5 Ways to Use Sugar Diamonds on Pens, Beads, and Topper

Written and reviewed by ZOE, Business Owner at ZoeDIY.

So you've got a bag of Sugar Diamonds sitting in your workspace, maybe two sizes if you went a little heavy at checkout. And you're not totally sure where they actually go. Ring a bell?

It's a question I wanted to answer properly, so I finally sat down to put something together. I'm not going to hand you a glitter-fueled fairy story with flawless sparkly finishes on the first try. We're going to look at five real ways we've applied loose Sugar Diamonds to actual craft surfaces, filmed and recorded before we wrote a single word about it. Just five ways.

If you came here for how to use Sugar Diamonds for crafts without the fluff, you're in the right place. And these aren't limited to just five uses, far from it. These little particles can dress up many more surfaces than I'm covering here. But I'm only writing up the ones we've actually recorded and confirmed.

We only add a method to this post once we've filmed it and recorded the result first. So as we record and verify more projects, they'll get added to this post over time (worth checking back now and then). For now, here are five. Finally, a small but important note, each of the sections below covers the method using Sugar Diamonds alone.

The examples may have things like a flower, bow, or even rhinestone chain glued down too, if so, that's a separate topic of discussion and will not be explained in the sections below. We're strictly covering how to apply just the Sugar Diamonds this time.

What Sugar Diamonds Mean in This Guide

A little terminology first. This part is easy to mix up, and getting it wrong seriously hampers progress.

In the ZoeDIY world, Sugar Diamonds are tiny loose craft bits you sprinkle onto a surface you've already prepared and then press down in order to achieve that textured, shiny, crushed-crystal look. These are not, and I really can't repeat this enough, actually finished beads with a proper through-hole in each one. That really is a crucial detail.

Finished Sugar Beads (that is, the finished beads, the ones you can thread onto a string) are a different species altogether from the loose particles. They can be what you want as the ultimate goal, but the loose particles in your hand are simply surface particles, nothing else. So just make sure you know the difference between those two concepts, and that will help the entire page make sense.

Oh, and a quick mention of the size, because they are also often misunderstood. If you see 1.5mm or 2mm in the title, all that is conveying is the size of the particle, a measurement of each individual tiny particle, period. No tricks, no surprises.

Before You Apply Sugar Diamonds: Keep the Project Functional

Before you begin, back up and think about your design. You need to know one thing: what area of surface needs covered? Only that one space. Not the whole thing.

It's an easy thing to get wrong when you get too ambitious and start tossing glitter around like sprinkles. A piece often has surfaces that need to stay useful (opening, connection point, parts that move, center design you want to be visible). Cover one with a layer of particles and you've basically defeated the design it's supposed to be supporting.

Now the less lovable part, and here I have to warn you. Cover it in an adhesive or Tape system you have already selected and tested with your own base, because there is no way I can give you a single universal glue to use here (wish I could, it would make writing this way more efficient). These five examples do not justify the use of any one particular adhesive on all types of surfaces. Please don't read them that way.

Once the particles meet the prepared surface, we press the entire layer into the surface with our hand. It's part of the method in the recorded examples. On the reasoning, 3M's adhesion guidance literature states that firm pressure generally helps a pressure-sensitive adhesive increase flow and contact with the surface. That's all it says, and that's my only claim. It does not prove anything about the effectiveness of any particular ZoeDIY Tape, and I won't try to pretend otherwise, with a lbs or seconds measurement. You press firmly with your hands. End of story.

One last tip before I get to the fun. Make sure to test the combination of everything you will be combining on an area of your project before applying it to the whole. One small test run in advance can save you an embarrassing pile of wasted particles!

5 Ways to Use Sugar Diamonds on Different Products

Now here's where the fun begins. Five different surfaces, five ways to do it, and they're almost nothing alike, because a pen body cylinder does not act like a cube does, and a flat disk is a category all by itself. So each set of steps will shift slightly from the previous. I just suggest you read the one that applies to what you have in front of you, rather than going through all five.

1. Cover a Beadable Pen Body

It's a friendly one to start with, and I can see why. It's the friendliest, so I want to show you next.

1. Estimate the area of the cylindrical surface you will have the adhesive layer wrapped around, then wrap it smoothly and tightly around the pen body and make sure the rim, the top lock, the ring, and all the working hardware stay completely outside the particle zone. Here's the part that's easy to rush: keep the center rod and the other hardware completely separated from the cylindrical particle surface. Once the layer is aligned and wrinkle-free, expose the sticky outer face and go no further than you need. Still not naming the adhesive SKU or the Tape SKU, use an adhesive system you've already selected and tested for your own base.
2. Press the prepared cylindrical surface onto the surface of the yellow Sugar Diamonds and roll gently over the particles so that each side touches down in full contact. Keep the rod and the rest of the noncovered hardware above the particle bed. Don't let them dip down into the particles.
3. Lift the pen up, turn it, and press the bead layer down with your hand to touch down that layer fully. Examine the pen body, and if a prepared spot still is not in contact with the particles, touch it back to the bed and press again. Still no set lbs or seconds with you here.
4. The end result you end up with is the pen body wears a single layer of Sugar Diamonds all the way around it, while the hardware remains visible and functional.

