At a recent sleepover at our house, we made sure to have a craft project ready as part of the evening. Hosting video game lovers, we knew right away what we wanted to do: retro video game designs created with Perler Beads. Crafters of all ages seem to love sitting down with a fun Perler Beads design. All you need are some colorful beads, a steady hand and a fun idea. This week we’re looking ahead to Valentine’s Day with a simple jewelry idea that your child can wear or give to someone special on Feb. 14. They’re easy crafts for kids to make, too!
Materials
- Perler Beads – color choice is up to you
- Small heart pegboard (found in this set)
- Image to frame
- Thick card stock
- Iron
- Pin back
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Scissors
- Tweezers (optional)
Instructions
1. Start out by adding the Perler Beads to the heart pegboard. Create two rounds around the heart to create the pin’s frame.
2. Per the manufacturer’s directions, fuse the beads with a hot iron. Make sure the connection between beads is strong so that the piece doesn’t feel flimsy. You also want to make sure the back is completely fused so that excess hot glue doesn’t flow through the bead backs to the front.
3. Trace around the heart shape on top of your image you want to frame. Cut the shape out, cutting it just smaller than the traced area.
4. Glue the paper to the Perler frame. If your child has selected a thin or delicate paper, it’s not a bad idea to cut a second heart from sturdy card stock and cover the back of the pin to protect the special paper.
5. Finish the pin by adding your pin back with the hot glue. Let it cool off and it’s ready to wear.
