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Crafts

Get ready to unleash your creativity with our crafts selection! From DIY projects to handmade gift ideas, we've got you covered. Whether you're a seasoned crafter or just starting out, we have something for everyone. So grab your glue gun and let's get crafting!

Easy Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap Recipe – Melt & Pour

May 17, 2022 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap top image

I use only honey-sweetened coffee grounds and just a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to scent this soap, so my Easy Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap Recipe is about as natural as you can get – and it smells heavenly.

What’s more, with this recipe you won’t need any coloring whatsoever, the coffee does it naturally all by itself!

For this recipe, I used my favorite goat’s milk melt and pour soap base, and while goat’s milk doesn’t typically give too much lather, it does give just the right amount to leave your skin feeling thoroughly cleansed. It’s also very moisturizing as well as incredibly gentle on the skin (see my photo of the lather below).

I think this long-lasting Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap would make a lovely hand soap to keep by your kitchen sink thanks to its delicate coffee scent and vintage/rustic aesthetic – although it’s also just as suitable for the bath and shower too!

For this recipe, I will be using just 1/2lb of melt and pour soap base. This will make approximately 5 bath-soap-sized bars (measuring approximately 3.1″ x 2.2″ x 1″ and weighing 3.4 oz).

Soap bases usually come in weights of 1lb or more, so you can easily double the recipe if you like, or why not try out my favorite Super-Easy Homemade Honey & Oatmeal Soap Recipe as well.

Just so you know, using the melt and pour method means that you won’t be using any of the harsh chemicals that you would if you were to use the lye process to make soap from scratch – that’s because the saponification process has already been done for you. If you would like a little more information on the difference between this method and making soap from scratch, or, if you fancy choosing a soap-making kit, please click here.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap - pin

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Fragrance – If you would like your soap to have a stronger scent you can add coffee essential oil and or vanilla – although I honestly prefer this soap without. The scent when following my recipe is delicate and more natural.

Adding honey to the coffee grounds sweetens the scent of the coffee grounds perfectly and the cinnamon gives the soap a cozy hint of warmth.

Color – The recipe doesn’t require any additional coloring whatsoever. The all-natural color of this soap is a rich, even chocolatey brown throughout – just from the coffee and a small amount of cinnamon alone.

Cinnamon – This ingredient may be left out if you prefer, it won’t affect the recipe.

Oils – I added extra virgin olive oil to my mixture as it’s my favorite, but the recipe will work just as well with another oil of your choice.

Base – This recipe uses a goat’s milk soap base which is just so creamy and silky smooth, not to mention, very gentle for sensitive skin. But you can substitute it for a different melt and pour base if you wish.

Rubbing Alcohol – A small spritz of isopropanol alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is used to eliminate any bubbles that may form on the top of your soap. If you don’t wish to use this ingredient, the soap will be perfectly fine but may look a little less than neat.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap - Recipe
Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap has a nice even color throughout.
Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap - Lather
This is the amount of lather this Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap recipe gives you using a goat’s milk base.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb Goat’s Milk Soap Base
  • Silicone Soap Mold (this set also contains a spatula)
  • Spatula
  • Glass Jug
  • 1/4 Cup of Used Coffee Grounds
  • 2 tbsps Honey
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • Rubbing Alcohol (Spray)

Method

  1. Cut the soap base into roughly 1-inch-sized cubes. (The soap base can easily be cut with an ordinary kitchen knife.)
  2. In a small dish or bowl mix the used coffee grounds with the honey and cinnamon (if used). Warm the honey in the microwave a little if needed to help mix it with the grounds.
  3. Place the soap base cubes in a glass jug, and heat in the microwave until all of the cubes melt. Be careful not to overheat the soap base. You should melt the cubes in short bursts and stir in between heating times.
  4. Add the coffee mixture and extra-virgin olive oil and stir well.
  5. Pour equally into the silicone mold.
  6. Lightly spray the surface of the soap with rubbing alcohol to eliminate any bubbles.
  7. Allow the soap to cool and set by leaving it undisturbed for approximately two hours.
  8. When the soap is set, carefully turn out the soaps from the mold. Don’t worry soap molds are thin which makes this process very easy.

