(Part 2) Best products from r/beadsprites

Hey! I'm by no means an expert in this, but I figured I could at least try to answer.

First off- Welcome! It's super awesome that you're so interested in bead spriting. Now, onto the answers!

• Fuse, hama, and perler beads are all technically different things!
  
  • Fuse beads - Refers to any/all types of beads used for bead spriting. Sort of like how Crayola and Roseart both make crayons, "fuse" is the type of product all bead-based companies produced. They're beads that are FUSED together through, generally, ironing.
    
  • Perler beads, as far as I can tell, are sort of the U.S standard for fuse beads. They're also the only kind I'm familiar with! "Perler" refers to the brand. Their website is here!
    
  • Hama beads, as far as I can tell, are the U.K standard for fuse beads. They're more or less the same (with slight variation in color, and though I've never used Hama, i'd imagine there's a different melting rate) as perler beads. "Hama", like "Perler", refers to the brand. You can view their website here!
    
    • I'm unfamiliar with the quality of Perler vs Hama. I'd order more based on what's convenient for your location- as a beginner, I can't imagine you're dead-set on figuring out the hyperspecifics of qualities!
      
• If I were you, I'd buy supplies separately. I purchase a lot of my stuff from Joanne in-person, but I'd imagine similar products are available online. My purchasing habits sort of go as follows...
  
  • If I know I need a specific color, I buy a bag of that specific color. For instance, I use black beads a lot for outlining, so I always try to have lots of them on-hand.
    
  • You can't do beading without a pegboard! Because I tend to only do sprite patterns, I don't need any specific shape of board. Perler makes a lot of boards in certain shapes- things like horses or dolls- for kids. These are awesome options to look into, but personally, I use a big, clear, rectangular board.
    
  • You also can't iron your designs (or, at least, shouldn't) without some sort of protection. You can get a roll of ironing paper, though I know there's some alternative ironing methods on this sub.
    
  • This might not be the best tip, but it's how I do/did it. If you're looking for a variety of colors and don't mind sorting, you can buy bulk buckets of various colors of beads. Buckets like this have a wide variety of colors, but you won't get quite as many of any one color, and you have to sort. It's a trade-off; you can get a few of a wide variety, or a lot of one color in bags.
    
  • You might want to consider a case if you're planning on organizing your beads.
    
• There's DEFINITELY better advice than this, but if you want it to have a more melty look, more heat is gonna get that. I'd go for lower heat for longer, rather than ramping up the heat for the same amount of time. Too much heat in any case can be damaging; it can warp the board or you can end up with wrinkles in your design.
  
  ​
  
  hope this helps!

Artkal has the best color selection, but you'll have to have it shipped to you. https://www.bakerskidscrafts.com/ is the only US reseller I know of (I'm gonna assume you're in North America). Otherwise, you'll have to order from their main site https://artkalfusebeads.com/ , and a package typically takes 2 weeks to arrive. Free shipping to the US and a few other countries. Artkal beads come in two types of beads. Hard and Soft. (The soft beads are exclusive to ARTKAL and are a special flexible kind of bead). You can get the beads in two sizes as well; Midi (regular sized, 5mm), and mini (2.6 mm). I personally use Artkal mini soft beads as my main beads, which is the A-series of beads. Though I do also have some C-series beads (the mini hard beads), and perler mini beads. And a small selection of Perler midi beads.

Artkal hard beads (both midi and mini) can be used with Perler brand beads. If you live in the states, you can find bags of perler beads for sell at most craft stores (though limited selection of colors in stock sometimes), and online websites that ship within the US. If you'd like to be able to restock quickly, you might go for the Perler beads, so you can just run to the store and restock when necessary (If you're in North America). You can also take advantage of craft store coupons and sales. And for more variety of colors after you become experienced, you can pair it up with Artkal hard Midi beads (S-series beads).

There are other brands of beads, such as Hama (comes in both midi and mini), and Melty brand beads. I've seen Melty brand beads in some craft stores and even walmarts, but I've never tried them. I just get the feeling they're not going to be as good quality as Perler or Artkal, but I dont know. Hama beads I've never used myself, but I've heard they can melt a bit odd, and while they *can* be used with Perler, they dont melt the same, so they do look off. (again, I dont have personal experience with this)

Overall, if you just want to try the beads, before deciding to commit to the hobby, I suggest you get one or two of the kits. If you're interested in midi beads, I suggest you pick up something like this:

Perler 16 Color tray - $8

if you're interested in the mini hard beads, you can pick up one or more of the Perler mini trays. There are many different trays, each with 8 colors (1000 ish beads each). And they're around $8 to $10 each. The Joanne's Craft store near me sells them.

