How to make fuse bead art: a beginner's guide (2.6 mm)

Tools you need

• A 2.6 mm pegboard (e.g. 29 × 29 pegs; pegboards are specific to bead size)
• 2.6 mm fuse beads (in the colors your pattern uses)
• Tweezers (fine-tipped)
• Ironing paper (or parchment paper)
• A household iron
• A pattern (printed on paper or shown on your phone)

How it works, step by step

1. Get a pattern (a free pattern, or make one from a photo in the Pattern Maker)
2. Sort the beads into small dishes by the pattern's color codes
3. Place beads on the pegboard one row at a time, starting from the edge of the pattern
4. Once all the beads are placed, cover them with ironing paper and iron on medium heat
5. While it's still hot, cool it under a weight, then remove it from the pegboard
6. If you like, lightly iron the back too to finish

Choosing your first pattern

To start, a pattern of about 20–30 beads square with 5–10 colors is a good size and takes 1–2 hours to finish. Once you get the hang of it, try a photo pattern of 50 beads square or more.

Tips for placing beads

• Start with the outline (edge) colors rather than the most-used color, so everything stays lined up
• Keep the pegboard still and turn the pattern instead, to avoid mistakes
• If you take a break, cover the pegboard with a cloth so the beads don't go flying

How long it takes and what it costs

To get beads and tools all at once, the Starter Set has 24, 48 or 72 colors in small boxes plus tools (from ¥2,980). To make one pattern, the Pattern Maker and pattern pages put the colors it uses in your cart as single-color packs (about 1,000 beads, ¥120 each; 20 packs ¥2,280).

When things go wrong

See how to iron fuse beads for temperature and timing, and common mistakes and fixes for other problems.

• Beads won't fuse: not enough heat, so iron again adding 5 seconds at a time
• Melted flat: next time use lower heat and shorter passes
• Warped after cooling: warm it lightly again and cool it under a weight

After you finish

See how to make a keychain and how to make 3D fuse beads.

• Keychain: leave one top bead out and add a jump ring and ball chain
• Magnet or brooch: glue a fitting to the back
• Display: put it in a photo frame or use it as a coaster
• Go 3D: put parts together into dice or a trinket box