Pen bodies that are ready to adorn their surface can be found here in our Beadable Pen Projects.

2. Fill the Background Around Large Decorations

Totally different scenario here. You already installed the larger embellishments and now you're just trying to add in the background.

1. You will want the large decorative pieces to already be attached when you begin this application, but I am not explaining how to attach them here, so skip right past that. Find the visible prepared background, the surface sitting between those elevated pieces. That visible surface and only that will be the work area for the black Sugar Diamonds.
2. Support the surface of the decorated piece with one hand, then press or roll the exposed background into the black Sugar Diamonds, and turn the piece as you do so, so that the adhesive surfaces along the front and sides make full contact with the particles. The decorated pieces will stay visible the entire time. Don't cover them! That's the single most important rule here.
3. Lift the piece, rotate it, and press the black particle layer into the spaces between the decorations. Now look carefully to see if there is any background you missed. Re-contact only the exposed prepared spots, nothing else. And once again: this is not a universal way to include all sorts of raised decorations and every type of adhesive on earth. Adjust your own piece accordingly.
4. The end result is black Sugar Diamonds making a single textured surface between the larger decorations, with those featured pieces remaining visible and decorating the surface without having been covered.

3. Create a Textured Base on a Round Topper

Flat and round, instead of tube-shaped. In the example, done in pink to contrast against the darker particles, so you can see how they come together.

1. Prepare one flat face of the round base with a circular adhesive layer matching the area you want covered, placing it over that flat area so that it's perfectly flat and free of wrinkles. Make it a rule: keep any required loop or connection point clear of adhesive and particles. That's the part you'll want later, so don't smother it now. Smooth the prepared face flush and expose the sticky face. Still not saying the adhesive SKU or the tape SKU, use an adhesive system you've already selected and tested for your own base.
2. Hold the round base flat and press the exposed face into the pink Sugar Diamonds, circling the surface as you go to ensure the adhesive is contacting everywhere, all across, for even contact.
3. Lift and look the whole circle over to verify particle coverage, edges included, then hand-press the particle layer. If you discover any bare areas, press them into the particles so that the face is entirely textured.
4. The last result is the pink Sugar Diamonds give the round topper a textured face that keeps its flat round shape, with any required loop or connection point left open.

4. Cover the Area Around a Center Design

The closest relation to the previous method, though your playing space is currently the uncovered prepared face just sitting around your built-in center design. The center design is already in place, and I am not covering the mounting here. So you'll want to overlook the design placement, and concentrate on the working space.

1. Because the design is already in place, disregard the methods of attachment in this demonstration and proceed directly onto the prepared surface surrounding the design. Target only that prepared surface, and only that. When you reveal the prepared surface, ensure the design area is not revealed with it.
2. Lightly press or roll the revealed prepared surface onto the green Sugar Diamonds, rotating the piece to make contact on every part of the surface without anything between. Cease once the surrounding surface is fully textured and the design sits slightly raised above the particle bed, then turn over and check both the outside surface and the internal edges of the work.
3. If there are any areas bare, press them into the particles and check again. This is not one of those exercises where lbs or seconds have been awarded.
4. What will be revealed as the finished surface is green Sugar Diamonds covering the prepared area all around the center design, forming a textured background, while the center design itself stays uncovered and visible as the focal point. If the design still reads as the focal point above that textured green background then you've nailed it.

5. Cover a Cube Bead Surface

Last one, and I'll be honest, it's the fiddliest of the bunch. Give yourself a little extra patience here, because now you've got both corners and a hole to keep track of at once.

1. Prepare the outer faces of the cube with the project adhesive layer, evenly worked around the flat sides. Slightly distinct from all I have been saying here, ensure the center through-hole is not closed at all. Keep it wide open. Straight through. Bottom side to top side. Still no naming an adhesive SKU or a tape SKU, use an adhesive system you've already selected and tested for your own base.
2. Along the edges and the corners of the cube, cut away any excess so that the adhesive layer simply is following its outline rather than heading into the through-hole. Have a look at it there, pat that layer down, and have another check that that hole remains open. Don't close it up.
3. Press one prepared face to the Sugar Diamonds, then rotate and repeat across the remaining prepared faces, making sure you are working the particles in full contact with the flat faces of the cube, while keeping the center through-hole clear. Hand-press the particles into the flat faces, edges, and corners with the same hand pressure approach, no fixed number of presses or force. Final check again to make sure the channel is fully open and not closing up.
4. The finished cube keeps its visible geometric shape, the prepared outer faces carry the particle texture, and the center channel stays open and available for the rod.

