How​‍​‌‍​‍‌ to Get Your Large Diamond Painting Professionally Framed and Displayed

You might have worked for weeks - or even months - placing the tiny resin drills, one at a time, onto the canvas. Every color has been matched perfectly and every row has been leveled. And now? Your large diamond painting is ready at last.

In that case, what comes next? Well, that's the point where many people freeze.

Framing and displaying a finished diamond painting is not just about putting it in any frame lying around. Due to its size and special texture, a suitable framing technique can turn your artwork into something worthy of a gallery - on the other hand, an unsuitable one may leave it looking wrinkled, lifeless, or only partially done. So here is all you need to know to properly present your work of ​‍​‌‍​‍‌art.

​‍​‌Preparing​‍​‌‍​‍‌ your diamond painting for framing

Even prior to a frame being thought of, your painting must be prepared properly. This is the step that many people omit - and frankly, it is the most important one. The first thing you have to do is to seal your canvas with a diamond painting sealer or Mod Podge. A brush-on or roller type sealant is applied in thin and even layers to the entire surface. This way each drill is tightly glued and the entire painting is safeguarded against dust, moisture, as well as other accidents. If you do not seal the painting, drills may gradually detach - especially in larger canvases where the edges are most exposed.

Then, the painting has to be without wrinkles or creases after the sealing process. Large diamond paintings are liable to have ripples and folds during the production process. A timeless method used by the pros is: the completed canvas is turned face down and placed on a clean, flat surface and then a heavy book or board is placed on top. It remains like this for 24-48 hours. The change is unbelievable.

I bet this is something that beginners usually don't understand - the main reason for dissatisfaction among diamond painters is wrinkled canvases, but practically all of them can be fixed with the flattening step. So do not skip ​‍​‌‍​‍‌it.

Selecting​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the Ideal Frame for a Large Diamond Painting

Large diamond paintings can't simply be framed with any frame. The textured surface of the drills adds a relief effect to the painting, so just using a standard flat-profile frame will not only leave the surface without enough space but will also press onto the drills.

Most of the time, a deep-set or shadow box frame is the right type of frame to choose for large-sized diamond paintings. Those frames have a much deeper inner lip that allows the canvas to be tucked inside the frame so that the glass doesn't touch the artwork. Also, such frames nicely introduce a third dimension that decorates and highlights the twinkle of the crystals.

As far as frame materials are concerned, wood is a significantly better choice than plastic, especially for heavier canvases. A large 60x80 cm diamond painting is quite heavy, and a cheap plastic frame will most likely get distorted or broken after some time.

Cover with glass or not? Well, that is quite a matter. Many artists prefer displaying their diamond paintings without any glass so that the full glimmer and sparkle of the drills are visible from different angles. Light behaves differently when it comes off resin drills versus traditional paint - and glass can mute that effect. If the concern is dust, a lot of collectors go for UV-protective acrylic glazing as a solution.

One more thing — always measure your canvas accurately before ordering a custom frame. Since large diamond painting are usually irregular sizes, you will most probably need a custom-cut frame rather than one that is an ​‍​‌‍​‍‌off-the-shelf.

Creative​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Ways to Display Diamond Paintings on Your Wall

Once you finish framing a diamond painting, the next exciting step is the actual placing of the painting in your house. You have to think beyond just picking a wall for hanging it.

How a diamond painting gets noticed and appreciated depends a lot on lighting. Every time natural light from a window falls on the diamonds, it changes the angle of reflection, giving rise to a lively shimmering effect that most diamond painting collectors appreciate. Besides that, a picture light or an LED strip can be placed above the frame to maintain the sparkling effect in the evening without the need for natural light.

Diamond painting fans are also adopting gallery-style wall expositions. A large artwork is first hung as the focal point, then the smaller finished paintings are displayed around this large piece — a wall of art so to speak that one would curate if they collected these paintings. This makes your love for the craft turn into an actual feature of the decor.

However, if you are a renter or simply do not like the idea of making holes in your walls, an alternative is to go with adhesive hanging strips that can bear the weight of heavier frames.

Generally, people overlook the fact that color coordination plays an important role. When deciding where to put your diamond painting, consider the wall color - the painting will stand out the best if the wall color contrasts with the painting's main colors. On a light cream or off-white wall, a painting in dark blue or deep green will be most ​‍​‌‍​‍‌striking.

Common​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Mistakes That Should Be Avoided When Framing Diamond Paintings

Let's explore the errors because most of them can be avoided.

Choosing a very tight frame is probably the most common mistake. When a canvas is tightly squeezed into a frame that is just a little smaller, the edges get deformed or damaged, and it is quite easy to have wrinkles appear near the borders. So it is always better to get a frame with a bit of extra space.

Another is hanging your diamond painting in direct sunlight for a long period of time. Although sunlight can really enhance the look of your painting at a glance, if your painting is exposed to sunlight for a long time, the canvas will become yellow and the glue layer will deteriorate. Having a place with indirect daylight is generally the best solution for a painting that will be on display for a long time.

Last but not least, do not place your diamond painting in very humid areas like a bathroom or above the stove in the kitchen. The stick-on pads in diamond paintings are very sensitive to moisture, and if the exposure to humidity is kept for a long time, the paintings will curl and the diamonds will be lost ‍​‍‌ultimately.

Your​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Finished Diamond Painting Deserves to Be Shown Off

The time you spend crafting with utmost attention surely shouldn't be discarded in a forgotten drawer.

A large diamond painting that is properly framed and displayed beautifully is a piece that will be so delightful that not only you but also all the people who come through your door will be admiring it.

Firstly, give yourself plenty of time when preparing the picture, then go for a quality deep-set frame, next, ponder over your lighting, and lastly, stay away from the usual mistakes. After you've mounted it on the wall — gleaming under a light turned towards it or being kissed by the warm rays of the morning sun — you will be thinking, 'Why did I not get it framed ​‍​‌‍​‍‌earlier?