Have you heard of perler beads, seen projects done with them, or used them yourself?
What are perler beads you ask?
The Beginner's Guide to Perler Beads, says "Pearler beads (as know as Hama beads or Nabbi beads) are plastic fusible beads. These colorful beads are usually arranged on plastic pegboards to form patterns and then fused together with a clothes iron. They can also be strung into necklaces, woven into keychains, or even assembled into three-dimensional decors."
I tried a small pearler bead kit a few years ago, but didn't really get into them until I did a Disney Pixar craft swap last year and a huge woodland critter kit for my daughter's advent calendar for Christmas.
The process of using pearler beads reminds me a lot of cross stitching. In cross stitching you use thread to make little x's to make a pattern. The same concept applies to using pearler beads except you're using beads. If you make a mistake, you can easily move the beads around. Something I like about using perler beads. However, once you iron your pattern, there's no turning back. The only thing I don't like about using perler beads is that with any slight pump the beads come off the pegboard. Since they move so easily, I've learned to take lots of close-up pictures while using perler beads. That way if they come off the pegboard, I can look back to the photos to see were they belong.
On Wednesday, while looking for a card in my cards/stationary tote in the garage, I found the remaining perler beads from the Disney pixar project. Perler beads can be quite addicting. I spent the last hours of Wednesday night and welcomed Thursday (I was up til 2:30 am) designing my own Frida Kahlo, watermelon, cactus, a pink sacred heart (as a type this, I'm realizing I need to add a flame at the top of the heart), a paint palette, and a paint brush.
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On Thursday, while my daughter napped, I searched for Frida Kahlo perler beads on Pinterest for inspiration and I started adjusting my Frida Kahlo pattern around. Frida's head wasn't square anymore. I gave it a more rounded shape.
While taking progress pictures, I learned to take photographs from a distance because you get a better feel of how the pattern will look like once fused together.
Now, I just have to add flames to the pink sacred heart and iron the Frida inspired perler bead patterns, that I designed. Hopefully, I can find a square or long rectangular frame to display them in.
Tomorrow is the last day to sign up from the Viva La Frida swap, click here to sign up, and the Frida Kahlo pin giveaway. As a perk for signing up, you'll receive discounts from Etsy shops that sell Frida Kahlo inspired items. For more Frida inspiration, check out Emily's blog by clicking here.
Instead of Frida's unibrow being completely straight, I curved it by moving the middle black perler bead down.
I changed the flowers in Frida's hair numerous times and decided that I liked Frida with bight pink checks instead of peach colored checks.
While taking progress pictures, I learned to take photographs from a distance because you get a better feel of how the pattern will look like once fused together.
Now, I just have to add flames to the pink sacred heart and iron the Frida inspired perler bead patterns, that I designed. Hopefully, I can find a square or long rectangular frame to display them in.
Tomorrow is the last day to sign up from the Viva La Frida swap, click here to sign up, and the Frida Kahlo pin giveaway. As a perk for signing up, you'll receive discounts from Etsy shops that sell Frida Kahlo inspired items. For more Frida inspiration, check out Emily's blog by clicking here.
