Craft it with Hama Beads: Easy and fun patterns for gifts and accessories from fuse beads

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Hama beads are can be used as seasonal crafts we have made Halloween and Christmas creations and even made baubles for the Christmas tree out of Hama Beads. Read more in my post – Christmas Decoration Crafts for Kids and Children’s Halloween Crafts I have also bought Perler branded beads when on holiday in the US and found that these work very well, although they are slightly more brittle in texture once ironed. Perler beads are available in a wider range of unusual colours as well as striped beads, so they are good for adding a bit of interest to a piece. They are great for kids as they help develop fine motor skills for younger children and in older children, they help develop knowledge of patterns and allow them to be creative. Getting started Hama beads can be expensive and sometimes it's tempting to look at the cheaper non-branded alternatives. In general I'd advise steering clear of these imitations, as the quality is very poor and they can be difficult and disappointing to work with. Use them as keyrings, or cute handbag charms. If you are embracing a summertime Christmas theme, why not add a hanging loop instead and use them as tree decorations.

A few of these patterns are larger than a 29 x 29 pegboard, so you’ll either need a extra large pegboard(49 x 69 tall) or to put multiple square peg boards together to form a larger “canvas.” I recommend this pegboard set because it has the boards we use the most. Most all of the designs we created can be done on a large square square board, a circle or hexagon pegboard. For large designs you’ll need more than one large square pegboard. This set has multiple large square boards.For adults, it’s all about relaxing. They remind me of adult coloring, except with beads instead of pencils. I find that you have to be very mindful when you use hama beads. I love them! The Perler Bead Process

These tiny, colourful beads can be arranged on pegboards and fused together to create an endless array of designs, from simple patterns to intricate works of art. They can also be used without fusing them together and strung just as beads to make jewellery and accessories.Mix and match your favourite fruits together to make a fruit salad keyring! Hama bead Pineapple design You will need: Tweezers - Crafting with perler beads can be a little bit fiddly, so a pair of tweezers can be a great way to make things a little easier. Plastic gripper tweezers are a great option for children as they are safe for little hands and really help them work on their fine motor skills. How to use perler beads step-by-step Hama beads have a lower melting point than perler beads and end up shorter and more rounded at the edge when fused. They also have a shiny look once fused, whereas perler beads have a more matte finish. Made from low-density polyethylene, these small, fusible plastic beads are placed onto pegboards to create colorful patterns and designs. I've suggested below a few Hama bead products below that are great for beginners, and you might also want to take a look at my Hama bead gift guide for some more Hama bead inspiration.

In this guide, we’ve covered what exactly perler beads are and how they work, how to get started with them and the best supplies to buy, as well as some fab inspiration for your first project. What are perler beads? Paint drip perler bead heart. Cute pandas made of perler beads. We had fun making this large Bob Ross design (original design source AC Moore) Super Mario Bros designs. VW Bus design. Next, put the bowl into the oven until melted then take out and leave to cool. Once cooled remove from the bowl and you will have your very own Hama bead bowl. For more in-depth instructions read more post How to make Hama Bead Bowls Hanging DecorationsThe beads are placed together on individual plastic pegboards in a pattern and/or shape, and then melted together with the heat from an iron. What can you make with them? Just about everything! For kids, they’re great for exploring creativity. But children will also develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. You can also use them for color recognition and basic counting. They are recommended by occupational therapists for working on grasp and strengthening fingers. Iron/Mini heat press - Fusing your beads together requires even and medium to high heat, the easiest way to do this is by using a household iron (make sure to have the steam function turned off!). If you're an avid crafter and regularly work with materials such as iron-on vinyl, you'll likely have a heat press at your disposal – small handheld heat presses can also be used for fusing perler beads. There are limitless designs you can make with melty beads! You can make basic items like ornaments and coasters (because they are plastic, they repel water!). You can glue them together. You can make 3D items. And there’s no mess.

Last year my girls even made all their teachers Hama bead bookmarks with a ribbon tied through the bottom. Why Choose Hama Beads I always recommend trying a practice piece and just getting used to the feel of ironing the beads before committing to larger patterns. Once you’re done learning, you can get a ton of patterns at the end of this post. Then your journey can really begin! However an exception is the Picture Beads sold by Hobbycraft. I've used lots of these Hama style beads and found that they are nearly as good as branded Hama beads. Hobbycraft sell their beads in mixed bags of related colours, like blues and greens, and they are much cheaper, especially if you catch them on special offer. They are exactly the same size as branded Hama beads and can be used interchangeably with your Hama beads and Hama branded pegboards. Hama beads are available in three different sizes - Maxi, Midi and Mini. The Maxi beads have a diameter of 10 mm and are aimed at young children completing their first Hama bead projects. The Midi beads measure 5 mm in diameter and are the most common size of bead. These are the beads that I most often work with, and they are suitable for both children and adults to use. The smallest beads are the Mini beads, and with a diameter of 2.5 mm they really are very tiny. It's easiest to manipulate them with tweezers, and they are definitely more suited to teenagers and adults as they are very fiddly to use.I’ve used a heart shaped pegboard here for colour contrast only, the strawberry pattern can be made on a square pegboard)