As a child of the 80s, perler beads will always hold a very special place in my crafty heart. Over at Room to Grow, see how you can use a heart-shaped perler bead pattern and a wooden clothespin to make these cute butterflies that are the perfect project for spring! You could even make a whole collection of them and string them  up as a mobile! [how to make perler bead butterlfies]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads and heart board, $1 and up
• Iron, on hand
• Clothespins, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

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They were one of my favorite childhood activities, but perler beads are not just for kids anymore!  Checkout this fab rose tray made by Vanessa at Tried & True.  It reminds me of a cross stitch motif, and I absolutely love it!  She even offers up a free printable template to follow so you can replicate her design easily.  Or use the tray idea without the template and get crazy with your own design!  [how to make a perler bead rose tray]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads, on hand or $1 and up
• Extra larger perler bead pegboard, about $8
• Rose template, free

Total: about $8 and up

The post Make a Perler Bead Rose Tray appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As a child of the 80s, I admit that I have somewhat of a nostalgic fascination with Perler beads.  I probably made a hundred different designs when I was a kid, but I never imagined that they had so many other possibilities beyond the little plastic peg boards!  This Perler bead candle holder by Mai at BudgetBabe is pretty amazing.  And while the website is in Danish, there is a handy translator button on the site’s sidebar that will put it into English for you, and the photos explain the process pretty well.  What other nifty decor items could you make using this type of method?  [how to make Perler bead candle holders]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads, $1
• Mug, on hand
• Vegetable oil, on hand
• Toaster oven or convection oven, on hand
• Candle, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Perler Bead Candle Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I was a kid, I got a huge tub of perler beads (AKA “melty beads”) and several peg boards for Christmas. I spent hours carefully crafting shapes and patterns. These earrings from The Thinking Closet are a great throw back to crafting in the 90’s! Plus they only take a few minutes to make are a great way to get kids involved in crafting. [how to make perler bead earrings]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads craft kit, $1 and up
• Jump rings, on hand
• Earring hooks, on hand
• Pliers, on hand
• Iron, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Retro Perler Bead Earrings appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you are an iPod junkie, your headphones are as much an accessory in your wardrobe as your necklace and your handbag.  It makes sense, then, to treat them as such!  Over at Cut Out + Keep, user xMeerjam personalized hers with a bunch of colorful Perler beads!  Put them on randomly or in a pattern, use a whole rainbow or just a couple of favorite colors.  Make your headphones look like they were made just for you!  (If you can find glow-in-the-dark Perler beads, this would be great to take out jogging in the early morning or evening hours!)  [how to dress up headphones with Perler beads]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads, on hand or $1 and up
• Headphones, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

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