And that’s it… easy wasn’t it?

Photos of the Process

Goat's milk soap base
Cutting the soap base.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey mixture for soap recipe
Coffee grounds, cinnamon, and honey. You can add the extra virgin olive oil to this mixture too.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap melt and pour recipe
Add the coffee mixture to the melted soap base and stir well.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap pouring into the mold.
Pour evenly into your silicone molds.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap - home made
Spray the surface lightly with Isopropanol Alcohol to remove bubbles.

Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap
Leave to set for approximately 2 hours before turning out of the mold.

Filed Under: Crafts, Featured Tagged With: Helpful Guides, Soap Making

Super-Easy Homemade Honey & Oatmeal Soap Recipe – Melt and Pour

May 12, 2022 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

Honey & Oatmeal Soap Recipe -pin

Today I’d like to share my favorite, super-easy, homemade honey, and oatmeal soap recipe with you. One of the best things about this recipe is that it doesn’t feel like a typical grocery store soap. Made with a goat’s milk soap base, the scent is delicate, and natural and the consistency is soft and smooth. It also lasts a long time and has a lovely lather (see photo below) – so it’s perfect for a bath or shower!

RECIPE VARIATIONS

You can leave out either the oatmeal or the honey if you wish – the recipe still works. I used porridge oats that I blitzed in my Nutribullet for just a couple of seconds so that some of the flakes remained.

Color and Fragrance – You can customize this soap recipe by adding a couple of drops of essential oil, and a little coloring – although I honestly prefer this soap without.

Oils – I added extra virgin olive oil to my mixture as it’s my favorite goto skincare oil, (I even use olive oil as a natural body moisturizer), but do feel free to substitute with any oil of your choice.

Base – The recipe calls for a goat’s milk soap base which gives the soap a soft, creamy texture that is very gentle on sensitive skin but you can use any melt and pour base that you prefer.

Rubbing Alcohol – This is used to eliminate any bubbles that may form on the top of your soap. If you don’t wish to use it the soap will be OK but may look a little less than neat.

Honey & Oatmeal Soap vintage
Packaged with brown paper and string, this old-fashioned homemade Honey & Oat Soap recipe makes a lovely vintage-style gift.

This recipe will make four bath-soap-sized bars (measuring approximately 3.1″ x 2.2″ x 1″ and weighing 3.4 oz) – using just 1lb of goat’s milk melt and pour soap base. You can easily double the recipe if you wish.

Just so you know, the bases are commonly 2lbs and more but I prefer to make smaller batches at a time when making soap just for myself and my family unless I’m making extra for gifting, see above.

And I thought it might be a good idea to give you the recipe for a smaller quantity so that you’ll have plenty of soap base left over to try out my Easy Coffee Cinnamon & Honey Soap Recipe or make more of this honey & oat soap when you run out.

Honey & Oatmeal Soap lather
Goat’s milk doesn’t typically have much lather, but this soap recipe lathers nicely.

If you’d like a little more information on the melt and pour method v’s the lye process or if you fancy choosing a soap-making kit, please click here.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb Goat’s Milk Soap Base
  • Silicone Soap Mold (this set also contains a spatula)
  • Spatula
  • Glass Jug
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Porridge Oats (ground) or Oatmeal (not course or steel-cut as it could be sharp)
  • Rubbing Alcohol (Spray)

Method

pouring the soap base into the mold
  1. Cut the soap base into roughly 1-inch-sized cubes. (The soap base is quite easy to cut with an ordinary kitchen knife.)
  2. Place the cubes in a glass jug, and heat in the microwave until all of the cubes melt. Be careful not to overheat the soap base. You should melt the cubes in short bursts and stir in between heating times.
  3. Now add the oats, honey, and oil and stir well.
  4. Pour evenly into the silicone mold.
  5. Lightly spray the surface of the soap with rubbing alcohol to eliminate any bubbles. (The bubbles may not disappear immediately but don’t worry, they will have by the time the soap is set).
  6. Sprinkle a few flakes of oats on the top for decoration if you wish.
  7. Allow the soap to cool and set by leaving it undisturbed for approximately two hours.
  8. When the soap is set, carefully turn out the soaps from the mold. Don’t worry soap molds are thin which makes this process very easy.

