Perler Bead Tips And Tricks From Perler Bead Artists 2

Check out all these Perler Bead tips and trick from amazing Perler Bead artists.

I’m involved in several Perler Bead groups on Facebook.   They are a fun way to get inspiration for projects, and everyone is so helpful when there are questions about Perler Beads.

I thought it would be great to interview some of the amazing artists I’ve met in these groups so that they could give YOU some tips and tricks for working with Perler Beads.

All of these artists had something different to share.  So no matter where you are on your Perler Bead journey, I think there’s something you can learn from them.   This post does contain affiliate links.  

Now, if you are completely new to Perler Beads, you may want to read my Ultimate Perler Bead Beginners Guide before reading this post.  

So let’s get started with some Perler Bead tips and tricks from amazing Perler Bead artists.   A special thanks to all of them for sharing their wisdom and a glimpse at their amazing artwork.  

Erin – EEK!Creations

Long time artist, Erin, from EEK! Creations found her passion of Perler Beads over 8 years ago at an 8 Bit art convention.  At the time, she was a painter, but she fell in love with Perler Beads as a medium. She found that the art style translated her love of video games perfectly.  Erin then spent years having the time of her life traveling to art shows and conventions. Although she had to take a brief hiatus when real life got in the way, she now finds herself  back in the world of beading and loving it as much as she did 8 years ago.

You should go check out her amazing work on her Instagram account eek_creations.

An amazing and vibrant Hyrule sign made by Erin from Eek Creations.

Perler Bead Tips and Tricks from Erin

Erin’s passion for beading what she loves truly came though when I asked her for tips and tricks for new Perler Bead artists:

“My biggest piece of advice is…make stuff you love!!

 

I think we all start this hobby because we love the art style.  Plus, making art that you’re passionate about makes it even more enjoyable, not only for you but also for people who may buy your stuff!  Don’t get caught up in making stuff because it will sell…make stuff because you love making it!

 

Do you love an obscure video game that not a lot of people have heard of!? Make something from it!! There is absolutely going to be someone out there who will lose their mind over it!! It is so much fun to bond with people over our shared love for something, especially when it comes to Perler Bead art!  

 

Keep creating and keep loving it!”

Erin’s advice is so true, for me one of the greatest parts of Perler Beads is being able to make almost anything.  If you love what you are making, you’ll love the way it turns out.

Carly Dietrich – CJD Perler Art

Carly Dietrich from CJD Perler Art started with Perler Beads in November 2016 after she purchased a mixed bucket of beads from a thrift shop.  Her first project was a simple Kirby necklace she had made from her boyfriend. At that time, she instantly knew that she loved Perler Beads.  Shortly after, she turned that love into a steady part time income. She started out by only making making magnets and key chains, and now has shipped her work all across the US and Canada.  Carly’s business has grown exponentially, and she’s even had her work recognized by international DJ’s and has sold projects at 2 festivals. For her it’s a dream come true to be able to make an income being creative.  

You can check out more of Carly’s work on her CJD Designs Facebook page.  

Check out this trippy cat made by Carly from CJD Perler Art

Carly’s Perler Bead Tips and Tricks

Carly wanted to share a couple of tips on organization.    

“The first tip I would give is to buy your beads sorted if you plan on making a high quantity of projects. The biggest time waster in a beader’s career or hobby is sorting beads for hours on end.

 

Tip #2 is figure out a good system for storing and keeping your beads accessible and easy to use when needed. This is another time saving tip that I find very important.

 

If you practice these right at the beginning, it will save a lot of hassle down the road when you suddenly have 200,000 beads to organize and no where to keep them.”

I can’t help but agree that she’s spot on.  Keeping your Perler Beads organized is so important, even if you don’t have 200,000 beads.  If you are looking for the quickest way to sort Perler Beads, check out my Secret to Sorting Perler Beads. 

Shanda – Live Geek Designs

Live Geek Designs is the happy brain child of Shanda.  A lifelong geek, she began beading on the request of her young son, and never stopped.  Live Geek specializes in large portraits and over sized Perler Bead pieces, and LOVES doing original work.  She attends conventions in BC and Alberta as a cosplayer and a vendor as often as her work schedule allows.  

