Perler beads (also called fuse beads, melty beads or Hama beads) turn a simple grid of colored plastic into keychains, coasters, wall art and portraits. The hardest part used to be working out which bead goes where — this tool does that instantly from any photo, giving you a color-coded chart and the exact bead count for every color. This guide walks through everything around it: choosing beads, matching colors, printing the chart, ironing, and framing the finished piece, with a short FAQ after each step.
Every fuse-bead project starts with three decisions: brand, size and how many. Getting these right up front saves you from running out of a color halfway through a piece.
Perler is the best-known brand in North America, Hama dominates Europe, and Artkal, Nabbi, IKEA Pyssla and MARD are popular value alternatives. The good news: standard "midi" beads from all of these are about 5 mm and fully compatible, so you can mix brands in one project and nobody will notice. The differences are in the color range, how vivid the plastic is, and price per bag. If you plan to sell your work, pick one brand for consistency; if you are crafting for fun, buy whatever bulk bag is cheapest.
You will also see solid, translucent, glitter, glow-in-the-dark and pearl finishes. Solids are the workhorses; keep a few translucent or glow beads for accents like eyes, water or stars.
This is where most beginners guess wrong. Rather than eyeball it, generate your pattern first: the tool prints an exact count for every color plus a total, so you can buy precisely what you need. As a rough reference, a full 29×29 pegboard is about 840 beads, and a detailed A5-sized portrait often lands between 3,000 and 8,000 beads. Always buy a little extra of your background and outline colors — those go fastest.
Clear square pegboards are the most versatile because they line up edge-to-edge for large pieces and let you slide a printed pattern underneath to trace. Shaped boards (hearts, hexagons) are fun but limiting. One large board or a set of interlocking squares will cover almost everything.
Standard midi beads from Perler, Hama, Artkal, Nabbi and most other brands are about 5 mm and fully interchangeable, so you can mix brands in one project. Mini beads are about 2.6 mm and are a separate, smaller size used for fine detail.
The generator lists the exact bead count for every color once you make a pattern. As a rough guide, a full 29×29 pegboard is about 840 beads minus any empty background cells, and larger portraits often use 3,000 to 8,000 beads.
A finished pattern is a grid where every cell shows a short code — a letter-and-number like H7 or P17 — and a matching color. The legend at the bottom lists each code once, next to its color swatch and how many beads of it you need. Your whole job is to translate that grid into real beads, one cell at a time.
The single biggest time-saver is to pre-sort. Before touching the board, put each color into its own cup or compartment and glance at the count legend so you know roughly how many you will use. Sellers often make a small "bead prep card" — a strip listing every code and count — and portion beads into a bead organizer ahead of time. Once sorted, filling the board becomes fast and almost meditative.
More colors means a more photo-realistic result, but also more bags to buy and more sorting. If a design feels fussy, lower the max-colors setting before generating — the tool merges similar shades into one, which is cheaper, faster to place and often looks cleaner as bead art. Twelve to twenty colors is a sweet spot for most portraits; simple icons can look great in six.
Smooth gradients (skies, cheeks, fur) are where beads struggle, because each cell must pick one solid color. Two tricks help: keep the piece a reasonable size so each bead covers more of the image, and add a dark outline around your subject so it reads clearly from a distance. For faces, a limited set of two or three skin shades plus a blush accent usually beats trying to reproduce every subtle tone.
Different brands number their colors differently. This tool supports both MARD and Perler code systems, so the codes on your chart match the bags you actually own. If you buy a different brand, match by the printed swatch color rather than the code number.
Every cell shows a short code, and the legend maps each code to a bead color and how many you need. Sort your beads by color into cups first, then fill the board code by code. The tool supports both MARD and Perler color numbers so the codes match your bags.
Lower the max-colors setting before generating. The tool merges similar shades into one, which uses fewer bead colors, costs less and is faster to place — at the cost of some fine gradients. Twelve to twenty colors suits most portraits.
Once you generate a design, export the HD pattern image. It includes the full grid with a code in every cell, faint gridlines, and the color-count legend along the bottom — everything you need to build the piece without guessing.
You have two options and both work well. Printing gives you a paper chart you can mark up and slide under a clear pegboard. Following on a phone or tablet saves ink and lets you zoom into a busy area — handy for detailed portraits. Many makers do both: print for the overview, zoom on a device for the tricky bits.
Color printing is easiest to follow because each cell matches its bead at a glance. Black-and-white still works fine because every cell carries its code, and it saves a lot of ink on large charts. If you print in black and white, keep the color legend page in color so you can confirm each code.
Charts use heavier lines every ten cells to break the grid into blocks — think of them like the squares on graph paper. Work block by block rather than trying to track a single long row, and complete one 10×10 block before moving on. A sticky note or a ruler under your current row keeps your eyes from jumping. On big pieces, lightly cross off finished blocks on the printed copy.
Place your pegboard in the same orientation as the chart (top-left corner matches top-left corner). If you are using a clear board, slide the printout underneath and build directly on top — the fastest, most error-proof method for beginners.
Color is easiest to follow because each cell matches its bead. Black and white still works because every cell carries a letter or number code, and it saves ink. You can also follow the chart on a phone or tablet and zoom in without printing at all.
Charts have heavier lines every ten cells that divide the grid into blocks. Finish one 10×10 block before moving on, use a ruler or sticky note under your current row, and cross off completed blocks on your printout.
Ironing is the step that scares beginners and the one that most rewards a little patience. The goal is to melt the beads just enough that they bond, while keeping their round holes and shape. Rushed or overheated, they turn into a flat blob; done right, the piece is smooth and sturdy.
Lower the iron flat onto the covered piece and move it in small, slow circles with light, even pressure for about 10 to 20 seconds. Lift the paper (carefully — it's hot) and check: you want the tops of the beads to have just melted together while each hole is still clearly open. If some are still loose, cover and iron a few seconds more. It is always better to under-do it and add time than to over-melt.
For a strong, flat piece, let it cool for a minute, gently peel it off the pegboard, flip it over, and iron the back the same way. Two-sided fusing roughly doubles the strength and is worth it for anything that will be handled, like a keychain or coaster.
Plastic curls as it cools unevenly. The fix is simple: right after ironing, lay the piece flat and press it under a heavy book or a sheet of glass for a minute or two while it cools. It will set perfectly flat.
Use medium heat with no steam and always cover the beads with ironing or parchment paper. Move the iron in small circles for about 10 to 20 seconds until the beads just fuse and the holes are still open, then flip and lightly iron the back for strength.
Curling happens as the plastic cools unevenly. Press the piece flat under a heavy book or sheet of glass for a minute right after ironing. Closed holes and a melted look mean it was ironed too long, so use less time next attempt.
A fused piece is already a finished object, but a few finishing touches turn it from a craft into something you're proud to display or sell.
Always let the piece cool completely and flat (see the book trick above) before mounting or gluing anything. Warm plastic keeps bending; cool plastic holds its shape.
For pieces that will be handled a lot, a light coat of clear acrylic sealer or Mod Podge adds durability and a subtle sheen. It is not required for wall art that just hangs.
Consistent size, clean two-sided fusing and a tidy finish are what separate hobby pieces from sellable ones. Keychains, pins and fridge magnets are the easiest first products because they use little material and ship cheaply. Photograph finished pieces in natural light against a plain background.
Once cooled and flat, mount it in a shadow-box frame, glue on an adhesive magnet, add keychain hardware, or set it on a small stand. For pieces that get handled a lot, a light clear sealer adds durability.