Perler Mini Tray, Warm colors

​

If you want a bigger selection of colors, you can consider these trays:

ARTKAL Mini hard beads, c-series 48 colors kit

or

ARTKAL Mini soft beads, a-series 48 colors kit

or

ARTKAL Midi hard beads, S-series 48 color kit

Whichever kit you get, you'd be best off buying it with an extra bag of black beads, because black is the most used color in beadsprites.

​

When choosing mini versus midi, it's just personal preference. I prefer mini, for these reason, 1. they cost less, 2. they take up less space, 3. finished pieces look more detailed. Though for some people, mini beads are too small, and take more concentration to use.

​

Sorry for some much text. If you dont happen to live in North America, then possible another brand of beads other than Perler is cheaper and easier to obtain.

I just started beading and am focusing on Pokemon, so here's a long winded write up. Like a lot of other people here, I started with presorted packs like this one, which have about about 250 of each color in them. Amazon has three packs like that and I bought one of each to get a big variety of sorted colors. This does not give you enough of each color to sustain you for that long, but they are a good starting point and you'll quickly get the feel for what colors you need the most. You'll want 1000 bead packs of any color you're going to use more than a tiny bit of. The 250 in those sorted packs won't last long.

For Pokemon, I've found the most important colors to keep a big stock of are Black, Dark Grey, Grey, and White. Black is used to outline all of them, the Dark Grey is used for a lot of the details within the sprite, and a lot of Pokemon have White bits which the Grey shades well. There's a lot of Pokemon so I'm using a very big variety of colors beyond those. Their sprites are always shaded, too, so you really need a mix of lighter and darker colors. If you're using Light Blue on a Pokemon's body, you'll probably need Dark Blue to shade it, and so on.

I bought a lot on Amazon at first too, but now that I'm getting more into it I've placed a couple big orders to Bakers'KidsCraftsBooks&More on Ebay. It's a little cheaper for 1000 bead packs than Amazon if you're ordering several, and they carry Hama and Nabbi too. This chart is really helpful for figuring out what Hama and Nabbi colors are sufficiently unique from Perler to make them worth purchasing. The downside is that it's a little slower than Amazon, since you have to wait for a combined invoice before you can pay and get them shipped, but it's the cheapest way I've found to get 1000 bead packs of all bead brands.

The square interlocking 29x29 peg boards that other people have mentioned are big enough to fit most Pokemon and smaller sprites on, and you can always link them up for more room. They come with ironing paper and you can also use parchment paper.

I bought these tweezers too. I don't think they're necessary, but they're easier to use than regular tweezers if I have to remove beads that have already been placed. I usually just use my fingers when initially placing beads.

I like these tackle boxes for storage. They have adjustable compartment sizes, so you can make big compartments to dump your 1000 bead packs into. They close very securely and the compartments are flush with the lid, so beads don't mix if you turn it upside down. The only downside is I have seven of them and already have almost filled them up, haha.

Quick edit: All the Pokemon I've made have been based on the small sprites you see in the party, so that's what my color suggestions are geared to.

I have boxes like this for my black & white beads: http://amzn.com/B002BA5F1G

I use a straightened paperclip, with just the top bit bent where I hold onto it and the beads can't come off the top. (Like a candy cane, sorta). Whatever color I'm working on, I dump some into the top of one of those containers I linked to above. The side of the inside of the lid is a sort of lip that makes the beads line up in a neat little row that's easy to swoop up with my paperclip tool.

I find myself thinking "how did I ever place these individually by hand?!"

I use the tape method but with masking tape, and as long as you press over the entire thing with your fingers before lifting it off, it is very sturdy. I leave things taped for way too long sometimes and move 'em around and they're fine.

Ironing...well we all know ironing is the hardest part. :P One tip I saw on here recently that I just started trying tonight though, which I've found pretty dang helpful, is after you tape it off, take the board and punch a bunch of little holes through the tape with it! It apparently allows airflow in some way, but the result is that it's a lot easier to iron the entire thing evenly. (No idea why this works, but it was recommended, I tried it, and it totally seems to be working.) I did 8/9 pieces this way tonight and you can tell the difference. :)

Happy beading!

