X Research source You'll have to continue this for about 10 seconds for the beads to stick together. Heat a dry iron to a medium setting, then slowly run it in a circular motion over the parchment paper. You should be careful when doing this so that you don't accidentally knock any beads out of place. Take your parchment paper, which is also sometimes called ironing paper, and place it over the beads on the pegboard. Working from the outside in can crowd the empty pegs on the inside of the board, which may cause you to accidentally knock beads off of pegs.

You can put your Perler beads onto the pegs in any way that works best for you, but you may want to consider working from the bottom up or top down.

To prevent this, you may want to lay a non-slip craft mat beneath your beading project.

Due to the fact that the pegs of your Perler pegboard are so small, it's very easy for you to jostle the board and knock your beads loose.

You might make use of a realistic color scheme, or you might choose wacky colors to give your creation character.

Each bead represented by the pattern should center around a peg.

When using a pattern beneath your pegboard, it's important to make sure the pattern is properly aligned with the pegs.

If you are using a clear, square shaped pegboard, you should slide a pattern underneath before beading, or you could create a freeform design of your own making. If you are following a shaped pegboard, like a pegboard shaped like a cat for example, you should slip the beads onto the raised pegs in the arrangement you desire. This article has been viewed 692,011 times.īead according to the pattern. This article received 15 testimonials and 80% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. WikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback.

There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University.

She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.This article was co-authored by Amy Guerrero. Window.FB.Event.subscribe('xfbml.render', function() (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')) There are not only fan sites but also online community forums dedicated to this unique art form, where, for example, you’ll find photorealistic portraits of Quentin Tarantino, made with approximately 12,000 Perler beads, Madonna, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hamilton, and Pete Buttigieg, along with numerous tributes to video game characters, comic book heroes, and other pop culture icons. Most often considered a kids’ crafting activity, Perler beads are enjoying new popularity also among adults who use Perler beads to create elaborate pixel art. They range from beads to pegboards, activity kits, tools, and much more. Perler products are sold online and in stores nationwide. The brand that introduced Perler beads is owned by Simplicity Creative Corp., which is a part of CSS Industries which is a company, focused on selling items related to craft, gifts, and seasonal specialties. Perler beads were first introduced in the U.S. The beads were later made from polyethylene and it became possible to fuse them with a flat iron. The bead designs would be glued to cardboard or Masonite boards and then used as trivets. It did not take long until the pegboard gained popularity as a toy for children. In Vällingby, Sweden, Gunnar Knutsson created the pegboard for bead designs, which was patented in 1962 (granted in 1967), as a therapy for elderly homes.

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