And that’s it all done – enjoy your soap!

Ohh and if you need some pretty handmade labels to package your soap, I have some free printable ones here.

Home made Honey & Oatmeal Soap

Photos of the Process

Ingredients.
Ingredients.

Cutting the soap base.
Cutting the soap base.

Extra-virgin olive oil, oats, and honey.
Extra-virgin olive oil, oats, and honey.

Melted soap base
Melted soap base.
Melted soap base
Pour the mixture into the silicone mold.

Spraying the Soap with Rubbing Alcohol
Spraying the Soap with Rubbing Alcohol

Finished saop

Filed Under: Crafts, Featured Tagged With: Helpful Guides, Soap Making

How to Use a Heat Gun for Embossing

April 17, 2021 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

If you are new to embossing, here is a quick how-to guide to get you started. In this case, we’ll take you through the process of heat embossing on paper or card stock, but you can emboss a variety of other materials too, including ceramics, fabrics, glass, and wood.

The process for embossing on paper is very straightforward and fun to learn, and when you feel confident you can try hand-drawing your own designs or even make your own stamps. The first thing you’ll need is a heat gun. I have written a buying guide for that.

Just so you know you will need a heat gun, a hairdryer wont reach the temperature required to melt the embossing powder. It’s more likely to blow the powder everywhere than to give you the results you want.

Here are the other tools you need to get started:

  • Card or paper stock
  • An anti-static pouch
  • A stamp or embossing pens
  • A VersaMark Watermark Ink Pad
  • Embossing powder

First, lightly rub your anti-static pouch over your card stock.

If you are using a stamp, load your stamp using your pigment Inkpad. Stamp the design onto your card or paper stock.

Coat the area you have stamped with your embossing powder, tipping away excess powder onto a spare sheet of paper. If you do this you’ll find that you can easily funnel/pour it back into the powder pot for reuse.

Check that there are no stray particles on your card. You can use a fine paintbrush to make sure everything looks neat and tidy.

VersaMark Watermark Ink Pad

Now it’s time to set the embossing powder with your heat gun using circular motions. After a few seconds, you will start to see the embossed effect appear.

You can also use embossing pens to hand-draw your own design. Just remember to use the anti-static pad first. Once you have drawn out your image, the process is the same as above.

And that’s it, very simple but very effective.

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: Helpful Guides

The Big Bumper List of Creative Hobbies and Craft Ideas

January 11, 2021 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

Stuff I’ve been working on recently.

Crafting is something that you dip into now and then or it can become a lifelong passion? But the main thing to take away here is that you don’t need any special skills to paint, draw or create. The idea is to immerse yourself in the process. Whatever you create will be perfect because it was made by you.

So if you are feeling creative and really want to try your hand at making something fun and crafty or, are finding things a little difficult right now and would like a gentle, healing project to take your mind off things.

We’ve got you covered. We’ve put together this handy resource for you. At the end of the list, you’ll find photos of some of the crafts and projects I have made using the resources below.

Art and Crafts Resource List:

I have tried to include as many free courses and tutorials as possible. Not all the courses listed are free, but I have endeavored to ensure the paid courses listed are low-cost to suit all pockets.