Head on over to Shanda’s Live Geek Designs Facebook page to see more of her amazingly geeky work.

Shanda from Live Bead Designs created this amazing Perler Bead Hulk

Perler Bead tips and tricks from Shanda

Shanda’s practical advice below is all about making mistakes.  

“Don’t let yourself get discouraged by ironing mistakes, tipped beads or broken pieces.  We have all been there.  

 

Let yourself learn from the mistakes and accidents that happen and turn a bad bump to the table into your next work of art.  

 

The Hulk in my image is approximately my 3,000th Perler Bead piece, and I was using the tape method and ended up having to manually rebuild his entire left leg because I didn’t take my time and flipped the boards before everything was stuck properly!  

 

It just goes to show that even with experience, mistakes happen.”

I love her advice about taking a mistake and turning it into a happy accident.   It’s not only words to live by with Perler Beads, but also with life.

Jordan – Playing with Perlers

Jordan from Playing with Perlers started out simply by looking at other artist’s listings on Etsy.  For her, she liked the hobby, but she didn’t have the space in her own home for regular sized Perler Beads.  So, one day in a craft store she saw mini beads and she was sold. Since then she’s made a multitude of projects from mini Perler Beads.  These include, earrings, pins, canvas scenes, and even 3D standees.

Go follow her over on Playing With Perlers on Instagram to see all the amazing projects she’s made with mini beads.

Such a cute Link being chased by a chicken created by Jordan from Playing with Perlers

Jordan’s Mini Perler Bead Tips and Tricks

I was thrilled when I saw Jordan was a mini bead artist since I’ve always wanted to try them, but I’ve have always been a little bit intimidated by the small size of mini Perler Beads.  Her advice is great for those of us who have wanted to try mini beads, but just haven’t taken the plunge.

“My advice is a bit different as I use mini beads, but they’re so different that midi beads so it’s almost like starting a new hobby.

 

Most people that bead swear by the tape method, but it’s little more complicated with minis.

 

When your project is finished make sure you are on a solid and stable surface before beginning to tape. Pull off a piece that’s at least 2” – 3” long on each side of your project and board. Pull tape taught, take a deep breath and commit, press that tape onto your project and here’s the KEY. Make sure that both ends of the tape are firmly secured to your table surface so the tape doesn’t curl upwards — biggest ruiner of mini taped projects.

 

Once you’ve taped all of it, use something smooth and hard to run over the back of the tape. Minis are cut differently and have a larger (small) range of bead sizes so you want to be sure each bead is stuck to the tape.

 

Once you’re sure it’s all taped, you can either peel your design up if it’s small, or flip and remove boards!”

I never knew that the range of bead sizes was different for mini Perler Beads, so I’m glad she shared this helpful tip for using the tape method for mini beads.  

Tasha Lazaravich – Manic Made Geekery

Like many Perler Bead artists, Tasha Lazaravich, from Manic Made Geekery, started out with a mixed bucket of Perler Beads.  According to her, “ I got probably 150 beads into making a sprite, picking the colors I needed from the bucket one by one, before I said to myself “nope.” I  promptly abandoned that idea. A few weeks later, I had 1 of every bag of Perler’s colors show up at my doorstep.”

Since then she’s made hundreds of projects from both Artkal and Perler Beads.  She loves going to conventions and markets to sell her art. “I specifically love when people see that one particular thing from that show or game that they adore, but can never find any merch for, and it’s sitting there on my table. The excitement people get from seeing stuff I made makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!”

If you want to check out more of Tasha’s work, head on over to her website, Manic Made Geekery.  

What an amazing Perler Bead Fiona made by Tasha from Manic Made Geekery.

Perler Bead Tips and Tricks from Tasha

One of my favorite parts about Tasha’s tips is that she reminds us that there isn’t really a set way to do your beading.   OMG, she’s so right, what works for one person, may not work for someone else. She also shares how she works with large projects.   

“Something I learned very early into working with fuse beads was that there is no dead set way to do things. This is tricky when first starting out, but as you progress you learn your own ways to do things.