The light gray was kind of a "limited edition" release. I believe they are actually going to release it for sale sometime in 2016, with a few other colors.
It's a very sought after color, but it seems like they are listening to us.

Yes that color is Neon Blue, I love it as well. You can buy a 1k pack here: Amazon
but it is definitely more expensive than usual; since it is pretty rare. You can also get the color in other kits, like a sea-life kit as well; if you don't mind sorting.


I haven't used any of the pearlescent colors since I usually don't have a use for them, but since they are Perler brand, they should melt the same way. I would probably only use it to represent metal or something shiney.

I bought a full set of artkal minis and I love them, I like the smaller sized sprites because they are closer to how they look on a TV screen. It took about a month for them to ship to the US from China, so buying every color you need in a single order is definitely preferred.

What I've noticed when working with minis is they take a lot more concentration to place a bead. It also seems to take me about 2x the amount of time to finish a project just because precisely setting the bead on the pegboard takes more time. Yes when you melt them the beads melt a lot faster compared to the normal sized beads, so be cautious until you get used to how quickly they melt.

Using needlepoint tweezers is pretty much required for minis, they're just too small to place by hand. I bought [this set] (https://www.amazon.com/GWHOLE-Precision-Anti-static-Stainless-Electronics/dp/B01MA5CCDO) and I prefer the curved tweezers instead of the straight ones. If you bought the [perler brand tweezers] (https://www.perler.com/perler-storefront-catalog/products/categories/mini-beads/mini-beads-tweezers_80-22801/), they'll probably work just fine, it's just a matter of preference if you like curved or straight.

Whenever I iron I use the tape method and haven't had any problems. I always recommend that method for everyone.

It is just a standard jar I picked out at hobby lobby that was a hard edged cylinder. Lucky for you I posted a write up in /r/metroid. (I probably should have sold them as kits!)

PARTS LIST:

1. It starts with making a baby metroid perler. You can find the original sprite at the spriters-resource Pick your favorite!
   
   
2. Pick out the colors you require. Here is a handy chart. You can get perler beads at most hobby stores (Joanns, Hobby Lobby, Michaels)
   
   
3. Acquire pegboard. here's an example It comes with parchment paper. follow the directions for melting with standard clothing iron (Steam setting should be off)
   
   
4. Pick out jar. Choose cylinder with hard edges.
   
   
5. Acquire Water beads here. Note that you only need 1tsp for 16-20oz. They expand 300x their size.
   
   
6. Fill jar 1/3 full of water beads and place baby metroid centered in and level in the jar.
   
   
7. Fill remaining portion of jar with water beads so the sprite stays still. Now fill the jar slowly with bottled water so all voids are filled. Go ahead and give it a couple taps / shakes for the bubbles to be released.
   
   
8. Pick up base light. I really recommend this one. It has a rubberized sleeve that has good tacticity so the jar won't slip off.
   
   
9. ENJOY!

A huge thank you to /u/n1njachicken for advice on canvases and mounting, and the inspiration for using a comic book as a background collage.

Started these about a month ago and they have rapidly become my favorite hobby.

I bought canvases from Michaels craft store. Used 1 2.0oz tube of E600 adhesive to mount all of them them onto the canvases/magnets. I use mod podge to glue the star trek comic book and the minecraft printed wallpaper to the canvas. All the paints are $0.50 acrylic cheapo paints, and I just did multiple (3 or 4) coats to fully cover the white canvas.

Still getting used to ironing, but they have definitely gotten better over time.

Edit: The pictures are really good at making the blemishes and accidental glue droplets extremely visible. They look a lot better in person.

I'm not sure where you've been looking to buy from, but I've put in a few orders here: http://www.hamabeads.com/beads_mini_beads.htm

Its about 1 euro (~$1.33) per bag which is 2000 beads, and as far as shipping goes, its not terrible for the US you just have to find the sweet spot. Add a few bags see if shipping went up, if it did, remove a bag or 2 and see if it went back down. Just try to make sure your price per bag, or bead whichever you prefer, with shipping included, is where you feel comfortable paying. One thing that really surprised me about mini beads is that they vary is size quite a bit, but when melting, since they're so thin, it doesn't make a difference. Made me panic a little the first time using them. Also, the boards are flimsy and melt quick, thankfully the beads melt real quick too, I've only lost 1 board so far, and its still usable for small stuff.