  • Aromatherapy
    • Lavender Massage Oil Recipe – Our free recipe

ART

  • Online Art Courses
    • Charcoal Drawing with Aaron Blaise
    • Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style with Yuko Shimizu at skillshare.com
    • New Masters Academy | fine art course
    • Digital Painting 101 | FREE course
    • Learn to Paint a Textured Abstract Art Painting with KR Moehr
    • Learn Loose Watercolor | FREE course
  • Free Classes (YouTube)
    • How I Draw Faces | Updated Tutorial with Filipa – Pypah’s Art
    • How to Draw a Male Eye with Darlene – RapidFireArt
    • Learn how to paint a portrait in oil paint with Ben Lustenhouwer
  • Tools
    • Best Screen Printing Kit
  • Blogs and Inspiration
    • ChrisOatley.com

Bead Weaving and Jewelry Making

  • Tools and How-tos
    • Best Bead Loom (for Easy Beautiful Bracelets and More)
    • How to Finish a Beaded Bracelet (On or off Loom)
  • Free Classes (YouTube)
    • Beautiful Wirework Jewelry – Free Class
    • Beaded Lace Necklace – Tutorial
    • Bronzepony Beaded Jewelry – Tutorials
    • Manualidades y Entretenimientos – Tutorials
    • Milla’s Beading – Tutorials
    • Spoilt Rotten Beads – Tutorials
  • Free Patterns
    • Just Let Me bead
    • Around the Beading Table – Deb Roberti

Candle Making

  • Tools
    • The Best Candle-Making Kit
  • Free How-tos and Classes
    • Candle Making Demo Course | Nearly Free Course
    • Nature’s Garden Free Candle Classes | Written Tutorials

Fiber Art and Yarn Crafts

  • Needle felting
    • Free Projects
      • How to Needle Felt a Bird – Tutorial
      • Needle Felting for Beginners: Make a Sweet Felted Bowl – Tutorial
  • Knitting and Crochet
    • Free Classes
      • Knit-Along: Socks
    • Free Patterns And Tutorials
      • Learn To Knit – Tutorial
      • Free Knitting Patterns
      • Crochet Basics – Tutorial
  • Macrame
    • Free Macrame Feather Pattern with Video
    • Best Macrame Kits (for Easy Chic Projects You’ll Love)
  • Weaving
    • Information and Buying Guides
      • Best Looms for Beginners
      • Best Rigid Heddle Loom
      • Cricket Loom Tips
    • Free Patterns And Tutorials
      • Free Weaving Patterns – 20+ Free Weaving Patterns
  • Spinning
    • Information and Buying Guides
      • Best Spinning Wheel

Paper Crafts

  • Scrapbooking and Journal Making
    • Free Classes (YouTube)
      • Tracie Fox LoveJunk Journals – Tutorials
      • Attic Lane – Tutorials
      • Crafty Cat – Tutorials
      • Scrapbooking With ME Crafts – Tutorials
      • Mrs Cog – Tutorials
      • nessies journals – Tutorials
      • The Graphics Fairy LLC – Tutorials
      • 49dragonflies – Tutorials
      • Harvinaisenkauniselama – Tutorials
    • Free Resources for Images
      • publicdomainpictures.net
      • pixabay.com
      • thegraphicsfairy.com
      • picryl.com
    • Pintables you can buy on Etsy that don’t cost the earth:
      • My Porch Prints Printable kits – Printables
  • Decoupage
    • Free printables for decoupage projects
  • Paper Making and Dying
    • Tips and a recipe below
  • Embossing
    • Best Heat Gun for Crafts
    • How to Use a Heat Gun for Embossing

Pottery

  • Tools
    • Best Pottery Wheel

Sewing

  • Free Classes
    • The Midnight Quilt Show – Quilting Classes
  • Free Patterns and Projects
    • Free Patterns – 70+ Free Sewing Patterns
    • Free Sewing Class – Bag-Making Basics

Soap Making

  • Soap Making Kits

Craft as a Therapy

  • Studies
    • The Influence of Art Making on Anxiety: A Pilot Study –Taylor & Francis Online
    • The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature – PubMed
    • Reclaiming and Proclaiming the Use of Crafts in Occupational Therapy – The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy
    • What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? – World Health Organization

More Online Courses and Classes

  • NC State University has online classes (via zoom) for all levels and abilities.
  • Class Bento – lots of craft classes with prices clearly listed.

