributes.
You can add a personalised gift message at checkout. We ship directly to the recipient if needed. Just enter their address as the shipping address and add your message in the notes field.
Can I change or cancel my custom kit order?
Contact us as soon as possible if you need to make changes. Custom kits enter production within 24 hours of ordering, so we cannot guarantee changes once production has started.
Because custom kits are made specifically for your photo, they cannot be returned unless the kit arrives damaged or incorrectly produced.
Can I see a preview of my custom kit before it is produced?
We currently produce all custom kits from the uploaded photo without sending a preview first. This allows us to process and ship your order as quickly as possible.
If you have concerns about your photo, please contact us before placing your order and we can advise on the best approach for your specific image.
Orders and Shipping
8 questionsDo you ship worldwide?
Yes. TheSparkleGrid ships diamond painting and paint by numbers kits to over 100 countries worldwide. Every order includes a full tracking number so you always know where your kit is from the moment it leaves our warehouse.
We ship regularly to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Europe, and many more countries.
How long does delivery take?
- Processing time — 1 to 3 business days for standard kits, 3 to 5 for custom kits
- Standard delivery — 7 to 15 business days after dispatch, depending on your location
You will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking number as soon as your order dispatches.
Do you offer free shipping?
Yes. We offer free worldwide shipping on all orders over $75 USD. Orders below this amount have a flat-rate shipping fee calculated at checkout based on your delivery location.
What is your refund and return policy?
We offer a 07-day money-back guarantee on all standard kit orders. If you are not satisfied for any reason, contact us within 07 days of delivery and we will arrange a full refund or replacement.
Custom kits are non-refundable unless they arrive damaged or incorrectly produced.
Read our full refund policy →How do I track my order?
You will receive a shipping confirmation email containing your tracking number as soon as your order dispatches. Use this number on the carrier website to track your parcel in real time.
If you have not received your tracking email within 5 business days of ordering, check your spam folder first, then contact us and we will resend it immediately.
My kit arrived damaged or something is missing. What do I do?
Please contact us within 7 days of delivery with a photo of the damage or a description of what is missing. We will send a replacement immediately at no extra cost.
Contact us here →What currency do you charge in?
Prices on our store display in your local currency for easy browsing. All transactions are processed in INR (Indian Rupee) at checkout. The displayed price is a converted estimate and your bank applies its own exchange rate at payment time.
Can I change or cancel my order after placing it?
Contact us as quickly as possible if you need to change or cancel your order. We process orders within 24 to 48 hours, so we cannot guarantee changes once an order has been dispatched.
Contact us here →Still have a question?
Our team responds to every message personally. We are here to help you choose the right kit and make sure you love what arrives.