How cute are Perler beads?! Not only do my kids love creating creatures with them, but I actually love designing Perler bead ideas myself. If you’re not in-the-know about this easy kids’ craft, allow me to enlighten you!
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Easy Perler Bead Ideas We Love
Perler beads are colorful plastic beads that can be arranged on pegboards and then fused together using heat to set the beaded design in place. The classic Perler beads started as primarily a kids’ activity back in 1981, but have since amassed a following of all ages. Pixel art is a new fave among adult portrait artists (have you seen these things?!) and the first National Perler Day was celebrated in 2019 to highlight such amazing works of Perler bead art.
Whether you consider yourself a fine artist on the hunt for a new medium, or you’re just looking for fun ways to keep your kiddos entertained, these Perler bead projects are sure to get those creative juices flowing!
Perler Bead Ideas Easy Supplies
- Perler Beads
- Square Perler Pegboard
- Iron and Ironing Board
- Parchment Paper
How to make Cool Perler Bead Designs
- Choose a design or create your own.
- Add perler beads to a pegboard.
- Iron the perler beads so they melt and fuse together, following the instructions below.
How do you melt Perler beads perfectly?
- Place perler bead pegboard with finished design on an ironing board and cover design with parchment paper.
- Heat iron to medium and iron in a circular motion over the parchment paper. Do not press hard on the design. Continue ironing over the entire design until beads just start to melt and are touching. (About 15-20 seconds)
- Flip design over and remove the pegboard. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and repeat the ironing process. Allow to cool completely before handling.
Cute Perler Beads Designs
Knight and Princess Perler Bead Designs
Easy Mermaid Perler Bead Patterns
These Perler bead ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. These designs make great gifts for kids, Christmas ornaments, or even gift tags on presents. What are you excited to make? Let me know in the comments below!