My Favorite Crafts and Hobbies

Below are all the crafts that I have tried from the resource list

Illustration

I’ve always loved painting and drawing. You may have noticed a few of my illustrations dotted around Comfy Zen. I am a digital illustrator, mostly producing book covers. You can grab some free art on my printables page if you wish.

My Artwork

Diamond Painting

Diamond Painting Kit  Comfy Zen

Diamond Painting is quite a new craft, it’s only been around for a few years but it’s enormously popular. If you already like cross-stitch or painting by numbers, you’ll love diamond painting. 

Some kits require you to fill the entire canvas to complete the project, but the kit shown above is a partial kit that I recently completed. It has an inked background to which lots of diamonds (or drills) are added.

Scrapbooking

Journal-making is my latest passion. You can see the one I’m working on right now below.

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Journal making – You can see examples of the ephemera I have started to add to my page layout (right).
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Another of my handmade journals

Macramé

macrame wall hanging kit  Comfy Zen

The most popular craft of the 1970s is back! But there’s nothing out of date about this new trend. So if you’d like to try your hand at making something boho-chic and contemporary with fiber, this is the craft for you.

I highly recommend you start with a macramé kit (similar to the one I made the wall hanging with, above). I also recommend you choose a kit that also comes with video instructions if possible.

Speaking of videos… Here is a macramé feather that I made.

Needle Felting

sweet needle felted bowl  Comfy Zen
Needle felt bowl

Needle felting is a fabulous way to express your creativity.

There are two basic processes:

  • Wet Felting | This process uses water, soap, and agitation to tangle and shape the fibers.
  • Dry felting | This is the process of tangling together the loose fibers of wool roving with a barbed needle. Poking the fibers multiple times compacts the fibers to create structure and form.

I’ve posted a tutorial here on Comfy Zen for the sweet needle-felted bowl, that you can see above. And we also have a tutorial on how to make a mid-century modern bird.

The angel, which you can see in the top image is my latest project. It was my first attempt and it was honestly so quick and easy to make.

I’ll post how to make one very soon.

Aromatherapy

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Aromatherapy is a wonderfully interesting subject to study. Especially if you are a true lover of nature and feel and sense of peace being around plants, and herbs.

I was inspired to learn more about aromatherapy after watching a wonderful BBC documentary called The Frankincense Trail several years ago. It’s well worth a watch.

I only make very basic and safe recipes.

Here is a free recipe for Lavender Massage Oil to get you started. And if you what to know more about this sweet plant, here’s an article about the use of lavender for sleep.

Crochet and Knitting

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_2021-320x427.jpg

Ok, so knitting is not my strong point. And while I’d absolutely love to be able to knit, frankly I find it a bit frustrating. I have to concentrate 100% or I just drop stitches.

And it takes me about an hour each time, (not to mention, various illustrated diagrams, and a YouTube tutorial or two) to work out how to pick it up again.

But that’s probably just me. Both my mother and grandmother knitted beautifully (that’s actually my grandmother in the photo, right).

Above is my attempt at a lovely simple free pattern from the resource list above.

The dark green hat was crocheted just following a simple tutorial I found on YouTube. It actually turned out really well.

Decoupage

Decoupage tag and envelope Comfy Zen
Decoupaged envelop and tag.

Paper Dying

I just wanted to quickly add this one in because I’ve been doing a lot of paper-dying lately for my journals.

And it’s a super easy and fast way to get very unique, pretty paper to make into journals notebooks, or to use to wrap small gifts.

You’ll just need a shallow tray large enough to fully immerse your paper in. It’s not an exact science – well actually it probably is, but I’m not going to pretend to be an expert. I basically just wing it when making mine (I love the surprise).

Generally speaking, the longer you soak the paper and the more concentrated the dye, the deeper or brighter the result will be. Here are my most successful recipes:

Avocado | Boil avocado (skins only) and the stones in some water. I tend to leave it overnight. Soak the paper for up to an hour (if it’s not delicate paper).

The results will be a surprisingly soft pink.

Red Onion Skins | Outer paper skin only – same process as above.

The results will be a surprisingly a soft green.

