No More Broken Perler Beads Creations

If you've been in one of these situations you'll love this instructable:

• You find relaxing arranging little beads to form a beautiful image. And are ready to take your creations to the next level.
• All your perler bead (hama bead) art is displayed in a shelf or inside a drawer. No one is allowed touch it.
• You'll wish you could use those art pieces as keychains, charms, without risking them braking.
• You are tired of repairing your perler beads creations.

I'll show you how to transform your perler bead kit into a better one, now your creations will be sparkly and unbreakable. We won´t just FIX ONE of your broken perler beads. Lets FIX your ENTIRE PERLER BEAD KIT!

Pegboard

Polymer clay (I recommend Premo by Sculpey)

Paper

X-acto knife

Hotfix Rhinestones. There are several sizes of rhinestones. I found that the 3mm ones work perfect with the size of the pegboard. There are many colors to choose from and you'll spend less than $4usd for 1440 pieces.

Condition the clay. Start with warming up your clay with your hands, roll it, fold it a couple of times, make a ball, roll it back. Work until it stretches nicely and won't brake when folded.

Make a ball of clay and place it over a paper.

Use the smooth side of the pegboard to push the ball and flatten it. It should be 3-5 mm thick.

Now flip the pegboard and push it in the clay. Remove it carefully.

It's ready for the fun part. Place the rhinestones the same way you place the perler beads. Use the same templates and make the design you like.

Of you don't finish it that same day, just cover it with cling wrap. You can work with the same project for weeks.

One important thing to mention is to check the rhinestones, there are some that have lost the glue that activates with heat. They should look black at the back, if the back looks like a mirror discard that bead.

When you finish your design, cut the excess of clay. Save it for your next project.

I made a hole at the top to attach it to a strap.

Finally transfer the paper to a disposable tray (you can use the same tray for all the clay baking, but you won't be able to use it with food anymore).

Bake the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions. I baked mine at 260F for 20 min.

The magic happens inside the oven. The clay hardens and at the same time the rhinestones fuse with the clay.

Just let it cool down and you're ready to show it off.