Easy as 123: Perler Beads How To
21 July 2010
Author: Margaret Hueske
You may have seen these tiny little beads in your local craft store and wondered what you can make with them and how to use them. Believe me, once your little one sees how much fun it is to make things with them they’ll sit for hours and be content. Here’s a simple Perler Beads how to.
The Pegboard:
The first thing to do is to choose a pegboard. They come in many fun shapes and sizes. From animals to hexagons and flowers to airplanes you can find a shape that suits you. There are many kits that come with a variety of colored Perler Beads and a pegboard shape. Or you can purchase them separately.
Making Your Design:
Once you’ve decided on the shape and the colors you want to use in your project you’ll want to start placing the beads on the pegboard shape. Tiny fingers work perfectly! Keep adding beads until the entire pegboard is filled.
Fusing the Beads:
Once you have all your beads in place it’s time to set them so that your shape remains intact. You will need an ordinary household iron for this step. Parents should do the ironing to ensure that no one gets burned. Preheat a dry iron to the medium setting. When carrying the bead design to the iron, be careful not to tip or bump the beads from the pegboard! You may want to put a piece of cardboard on top of your piece so the beads do not shift during transport, but be sure to remove the cardboard before ironing.
Cover the beads with the ironing paper that was included in your kit. Keep the iron level while ironing and move in a circular motion for about 10 seconds to fuse the beads evenly.
Let the beads cool before trying to handle-this is the hardest part! Remove the ironing paper and take your design off the pegboard.
Flip your design over. Cover it with the ironing paper and iron the other side to fuse the beads. Ironing both sides makes your creation sturdier. You are now ready to get started with another Perler Bead project.
Perler Bead projects are fun and easy to make and will surely give your child great satisfaction when showing off his/her creations to friends and family. Follow this simple Perler Beads how to and get started today!