Kool-Aid or squash concentrate | OK so saying “this is hand-dyed Kool-Aid paper” doesn’t sound as sophisticated as “this is hand-dyed avocado paper” but it totally works.

I used blackcurrant and apple concentrate straight out of my kitchen cupboard. The paper came out a lovely soft pink and smelled divine for about a week. I worried it would eventually smell off, but it doesn’t, after several weeks it doesn’t smell of anything.

Do you enjoy a craft that you think we should add to this list? Tell us about it in the comments below and we’ll add it and give you a mention if you’d like.

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: Helpful Guides

Best Diamond Painting Kits (Full Guide with Pro Tips and Tricks)

January 8, 2021 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

In this super-easy-to-follow guide, we’ll cover absolutely everything you need to know about getting started with diamond painting. We’ll give you full instructions with tips and tricks along the way, and we’ll also take a look at some of the best diamond painting kits out there, with quick recommendations for choosing the perfect kit, whether you just want a quick project or are up for a bit more of a challenge.

So if that all sounds good to you, let’s get started.

And no problem, if you just want to choose a diamond painting kit and skip everything else – our recommendations are all right here in the table below.

Type of KitOur PicksScroll
Partial Drill Diamond Painting Kits

5D DIY Diamond Painting by Number Kits, Mandala Flower By Windale
This is a gorgeous partial kit which means you won’t be filling the entire canvas with drills, but there are still tons of drills to add to keep you busy. An excellent choice for a first diamond painting – not too much of a time commitment but very sparkly and pretty. You can see more of this one in the video above.
Size: 12 x 12 inches

5D Diamond Painting Kits for Adults – The Kiss Gustav Klimt
This is another fabulous option if you are just getting into diamond art. Lots of sparkles and what’s not to love about a Klimt.
Size: 15.75×19.68 inches
Read More
Full Round Drill Diamond Painting Kits
Eiflow 5D Diamond Painting Kits for Adults Sunflower
With this one, you will be filling the entire canvas with round drills. Round drills are a little more forgiving than square drills when it comes to lining them up straight. You will see a tiny bit of the printed canvas in the background around the drills.
Size: 12 x 12 inches
Read More
Multi Pack Kits
4 Pack 5D DIY Diamond Painting Full Drill by Nurkul
A fabulous set of animals. With good detail when completed. And get 3 more to complete the set. This is a full-round drill set.

Size: 12 x 16 in (approx each)
Read More
Full Square Drill Diamond Painting Kits

ANMUXI 5D Diamond Painting Kits Full Square Drills for Adults
This is a full square drill kit. So you will be filling the entire canvas to make up the image. It comes in a range of different sizes and you get 2 drill pens with 3 drill placer heads for placing a line of drills in one go.
Size: 12 x 12in
Read More

Let me start out by saying if you are new to diamond painting, it’s pretty new to me too. It’s only been around for a few years, so it’s definitely not something I grew up with.

It was invented by a company based in China back in 2010 and took several years to really take off. Now it’s hugely popular and this is only the beginning.

How Easy is Diamond Painting and Will I Like It?

Below is a very short video to give you an idea of what diamond painting is all about.

If you already like cross-stitch or painting by numbers, you’ll love diamond painting. The principle is basically the same. Diamond painting even uses the same DMC color system using the 489 colors that you will be familiar with if you’ve ever done cross-stitch before.

But even if you’ve never done anything like it before, it’s just about the easiest craft you could choose. While it looks super impressive when your painting is completed, it’s one of the most stress-free creative activities you could do.

It’s also very easy to just dip into it every now and then – especially when you compare it to knitting or crochet for example. You see with diamond painting, you can see at a glance where you are up to and what you need to complete next.

And you can start or carry on anywhere on the canvas that you like.

Lastly, it’s so relaxing and meditative, and you don’t need to fully concentrate on it, so you can listen to music, a podcast, an audiobook, or watch something on tv at the same time.

And what a lovely activity to do with your children or grandchildren!

So what’s not to love?

