Everything you need to know about Perler Bead supplies.
I’ve written several tutorials on Perler Beads. One thing I recently realized is that I haven’t really covered in depth the supplies needed when you are first starting out. Oh I did write my Ultimate Perler Bead Beginners Guide which touches on the supplies needed. BUT I thought it was about time that I gave you some more detailed guidance on Perler Bead supplies.
So, this post is going to let you know what you really need for fuse beading and some of the best places to buy the supplies. In addition, I’ll also cover some items that are nice to have to make your beading adventure easier.
This post does contain affiliate links.
So let’s get started.
You need Beads
Ok, yes, I know that sounds kind of obvious. You, of course, need fuse beads to make fuse bead projects. BUT, did you know that not all beads are created equal? Well, they aren’t.
There are several different brands (and some off brands) of fuse beads. You may have heard some of the others. In fact, you may even live in an area of the world that only carries one brand over the other.
So, the question really is…which ones do I choose?
I will every single time recommend using Perler Beads. That’s because here in the Midwest, they are the easiest to buy. They are my bead of choice.
If you live in Europe, you may only be able to purchase Hama beads. I’ve heard those are great too.
Oh, there are other brands of melting beads: Nabbi, Artkal, and Pyssla to name a few. Now here’s the thing…you need to pick a brand and stick to it. Why? Because they are all manufactured by different companies and they all melt differently. If you mix and match your bead brands, you may not be happy with your results. My advice is to shoot for success and always buy the same brand.
In addition, stay away from generic beads. I’ve never used them, but I’ve heard that they are not always sized the same and they may not melt very well. I actually have never tried them, but again, shoot for success and stay away.
So, I’ve said choose a bead brand and stick to it. I’ve also said that I prefer Perler Beads. We’re just going to assume for the rest of this post, that you agree with me and LOVE Perler brand beads.
When buying your Perler Beads you have a few choices.
- Buckets of Beads
- Bead trays
- Activity kits
- 1000 count bags
- 6000 count bags
With so many choices, what should you buy? Let me talk about the pros and cons of each one
Buckets of Beads
Buckets of Perler Beads are really quite a value. You get a lot of beads in a variety of colors for a reasonable price. You really can’t ask for more. Check out this smaller Perler Bead Bucket or this larger Perler Bead bucket on Amazon to see what I mean. Buckets of beads are perfect for small projects you plan on doing with your kids. You’ll have every color you need to make what everyone wants.
That being said, the main downfall of buckets of Perler Beads, is they are not sorted by color. So if you decide you need a bunch of pink beads you have to search through the bucket to find the ones you want. It’s kind of a pain.
The need to sort might actually discourage your kids. It did with Wonder Boy. He never wanted to bead unless he had the colors sorted. Of course, my daughter wanted all the presorted colors in one big container. So the need to buy pre-sorted depends on you or your kids.
Perler Bead Trays
The main advantage of buying trays of Perler Beads is that they are pre-sorted by color in a handy container. These are really perfect when you are just starting out because you have many colors to choose from and don’t have to sort through all the beads to find the colors you want.
The downside is that they are a little more expensive than a bucket of Perler Beads. It’s not enough of a price difference for me not to buy them from time to time. I’ve hand selected a few below on Amazon, so you can see what I’m talking about.
Perler Bead Activity Kits
Perler Bead activity kits are great for kids. Does your kid like Batman? Well there’s an activity kit with the whole Justice League. What about Mario? Yep, there’s a kit. Minions? You guessed it, there’s a kit. They all come with patterns to make crafting really easy for little ones.
Many of these kits even come with special shaped pegboard to really make them fun. Check out this dinosaur one or this cupcake kit.
One of my favorites is the Sunny Day’s Perler Bead kit. I loved it so much that I even wrote a post on it last year on springtime Perler Bead crafts.
The only con for these kits is that they don’t have a lot of beads and the colors may be limited. Oh you’ll be able to make all the patterns they provide, but you have to make them in the colors they give you.
Bags of Perler Beads
Perler Beads come in bags of either 1000 or 6000. I mostly buy my beads in bags of 1000. If you are just starting out with Perler Beads, you may not need to buy an individual bag of beads. I would suggest starting with a tray or a bucket and if you find yourself using up all of one color, you can supplement it by buying a bag of that color.
The most used beads are black and white, so my guess is that you’ll end up buying those first.
I very rarely buy 6000 count bags of Perler Beads. In fact, the only color I’ve bought 6000 of is black. 6000 is a LOT of beads, and although many people will use that many, it’s not really necessary to have that many on hand unless you are doing a big project.
