Many of us may remember fuse beads, also known as HAMA, Artkal, and Perler beads, from retro video game characters and maybe elementary school. This craft has a pretty straightforward concept: take plastic beads, arrange them on a peg board, and use an iron and parchment or ironing paper to fuse them together. You can create characters and pictures and words based on how you arrange the beads.While the process is relatively simple, there is a world of possibility in this craft and I'd like to highlight some of the cool tricks people use to make their creations come to life. Let's get started!
history
The patent for the fuse bead board was filed in 1962 in Sweden by Gunnar Knuttson. Fuse beads started as a therapy tool in elderly homes, meant to promote fine motor skills, cognitive focus and serve as an outlet for creativity and stress relief. Originally, the beads were made from PVC and, instead of being fused together, were glued to cardboard or masonite boards.
Later, as the beads gained popularity with children, beads were made of polyethylene. The transition was made to move towards a more environmentally friendly material and to make the craft fusible rather than requiring glue.
The art form gained popularity in the 80s with the advent of the Perler bead brand. This artform lended itself perfectly to fans of pixelated video games of the era to immortalize their favorite characters in a plastic creation.
let's get started
supplies
The supply list is fairly short, but there are a few best practices to keep in mind!
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Beads: The most popular brands are Perler, HAMA, and Artkal with many smaller brand options. Some of the cheaper options you will find will come without being organized by color so it's up to you if the potential savings are worth self-sorting. While beads are sized the same, the one rule of thumb is - don't mix brands! Different brands may have different melt points, causing parts of your project to melt unevenly, so it is best to stick with one brand per project.
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Peg boards: these are fairly universal and do not need to be brand specific. 6inch squares are one of the most common sizes you'll find and great for beginners, but as you learn more or dream up larger ideas, you can purchase larger boards. You can also start with a smaller board that is interlockable with other boards, so you can just purchase a second section when the time comes.
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Iron paper: You can use parchment paper from your kitchen and reuse it as long as you don't have any melted plastic transferred onto the sheet. There are, of course, more expensive branded options but no real benefit beyond perhaps longer life and being able to be reused for even longer.
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Iron: an iron is an essential tool in fusebead as we know it today. While most irons will do as long as you adhere to the heat setting instructions that come with the specific brand of beads you purchase, a hobby iron, heat press (like the cricut mini), or one with no steam holes on the bottom will provide the most uniform application.
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Tweezers: while it is technically possible to do this craft with your fingers, tweezers will make it much more enjoyable and easy to do. High-precision tweezers will work best and allow you to pinpoint the peg you want to place the bead on with better accuracy.
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Heavy flat things: if you want your creation to harden flat, you will need to place it under books for at least 10 minutes to prevent warping.
Extras:
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Bead pen - the response to this tool is mixed. It's meant to allow you to pour the beads into the pen and then, by clicking, release one bead at a time onto the board. However, some find it difficult to be as precise as they are with tweezers and recommend this tool only for the initial outline of the design.
accessibility
How you craft matters. If you want to put some serious time into a project or just want to be more comfortable in the process, the environment, tools and modifications you make can make all the difference.
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Well lit crafting space will reduce eye fatigue
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Elevating your workspace, keeping your elbows up, and avoiding working in your lap for long stretches will reduce back pain and help with crafting endurance
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Also if you work on your lap, the likelihood of a quick jolt sending your beads eeeeverywhere gets exponentially higher.
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Take breaks! There are no fuse beads speed Olympics (there are local competitions you can enter but when you are getting your bearings, the likelihood of you racing the clock are slim.. I hope!) If your wrists, eyes, or will to craft start to feel fatigued, it's time to take a break and come back to it later when you can enjoy the process.
Above all else, fuse beading is meant to be enjoyed. Mild to moderate crafting rage is expected but overall, try and enjoy the process :)
how to
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Create your design, you can follow patterns you find online, or try your hand at crafting your own patterns. You create your design by placing the beads onto the pegs of the peg board. You dont need to worry about producing the mirrored version of your image, as both sides will be visible.
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Set your pegboard on a flat and heat-safe surface. And get your iron warmed up to the heat settings advised by the brand of beads you are working with.
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Place ironing or parchment paper onto the pegboard and using circular movements and not applying pressure, iron your design. Your beads should still have an open center but be fused into one piece.
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Let the design cool!
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Remove the paper and then your design from the pegboard. Flip your design over and using the same parchment paper and iron, fuse the back side of your design. You have more freedom here, you can iron longer if you want the beads to no longer have a defined center hole and create a more connected design.
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Leave your creation under something flat and heavy until it is completely cool. Conversely, if a bend is essential to your design, leave it to cool in a bowl or something that mimics the curve you are looking to achieve.
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Done!
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Connecting pieces will allow you to create larger and/or more interesting designs. To do so, you iron the two pieces separately and then once both are cool, align your pieces and apply localized heat to the seam until melted to the same degree as the rest of the design. Be sure to lay books on the seams as it cools, any time your project is melted, warping may occur.
Some important things to keep in mind:
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You should only need to iron for 10-20 seconds per side
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It is okay, and recommended, to lift your paper as you go to assure that you are not overironing the beads.
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Larger projects can take longer to fuse.
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If you plan to connect two fused pieces, it is recommended to maintain the holes in the beads center to make assembly go more smoothly.
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Minor spacing tweaks can be made while beads are still melted using precision tweezers.