How to Avoid Drill Popping While Diamond Painting

Drill popping while diamond painting happens when drills aren’t cut properly, if some sections of the canvas have air bubbles, if there are creases on the glue, or if there isn’t adequate space on the canvas for all the diamonds. When the diamond drills pop up, the diamond painting will start to fall apart and may not last. 

Diamond Art Supplies Needed to Prevent Popping Drills

Diamond painting is an easy and fun way to create beautiful works of art, but sometimes diamond painting issues, like drills popping off the painting, occur. When this happens, there are certain supplies that will help to keep drills in place. 

Rolling Pin

Prevent popping diamonds by using a wooden or plastic rolling pin to stick the drills to the canvas. Use the rolling pin to evenly apply pressure over all the drills to keep them down.

Knife or Needle

Drill popping can also be caused by air bubbles in the canvas sealant glue. When this happens, lift the plastic protector to access the glue, make a few grooves in the glue with a knife, and pop the bubbles with the tip of a knife or needle. Be careful not to apply too much pressure and as the knife or needle may cut through the canvas and leave holes. Smooth the material to press the air out of the bubble. Once the air is out and the plastic protector is replaced, reattach the drills to the canvas.

Nail Polish or Glue

When one or two stubborn drills pop up, secure them using nail polish or glue. Paint some glue or nail polish on the bottom of the drill and push it in place. Place a heavy object on the drill until the polish or glue has dried.

New Drills

If drills still pop up after trying all other methods, then the drills could be defective. Contact the seller and request new drills. Note that each drill shouldn’t need to be glued to stay in place.

Avoid Popping While Diamond Painting

Diamond painting is relaxing, rewarding, and a craft that anyone can learn. Unfortunately, there are some issues that arise during diamond painting and it’s important to understand how to avoid popping. Below are simple solutions to avoid popping while diamond painting.

Make All Lines Straight

For the best finished product, every diamond painter should start their project by:

• Following the checkerboard pattern: When diamond painting, place drills in every other place so that the painting looks like a checkerboard. Using the checkerboard pattern keeps the drills straight and minimizes gaps between drills
• Going slow with tweezers: Diamond painting is a relaxing and fulfilling craft that should be practiced slowly. To ensure that the diamond painting is well-finished, use tweezers to adjust drills

Use Quality Drills

Sometimes drills pop because they are too big. Consider swapping out large drills with smaller ones. 

If most or all of the drills are low-quality, contact the seller and request better drills. Most sellers offer lifetime support for their drills.

Remove Air Bubbles

Drills may pop because of bubbles between the canvas and sticky coating. This mostly happens when the canvas is folded by accident. To remove the bubbles, use a knife or needle to flatten the sticky layer before putting the drills on.

Use a Roller on Finished Sections

Diamond painting rollers come in handy when working on a diamond painting canvas of any size. After finishing a diamond painting, use a rolling pin to flatten any popped drills and prevent lost drills. To ensure that all diamond drills are locked properly on the canvas, try to iron the back of the canvas first, then use a roller. The heat from the iron will equalize the canvas glue under the diamond drills and make it more adhesive.

Use something soft like a cloth to cover the diamond painting when rolling it flat. It is crucial to protect the drills against damage, scratches, and dirt.

Seal the Painting

Use Aqua Glue, Mod Podge, or nail polish to seal the finished canvas, as it will help to keep all the beads in place so they’ll stay long-term.