Christmas Decor with Diamond Painting Appliqués

Transform your diamond painting canvas into a collection of colorful appliqués that you can apply to dimensional surfaces and create sparkling decor!

While it may at first seem counterintuitive to cut apart your finished diamond painting canvas, think about the stunning results and you’ll agree it’s a really cool idea. After all, if you have a bunch of finished Diamond Dotz canvases just laying around in piles, why not give this super clever DIY project a try?

We get this question all of the time: what can I do with my finished diamond painting canvas? Ready for an unexpected answer? Cut the canvas apart and make a series of smaller diamond painting appliqués! That’s right – follow along as we show you how to make diamond painting appliqués from your finished canvas.

Let’s get started. First, gather your supplies:

• Your finished diamond painting
• Dotz Stick brush-on adhesive
• Paint brush
• Scissors

The dimensional object you’re decorating (we chose a wooden crate – but get creative; in addition to any sort of box or crate, flat surfaces work well, too - think plaque, sign, ornament, tray, book, etc.)

For this technique, when you’re choosing a canvas to cut, a partial-drill design with a variety of dotted sections is what you need. We used Good Fortune Cardinal because the cardinal is a great central motif. In addition to the bird, the design includes several snowy branches that also can be easily cut apart into sections. As you review your stash of finished canvases, use a critical eye to assess the pieces of the design and plan your final creation. There are many Diamond Dotz partial-coverage designs that are ideal for cutting into individual appliqués.

Cut your canvas into the individual “appliqués” by cutting around the dotted design sections that you’ve identified.

As noted, for the Good Fortune Cardinal, we cut out the cardinal as well as most of the snowy branches.

Once your pieces are cut out, you can do some additional planning. Take your dotted appliqués and hold them in place on your surface to make sure you are satisfied with their placement.

You’re going to apply adhesive next, so you’ll want to plan your design placement before this next step.

One by one, turn your dotted appliqués over and apply Dotz Stick brush-on adhesive to the back side of each appliqué.

Apply the adhesive with a paint brush using even brush strokes. The Dotz Stick adhesive should cover each appliqué in a consistent manner.

Let the Dotz Stick dry until it is tacky to the touch and then gently position each applique in place on your surface. When you’re satisfied with the placement of each design motif, gently smooth the dotted designs in place with your fingers.

Check out the placement of diamond painting appliqués on our wooden crate. Notice how we wrapped some of the motifs around the edges and corners of the crate. Get creative! This is a versatile technique that you can use to make all kinds of holiday – or any day – decorations.

If you don’t happen to have a finished canvas that works for this technique and you’d like to complete a canvas specifically for the purpose of creating appliqués, the Good Fortune Cardinal is a favorite design, that’s just lovely for the season.

Whichever Diamond Dotz diamond painting kit you choose, simply follow our How to Diamond Paint in 12 Easy Steps tutorial to complete your design. Then get to creating! Diamond painting is such a fulfilling craft activity – now you can take joy in the diamond painting process itself AND in the creative ways you can use your finished diamond painting canvas.