Pro Tip 1
If your canvas won’t lie flat, lift the film at each corner of your canvas and replace it. This simple trick should make your canvas lie flat.

How to do Diamond Painting

It’s super easy:

  1. Your canvas will come with a key. The key will be numbered and/or it may have symbols next to it. There will also be a corresponding DMC number. Match, and stick your diamonds (or drills as they are called) to the sticky surface of the canvas using the color key provided.
  2. Pour some drills into the tray provided in your kit and give it a gentle shake. This will turn all your diamonds the right way up.
  3. To make picking up the drills easy, a drill pen is provided with a hollow nib. Each kit also comes with a small piece of (usually pink) wax. Press the end of the nib into the wax.
  4. Pick up and place your diamond drills onto the canvas.
  5. You will notice that the canvas has a piece of film protecting its sticky surface. Uncover only the small area you are working on at any one time. This is to keep the canvas fluff-free and clean.
Pro Tip 2
If you notice any areas of the canvas have a bumpy or uneven glue surface, use a sharp craft knife to score the surface until the glue evens out. This is important as it will prevent a visible ridge of uneven drills from appearing in your finished piece.

How to Choose a Diamond Painting Kit

There are really three basic types of kit you can choose between and we’ll run through those now:

A Partial Kit

A good way to dip your toes into a diamond painting is with a partial kit.

By this, we mean one that has the high-quality inked background to which you add sparkle and detail with your diamonds.

And just so you know, these kits don’t just give you the odd diamond to add here and there. They have tons of diamonds in them for you to place. And the final effect is stunning.

Another good reason to choose a partial kit is that it’s generally much easier to see the symbols or numbers on your canvas.

Serious diamond artists tend to prefer full drill kits. The finished result of any type of kit has the potential to look stunning. But the full drill kits offer present more of a challenge.

A Full Round Drill Kit

These kits require you to fully cover the canvas with diamond drills. They are a little easier to line up because their circular shape means there is a tiny bit more space around them.

That means you will see some of the canvas in the background – but it will be printed the same color as your drill, so won’t be very noticeable.

A Full Square Drill Kit

Square drills are a little harder to line up straight. But there’s a handy tip to making it easier.

You simply place your drills in a checkerboard pattern and then go back and fill in the gaps.

If you choose a full drill kit, either round or square, you may find it a little difficult to see the symbols. Working over a lightbox or light pad can make things so much easier to see. They are surprisingly cheap too!

If you think you need a lightbox to see what you are doing, try to go for a dimmable one if you can.

Pro Tip 3
If you choose a full drill kit you may find that the edges outside of the working area are sticky too. To keep the edges fluff-free and clean, it’s a good idea to lay a strip of washi tape all the way around the edges of your canvas.

Now it has to be said that if you are filling an entire canvas with drills, your finished picture will inevitably look pixelated to some degree or another. As a rule of thumb, the larger the canvas, the more detailed and less pixelated the final image will be.

Of course, unless you are up for a challenge, that’s not necessarily what you want to hear if you are just starting out. It’s a huge time commitment for a start and you may feel a bit overwhelmed with a large canvas and tons and drills.

The best advice I can give you is not to choose a canvas that’s too big unless you already know you’re going to be hooked, but do choose kits where real people have posted a photo of their finished piece. That will make it easier to judge whether or not you’ll like the final result. …And that, of course, was an essential factor in choosing our recommendations.

Pro Tip 4
Store and label your spare diamonds when you have completed your kit. You never know when you may need a few extra ones in future kits. You can also use them to embellish birthday or Christmas cards etc. The possibilities are endless.

Partial Drill Diamond Painting Kit

5D DIY Diamond Painting by Number Kits, Mandala Flower By Windale

This is the kit I am working on now you can see it in the video above. I’m loving how it is turning out.

It comes with a mixture of different shapes and sizes of drills and the effect is super sparkly and pretty.

Although you only embellish the image, it’s kept me happily busy for about an hour each evening for the last couple of days and I’ve still not finished it as you can see (the finished project is shown above).