Plus the 6000 counts of Perler Beads only come in limited colors: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Gray, and glow in the dark green. You can also buy 6000 count bags in a few multi color selections, but I’d skip those and just buy 1000 count bags of the colors you may want.
Pegboards
The next item that’s a must have for using Perler Beads are pegboards. Perler Bead pegboards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common one is the square. There are two sizes of square pegboards the small one which is 14×14 and the large one that is 29×29. The 29×29 can connect together so that you can make larger projects.
One of the bonuses to buying kits is that many of them come with unique pegboards. Of course, after beading for awhile you may want to supplement your supplies by buying more boards.
Below are a few different pegboards you can buy on Amazon that I recommend when shopping for pegboards.
- The large 29×29 are my favorite, we use them for everything. This 4 pack is perfect for starting out.
- This set of assorted pegboards is the one I most recently bought for the large hexagon. It includes 5 clear pegboards: a large square, a large hexagon, a small circle, a small star, and a small heart.
- If you are beading with your kids, they would love this set of Perler Bead Pegboards that includes a monkey, an octopus, a t-shirt, an owl, a frog, a cupcake, an arch, and a gecko.
Ironing Paper
You need something to put on top of your Perler Bead project before you melt it. Most kits, and even some pegboard sets, come with Perler Bead ironing paper. You can use it again and again, so once you get a stock of it going you shouldn’t need to add more to your Perler Bead supplies.
If you happen to lose it, parchment paper will also work.
My favorite thing to use though for Perler Beads is the Artkal brand ironing film. It is AMAZING. It not only gives the finished piece a glossy look, but I think it also makes ironing easier. Mostly because it’s transparent, so you can see exactly how your beads have melted. It’s not easy to find though, but you can get it directly from the company.
Iron
Yes, you do need an iron. It does not need to have a steam setting. Seriously, any old iron will do. I think mine is 20 years old. It’s fine. Some people do us wax irons or heat presses, but if you are just starting out, just use the one you use to iron your clothes.
Miscellaneous Perler Bead Supplies
So, now I’ve told you all the things you MUST have for Perler Beads. Now let’s talk for a little bit about nice to have things.
- I love using Perler Bead tweezers. They are made perfectly for picking up Perler Beads. Plus they are really inexpensive.
- If you are beading with kids, you might want to consider buying a Perler Bead book. I use many different sources on the web for my inspiration (where I find patterns), but sometimes it’s easier for kids to have a book in front of them. I’ve curated a list of melting bead books on Amazon to help you pick one.
- You may or may not need a way to store your beads. I’ve written a whole post on different Perler Bead Storage options. Check that out if you need storage guidance.
- Another great option for beading with kids is the Perler Bead sweeper. It makes picking up any spilled beads a little bit easier.
- We have several Perler Bead pens that get used…sometimes. I wrote a review on then awhile ago, that you should read, but summing it up…eh, you don’t need it. BUT your kids might love it.
Where to buy Perler Bead supplies
Ok, now that I’ve told you what you need, I’m going to let you know a few places you can get them. Keep in mind, I’m in the United States, so if you live in another country, you may not have some of the stores I’m going to mention.
- Joann Fabrics has Perler Bead supplies at many of their stores. If they don’t carry them in the store, you can purchase directly online. The great thing about Joann’s is that they have a lot of coupons and sales, so you can usually get a great deal from them. This is usually where my beads come from when I need to stock up.
- Hobby Lobby also carries Perler Bead supplies. The sales aren’t as frequent as they are at Joann Fabrics, but they do have them. I also feel that Hobby Lobby seem to carry more kits than any other store.
- If you are looking for a specific color, the Perler Bead website is awesome. Perler.com also has good prices on 1000 count bags. You actually pay less the more bags that you buy. They also frequently have free shipping with a minimum order.
- Without a doubt the best place to buy a bucket of beads is Amazon. Especially if you have Prime. They are just cheaper than most places on buckets of beads. Some of the Perler Bead items are also add on items, so they are super cheap. I’ve bought many things on Amazon.
- If you live in the Midwest, Meijer carries Perler Beads. Their selection isn’t huge, but they have all the basic colors at a very good price. They have many kits, buckets, and pegboards. Plus, they frequently have them 25% off.
I know it sounds strange, but Michael’s does not carry many Perler Beads. They carry the mini beads and a couple of buckets. They also have their own brand of melting beads. I just feel that your time would be better spent shopping somewhere else for Perler Beads.
So there you have it: everything you need to know about Perler Bead supplies. Now that you’ve got the supplies, check out all the amazing things you can make in my archives.
Happy beading.