 

The trick I’d like to share is one I started doing for Perler Bead projects that were very large. I personally never liked using the square interlocking pegboards and have always used just 1 super pegboard for my projects, including the massive 10,000+ bead ones I do.

 

The trick to it is to do one section of your project at a time. The tape method is your best friend here. Before beading, I plan out where the sections of my pattern are going to be, then I begin beading 1 section at a time, filling up the super pegboard.

 

When that section is done, I tape and remove that part and set it to the side. When I’ve finished all the required sections, I then carefully line up the parts and tape them all together into one full bead sprite (on the backside, where the tape previously applied is.), then iron it!

 

I always connect the sections before ironing them because when doing a double sided melt like I prefer, you will see the seams where each piece connects if they are ironed beforehand. This not only helps with huge projects, but also comes in handy if you only have a few boards to work with, but want to make something that requires more!”

Tasha talks about sectioning off your project by board and then using the tape method for each section.   It’s great advice, and if you want to know more about the tape method, check out my Perler Bead Tape Method post.  

Jessica – 8Bit Crafting

Jessica from 8Bit Crafting actually came across Perler Beads while searching for cross stitch patterns.  She was so intrigued, that she decided to buy a bucket of Perler Beads and give them a try. She was hooked.  When she started out with Perler Beads over 4 years ago, she just made projects for herself and her husband. As time went on she decided to make it into a business.  She not only sells her Perler Bead work online, but also at conventions and fairs. For Jessica, beading is a form of relaxation. She’s even bought some Biggie Beads for her daughter so the two of them can craft together.

You can see more of Jessica’s amazing work at her 8Bit Crafting Facebook page.

An epic compilation of Dragon Ball Z Perler Bead Art made by Jessica from 8 Bit Crafting.

Jessica’s Perler Bead tips and tricks

Jessica shares a couple of great tips with us.   Her first one, “be patient,” is really one I need to heed more often.   

“Be patient. There have been several projects that I have done where I speed counted the spaced and ended up wasting a lot of time trying to find where I messed up the count.

 

Also, I recommend the tape method. With the tape method though, I would suggest you punch holes in the beads. Punching holes not only makes sure the heat can escape somewhere, so the piece doesn’t warp, but also helps to make sure the tape is stuck to all the beads; makes it easier to flip.”

I’ve often wondered about punching holes when using the tape method.  I don’t do it, but I also don’t do massive projects. So, if you find yourself messing up your ironing, I definitely suggest punching holes in the tape before ironing.  

Kelsey – Pop Pixel Art

Kelsey from Pop PIxel Art started beading as a hobby back in November of 2015.  Like any proud artist, she posted pictures of her creations on Facebook to show off to her friends and family.  Before she knew it, she had people asking her if she could make custom pieces for her. Pop Pixel Art was born. She made social media accounts for her new business and created an Etsy account.    She also started attending local craft fairs and conventions. Although she says she mostly makes creations for herself, she loves being able to make some money off her work.

You can check out more of Kelsey’s work over on her Pop Pixel Art Instagram page.

Fabulous Perler Bead Art done by Kelsey from Pop Pixel Art

Perler Bead Tips and Tricks from Kelsey

Kelsey’s advice is so important for beaders to remember, no joke.   It’s also one that’s easier said than done when you’re in the middle of the a project.  Here’s what Kelsey has to say,

“It’s okay to mess up.

 

Even the most experienced Perler Bead artist makes mistakes now and then. But it’s how we all learn and master the craft.

 

I say the best way to get over that fear of messing up is to embrace it. Post photos of awful ironing jobs on Instagram. Tell your friends that you were working late one night and knocked over your entire box of beads and they’re still a mess on your floor.

 

Document these moments because while they seem like a big deal especially when starting out; most times you’ll look back and laugh at how silly it seems or how much you’ve grown since that mistake. “

LOVE IT!!  Yes, folks, it’s ok to mess up.  We’ve all been there, and I’m sure we’ll all be there again.  

So there you have it some great Perler Bead tips and tricks.  Hopefully you’ve learned something new. Thanks again to these awesome ladies for sharing their wisdom.  If YOU have any tips to share, feel free to leave them in the comments.  I’d love to hear from you.