What These Five Methods Have in Common

Different surfaces, 1 steady rhythm. Do two or three one after the other and you will begin to see the subtle common thread:

• define the area you intend to cover;
• protect the functional part, the hole, the rod, the joint, the working area, the center design;
• bring the exposed adhesive surface into contact with the Sugar Diamonds;
• press and inspect the particle layer;
• show and check the completed Sugar Diamonds result.

It's all there, an excellent pattern to remember. However, here's the catch. A cylinder, a flat disc, a raised-design surface, a cube: they can each need a different adhesive fitting and a different contact angle. Pressing a pen cylinder is quite different than pressing a cube. Not just remotely. So learn the rhythm from all five, yes. But this isn't one universal adhesive recipe for everything you own. It is a rhythm, not an assurance.

Choosing 1.5mm or 2mm Sugar Diamonds

Two live sizes (1.5mm and 2mm) available. I will give you the "honest" answer upfront: you need to test it on your own base. But here is the concrete and documented fact:

What I can surely not say, because I will be making it up: one size covers more efficiently than the other, while lasting longer, or always covering more thoroughly, or requires a different amount of time or a certain number of pounds of force before becoming effective. I have no clue about your project. As you do, trial and experiment and you will learn everything no article ever could!

Watch a Complete Round Sugar Bead Project

Would you like to see the process for creating finished Sugar Beads from "rough" loose diamonds? We have a separate video here for that purpose.

Watch this Sugar Diamonds project on YouTube

By the way, just to eliminate confusion, the separate video includes a different project using our Sugar Diamonds to construct Sugar Beads. That's why I haven't stuck that project at the bottom of "5 Ways." Not method six. it should remain distinct and separate from the 5 above-mentioned surface application methods.

And as the video shows the whole process from beginning to end, it is redundant to include any of the pearl, nail charm or bead tapes/assemblies from earlier in this post again. If you're curious, pop over and have a look!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Sugar Diamonds used for in DIY crafts?

When used in a ZoeDIY crafts environment, they are loose particles that get adhered onto a base after you prepare the base, and then used to create that popular texture and sparkle for: pen bodies, backgrounds around larger decorations, bases of round toppers, the area around a center artwork element, and cube faces. Those 5 are the confirmed examples, the ones we recorded and verified as ZoeDIY projects, laid out in the prior numbered sections. More methods and uses get added below in their own numbered sections once they are genuinely recorded and verified.

Can Sugar Diamonds be used on beadable pens?

Yes, it's basically Method 1 up top. Short version: wrap and expose the adhesive layer on the pen body, keep the center rod and the writing hardware clear, then roll the exposed cylinder over the Sugar Diamonds so the loose particles cling to the tape, and press it down to finish. Keep the center rod and the writing hardware clear the whole time so the pen still works; you can see and read about it in Method 1. Results depend on the adhesive system you selected and tested for your own base.

Can I use them to make finished Sugar Beads?

Yes, but this is considered a finished piece unto itself, separate from these surface methods. Go have a look at the video above, it's a separate complete-project reference you can watch, or go visit our category on Finished Sugar Beads.

Should I choose 1.5mm or 2mm Sugar Diamonds?

It really depends on your own subject. There are two types of "live" Sugar Diamond sizes: our smaller size is available as the 1.5 mm Sugar Diamonds (Part # FS1441). And we have a slightly larger size called 2 mm Sugar Diamonds (Part # FS1115). Please first test with the item to be used because depending on the materials for your surface (base item material) there will not always be a clear winner between sizes.

Do Sugar Diamonds stay permanently attached?

This article is making no promise regarding permanence, waterproofing, or wear resistance. We won't promise the particles stay attached for a fixed period or on every material. The outcome depends on your actual base, the application system you selected and tested, the surface contact, and your own project testing. We prefer giving you honest replies every time!

Where to Take Your Sugar Diamonds Next

Ready for action? If I was sitting next to you with this project on my bench right now, that's where I'd proceed from here:

• Start at the Sugar Diamonds Product category, the main place to browse and shop the loose Sugar Diamonds, big and small alike.
• Browse either the 1.5mm Sugar Diamonds or the 2mm Sugar Diamonds.
• Planning a Beadable Pen Project? Navigate your way to Beadable Pen Projects here.
• And if you like using a decorative effect with a similar aesthetic and want extra fun with it, take a few minutes over to Sugar Style Projects.
• And if you're after finished beads rather than loose particles, go straight for Finished Sugar Beads, which are finished components ready to use.

Sources checked: 3M adhesion fundamentals. Last reviewed: August 7, 2026.