Check Price

Eiflow 5D Diamond Painting Kits for Adults Sunflower

If you look on Amazon you can see the photos of the completed painting posted by diamond artists.

We think it looks stunning.

Check Price

Multi Pack Kit

4 Pack 5D DIY Diamond Painting Full Drill by Nurkul

Tons of color to brighten your day. These look fantastic when done.

Check Price

Full Square Drill Diamond Painting Kit

ANMUXI 5D Diamond Painting Kits Full Square Drills for Adults

This one comes in different sizes so if you want more of a challenge, we say go for it!

For best results, a light pad may be the way to go but they are super cheap. Choose a dimmable one.

Check Price

Other Kits

Diamond Painting Bookmark by Ross Beauty

Fantastic gift. Super cute. What’s not to love?

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SUSSURRO 9 Pieces DIY Diamond Painting Keychain

Adorable. I suggest setting these so that the diamonds don’t drop off. Mod podge or similar will work.

Check Price

If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, then let us know down in the comments below.

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: Buying Guides

Beaded Lace Necklace – With a Video Tutorial

December 11, 2020 by Comfy Zen Leave a Comment

Join me in making a beaded lace necklace.

I’ve been in full-on work mode for the last couple of weeks, so decided to down tools on Sunday and spend the day beading which is both fun and relaxing.

I love that you can take a few beads and create something really pretty and unique. And when you don’t get your thread in a knot, or realize you missed a bead way back, it’s a great way to unwind take your mind off the stresses of everyday life.

So I thought I would share with you the simple beaded lace necklace I made.

The inspiration for this necklace, in case you were wondering, was simply that I wanted to make something pretty and delicate but still casual looking, to wear with a couple of things I bought recently. And I just love the color combination of the Picasso Seafoam green with the watermelon.

The beaded lace necklace is super easy to make. In fact, if you look at it closely you can see that it consists of just two units that repeat.

I’ve added an 8mm faceted round bead and a loop clasp. It looks really pretty in real life and costs much less than buying a metal one. And don’t worry about it coming undone. I’ve made several necklaces using a bead and loop closure and have honestly, never had a problem with one coming undone.

Comfy Zen Beaded Lacy Necklace

How to Make a Beaded Lace Necklace

I made the video below so you can see how I made it – and below that is a materials list and my notes on the project.

I’ve also included a PDF download below with tips on how to thread your beading needle – the easy way. Plus a few notes on needle sizes and beading threads.

How to Thread a Beading Needle and Other Pro Tips for New BeadersDownload

And don’t worry even if you’ve never tried bead weaving before. If you are looking for a creative hobby, and you’d just like to give it a try, you’ll be happy to know you don’t need any special skills, to begin with. You’ll pick things up easily and if you find a pattern you like you’ll find you will simply learn new techniques as you go along.

Materials You Need to Make Your Lacy Necklace

  • 11/0 Miyuki Seed Beads Main Color
  • 11/0 Miyuki Seed Beads Accent Color
  • 3x 15/0 Seed Beads
  • 3.4mm Drop Beads
  • 2x 4mm Bicones
  • 1x 8mm Round Bead or Rondelle
  • Beading ThreadSize 10 Beading Needle
  • and a Stop Bead.
Opaque Matte Picasso Seafoam Green from Etsy

Notes:

I designed the Lacy Necklace using just two colors, Opaque Matte Picasso Seafoam Green and Watermelon. But you can of course use any color combination you like.

Bead Links to Etsy:

  • Opaque Matte Picasso Seafoam Green
  • Watermelon

Adding New Thread

Start with a new thread in the previous unit and follow the bead path making a half hitch knot on your way make sure you come out of the same bead you left your old thread and continue beading. You can sew the loose ends back in later.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Please do leave me a comment down below.

Here’s a sneak peek of my new stash of craft supplies. I have a couple of craft projects lined up that I have never tried before. I love trying new crafts so I will share what I make mistakes and all.

Comfy Zen Stash of Craft Supplies

Happy beading!

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: Beading, Helpful Guides

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