Here's a throwback to one of my first gaming themed crafts circa 2013. Perler beads are like putting together a puzzle. Sometimes it's very frustrating but once you get everything in place, it feels very rewarding to see the finished product.
Perler beads are small pieces of plastic that mold together when heated with an iron. I decided I wanted to try to make some coasters with mine.
Materials needed:
Perler beads (various colors)
Pegboard and ironing paper (or parchment paper)
Cork to place on the back of the finished design
Iron
Glue (I used super glue)
How to make the coasters:
It's very easy to knock the pegboard and dislocate some of the beads, so try to not lose your cool if this happens. It's annoying but hopefully you'll get better each time.
I decided to try something simple for my first shot at this kind of craft. I googled video game sprites and came up with some images I wanted to use as a guide for placing my beads. One by one, I placed beads on the pegboard until my design was ready to iron.
Once I had my design figured out, I heated my iron to a medium setting and placed the ironing paper carefully over the beads. In a round, circular motion, I lightly pushed the iron around the paper covering the beads for about 10 seconds. Make sure you move the iron around in a circular fashion or you'll do what I did and will heat some beads more than others. After it's cooled off enough, take your design off the pegboard, flip it over and place the parchment paper on the beads. Do the same motion on the backside to ensure the beads will stay together.
Finally, I took some cork and cut a small square to cover the back of the finished perler bead design to turn it into a coaster. I used some super glue to get the cork to stick to the beads.
This was an easy craft that I was able to finish in one weekend a few years ago. I still have plenty of perler beads at home so I think next time I'll make magnets instead.