When so much of our days are filled with scrolling, streaming, listening and email-sending, it’s easy to forget that there are hobbies that don’t actually require a screen. The great thing about finding new offline hobbies, whether that’s board games, crafting or building Lego sets, is that many of them don’t require prior knowledge or skills. This is the case with diamond painting, one of this year’s trending hobbies.
Despite its name, diamond painting doesn’t actually call for brushes and paint. Instead, it simply involves attaching “diamonds” (actually small gems or rhinestones) to a canvas by matching them to numbers, similar to painting by numbers. When it comes to diamond painting, “you don’t need to be naturally artistic or have any prior crafting experience,” says Michael Stanley, chief strategy officer at Diamond Dotz. “The design is mapped out, so almost anyone can pick it up and create something beautiful.”
Below, I rounded up some of the best highly-reviewed diamond painting kits to try. I also spoke to hobby and crafting experts from diamond painting kit brands for their guidance when it comes to finding the best options.
*Any inclusion of Diamond Dotz products in this story was made independently of Stanley, who we only consulted for shopping tips and guidance. We did not ask Stanley for product recommendations.
Best overall painting kit$6.60$21.99
Best for custom painting kits$24.99$49.98
How I picked the best top-rated diamond painting kits
To find the best diamond painting kits, mainly for those who are new to the hobby, I spoke with experts for their guidance on what to look for. Here’s what they recommended I keep in mind when making this list:
- Supplies: The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for a diamond painting kit is making sure it has all of the required supplies in order to finish the project. “A typical kit consists of a canvas with a design, a sticky layer applied, and everything covered with film or thin paper, rhinestones, a stylus, wax, and a special rhinestone palette,” says Artiom Jankovskij*, chief executive officer of Wizardi, an online craft and hobby store. Each rhinestone corresponds to a symbol, so you know where to place it — it’s important that you don’t lose the stones, otherwise you won’t be able to complete the design. Additionally, you can shop for other supplies, such as a diamond painting drill wheel, which allows you to apply the “diamonds” faster than with only the stylus (also called a pen or applicator). All of the kits I included below are on canvas.
- Design: While diamond painting doesn’t require a lot of pre-developed skills, it does require patience. The kits come in different partial or full designs (meaning some require gems on only parts of the canvas or all of it), with some more intricate than others. This means a more complicated design will often take more time to finish. All of the kits below vary somewhat in intricacy and some may require more time than others.
*Any inclusion of Wizardi products in this story was made independently of Jankovskij, who we only consulted for shopping tips and guidance. We did not ask Jankovskij for product recommendations.
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The best top-rated diamond painting kits in 2026
All of the diamond painting kits have at least a four-star average rating across 500 reviews or more on Amazon or are from highly-reviewed diamond painting brands.
This diamond painting brand has more than 20 canvas designs and illustrations, including ones with flowers, animals and abstract art. The kit includes a pen, small tray, plastic pouches with gems of different colors and a canvas with the illustration on it that has numbers that correspond to each of the gems, so you know where to place them. Reviewers also mention how easy the kit is to use and set up and that it’s a great activity to help with stress.
Diamond Painting Pro has a great lineup of different illustrations and designs for its diamond painting canvases. You can select from art portraits, animals, landscapes, florals, holiday themes and more. Diamond Painting Pro lets you create your own custom design, like the one pictured, by uploading your personal photos. The brand also lets you choose different canvas sizes and they also enhance your photo before transferring it to a canvas so your painting is more detailed. It’s also a full-drill design, meaning that the gems used fill out more of the canvas than round ones.
The canvas from this diamond painting kit is available in 23 inches by 31 inches, so it’s a great standalone decoration for your living room, bathroom or above a bar cart. It comes with square, full-drill gems made from resin, two styluses and more. While this kit is only available in one size, the brand also sells smaller kits that don’t take as long to complete. There are many illustrations available, including animals, landscapes and florals.
This is just one of many diamond painting kits that Minnesota-based crafts brand Wizardi sells. It has canvas-based diamond painting kits based off of cartoon characters, flowers, animals, landscapes and more. You can also buy diamond painting kits from Wizardi that are done on wood, which you can use as ornaments or decor. The canvas from this kit is comparatively small, so it wouldn’t take long to finish.
This kit comes with a printed canvas with an illustration of tulips and acrylic gems. Diamond Dotz sells many types of diamond painting kits, including ones on canvas and on paper to make cards, coasters, decor and more. The brand also has canvas kits with illustrations of florals, animals, famous paintings, landscapes, holiday themes and more.
How to shop for diamond painting kits
When shopping for a diamond painting kit, consider the following:
Where do you buy a diamond painting kit?
You can buy a diamond painting kit on Amazon, Etsy, online craft stores like Diamond Dotz, Paint with Diamonds, Wizardi and more. You can also buy diamond painting kits in stores, including Michaels and Walmart. These stores usually have canvas-based diamond painting kits and some also let you create a custom painting with your own photo. You can also buy diamond painting kits that are on wood or decorative keychains or ornaments, according to Jankovskij.
How much do diamond painting kits cost?
Diamond paintings can cost anywhere from $5 to $50 or more, depending on the size of the canvas, the design and how many paintings are in the kit.
What materials do diamond painting kits come with?
Diamond painting kits typically come with all of the tools required to finish the painting. With that said, you can still buy other supplies separately, such as multiple styluses and drill wheels if you lose them, for example.
Do diamond painting kits require different skill levels?
Diamond painting kits don’t require a lot of prior skills, but since the designs and illustrations vary a lot some take more time than others. This is also influenced by the size of the canvas.
Frequently asked questions
Diamond painting is an arts and crafts activity that requires adhering gems or rhinestones (also called drills) to an illustration printed on a canvas. Diamond painting kits also usually come with a tray for separating the gems, a stylus and wax to help apply the gems. Some kits are partial or full coverage. “Partial coverage designs have diamonds only on specific areas, usually with a printed background,” says Stanley. “Full coverage designs are completely covered in gems.”
Diamond painting has been around for more than a decade, according to Stanley, but ironically, the screen-free activity has recently become popular on social media. “There’s a growing interest in analog hobbies and screen-free projects,” he says. “After spending so much of our work, school, and social lives online, many people are craving real-world activities that help them slow down and reset.”
Meet our crafts experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
*Any inclusion of Wizardi and Diamond Dotz products in this story was made independently of Jankovskij and Stanley, who we only consulted for shopping tips and guidance. We did not ask either expert for specific product recommendations.
- Michael Stanley is the chief strategy officer at Diamond Dotz.
- Artiom Jankovskij is the chief executive officer of Wizardi, an online craft and hobby store.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I’ve covered deals, sale events, product roundups, reviews and more. I write home, kitchen and cleaning stories, such as the best renter-friendly upgrades, how to clean coffee makers and the best cordless vacuums. I also write about product recalls and lifestyle, hobby and DIY stories, including the best board games and how to use a Cricut machine. For this story, I interviewed multiple diamond painting and craft experts for their guidance.
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