For those of you who may not know, perler beads are small brightly colored plastic beads that are set out onto a peg board to create a design. When the design has been completed on the board, the beads are gently heated to meld them together and then they are gently removed from the board.
The heating process is repeated on the back of the design so that the beads are completely secure. The beads come in all colors imaginable and are easy to work with; they are suitable for all ages to create designs.
When you use perler beads to create a design, your imagination can run wild; cartoon characters, cute little animals or event small notepad holders are all possible and will look good when displayed around your child’s bedroom.
Perler Beads – Creation and Imagination
If you are not sure how to start to make one of these designs, there are plenty of ideas available on the internet. There are some tutorial videos on one of the more popular sites we all know so well. The designs are simple to make and it will not take you long to master the technique.
Perler beads can be purchased from a good handicraft shop as can the pegboards and ironing paper you will need to make your designs. These can be printed off the internet and then it is just a simple matter of copying the perler beads patterns onto the pegboard and filling the pattern in with beads.
When the beads are all in place, ironing paper is placed on the beads and gentle pressure is applied with a moderately hot iron. Then when the beads are joined together, the board is removed and then the iron is placed on the opposite side to complete the process.
All that needs to be done then is to make a hole or two for hanging display purposes and the job is complete. At first, placing perler beads on the pegboard may be a little fiddly, but once you get used to doing it, your speed will surely increase. You’ll still want to take your time and make the designs to the best of your ability. You’ll want to look back fondly on these perler beads occasions and remember how enjoyable the experience was when you gave it your all.
Children will love to watch you creating your designs and will want to make some of their own once they see how easy it can be (obviously Mom will have to do the ironing) but once they have completed some of their own art work, they will always be wanting more. It’s one sure way to pass the time and enjoy something with the whole family.
Kids Love Perler Beads
This is a great activity to work with children and help pass the time. It’s interesting and always for creative expression. After some time, the child can show some very creative pictures and techniques. They can get their creative juices flowing which will help them later in life when it comes to problem solving and thinking out of the box. Plus perler beads help you with following instructions and safety, which are always vital roles for any child to understand.
So if you want to try something that is different; using perler beads to make pretty designs for your children will reward the time and effort you spend. And with the endless possibilities of pictures you can make, your imagination should be working overtime to think of new and interesting ideas. Once you do that, then the sky is the limit.
Have you discovered all of the great things that you can do with perler beads? These craft supplies are endlessly versatile and entertaining for kids and adults alike. They are small, plastic beads that can pieced together to form almost any shape you can imagine. With only a small bit of heat applied to fuse the pieces together, your previously loose beads become fused together to create your new incredible perler beads creation. It’s a popular family time activity, great for summer activities when it’s too hot outside or winter activities when it’s below freezing and it chills you to even look outside.
Perler Beads are Great for Craft Time
If you are trying to figure out how to entertain children for a rainy day, perler beads are great for hours of fun. If you aren’t the type of person that is great about coming up with shape ideas on your own, there are perler beads ideas books out there that can give you inspiration for new creations. Say your child is obsessed with trucks; the two of you can create a personalized, customized truck together.
The first thing that you need to do to create that perfect truck is to choose the pegboard that makes the shape of a truck. The perler bead company has a lot of stock templates to choose from, so you might find the perfect shape for your design from those stock shapes. If you can’t find that shape from the stock pegboards, they also make interlocking, larger pegboards that you can piece together to form your needed templates. Additionally, you can buy two smaller pegboards and link them together for one bigger surface.
Steps to Make Perler Beads into your Finished Design
If you have gotten beyond the design stage of your creation and have moved on to actually creating your object, such as your child’s truck, the next step is to choose your colors. Perler beads often come in large tubs with many colors, so pick out the color perler beads that will form the best look and design for your intended final product.
You can get tubs of perler beads as large as twenty thousand or more. However, the vast number of perler beads can easily get lost or be digested by a small child, so be very careful when it comes to how many to start with at once.
After choosing your colors, you then have place the beads over the pegs in the right shape and pattern to create your truck (or, of course, whatever you are making). Proof your design, because now is when you can make changes, because the next step is when it becomes permanent. The heat is on the way….
Once your perler beads are in your desired placement on your pegboard, the next step is to fuse them together through the application of heat. To do this properly, you will place a piece of parchment paper over the pegboard and then put an iron on top of the parchment paper. With a dry iron on only medium heat, you will slowly apply heat to the parchment paper. Rub the iron over the parchment paper very slowly in a wide circle. It will only take about ten seconds, and it they will fuse together. Anytime heat this intense is involved, be sure to have an adult supervising the activity.
After that step, you are going to flip your design over and do the other side. Take this step slow, so that you don’t accidentally pull it apart. So you will slowly remove the parchment paper, turn the perler beads over, and repeat the ironing process on the opposite side.
And that’s it! You’ve created your individual creation with perler beads.