I'd suggest picking up a set of pointed tweezers to work with these beads something like this. Don't quote me on this exact pair, just an example. I couldn't imagine placing these beads by hand.

I've owned quite a few irons looking for the best perler iron. Here are my findings, from best to worst.

I've got a kind of pricey T-Fal iron with an enameled soleplate. My old roommate had one that I borrowed often enough to eventually get my own, and he swore by it's steam feature for actual clothes ironing. But the soleplate is super slick and I can use it to get projects well fused and as flat as a card with a nice texture that other irons I've used can't seem to replicate. This is absolutely the best iron I've ever used.

The second best was a no-name brand travel iron I picked up at goodwill. The handle folded back into the body of the iron, and it had a very smooth looking plate. The handle broke after about a month of usage and I threw it out, but it could achieve melting almost at the level of the expensive t-fal. Not a helpful description, but maybe one day of thrifting you will find the fabled "weird folding iron" and all your dreams will become reality.

One step down from that is my mom's vintage Black and Decker steam iron. I've seen as many of 3 of these at a particular Savers in Tucson. They're not as flashy as modern irons but they get the job done. The temperature select lever on top is a little touchy though.

Next comes this absolutely TINY travel iron I picked up thrifting. It's got no brand name on it, and the handle actually clips off and slides over the body of the iron when not in use. It's far from ideal, and the soleplate sticks sometimes (which I suspect is a result of it's history and not an inherent flaw of the iron brand) but it gives finished products a decent texture.

At the bottom of my list, is the modern Black and Decker. The soleplate is highly textured with all sorts of grooves and holes in it, and the first time I used it, it gouged a grove in the project because it's previous owner had gotten a reinstone stuck in one of the dimples and I couldn't find it. It didn't glide well and the end products were either melted beyond belief or not melted as well as I liked (which some people might count as ideal). However everything had an odd texture, that might be a result of weathering on the soleplate and not an inherent flaw of the brand.

Overall The most important things I think are: A) It gets hot enough, B) you can tune the temperature well enough to find your sweetspot, and C) it glides smoothly. Enameled soleplates Help a lot with that last one.

I'd recommend something like this. And while this is much pricier then others, I fell in love with these as they are a super sturdy brand and the seal on each interior box is tight so you can hold it like a briefcase and not worry about any spilling into neighboring compartments.

I actually found that using pins from a turkey lacer works great for me!

Dump a bunch of beads in hand, take 10 seconds loading the pin (can fit 20 beads), then use my other hand to release the beads from the pin one at a time, it actually works surprisingly fast.
I'll have to try and make a video of my method sometime.

This is what it looks like loaded: http://imgur.com/6AhQ8lc

Is it this?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKUSYS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you're not gonna move it around it nicely perfectly fits a 1000 pc bag in each slot.

Any craft store (Michael's, JoAnn, the dreaded Hobby Lobby, and probably even Lowe's or Home Depot for some things) will do as well as Amazon if you can wait a few days for shipping.

I've not made keyrings yet but for magnets you'll probably want some kind of magnetic tape like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Magnetics-Corp-Adhesive-Magnetic/dp/B00114LU8K/ref=pd_sbs_indust_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0F9T34N0C12XGK1T5QZ6

Or a magnetic sheet like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Magnet-Adhesive-Length-rolled/dp/B005HY990G/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1404232861&sr=1-1&keywords=magnet+sheet

The adhesives on those are usually kinda crappy so I'd suggest maybe pulling the tape off and adding your own adhesive of choice.

Also the flexible magnets tend not to be super strong so you might need to use a bit more than you would think.

Currently, I am using Pro 3 inch wide masking tape. Works like a charm.

I use something like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KKUSYS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_TK1Hub1B9KJAY

Mine is a smaller, with bigger drawers on the bottom.

About this size? http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-DS-60-Drawer-Storage-Cabinet/dp/B000KKUSYS

I might get one... or two...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YM0H0/ref=gb1h_img_c-2_6282_40646f23?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=0WP7PZZHD41D3F7X6234&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

I'm trying to make this sprite, but I ran out of the light pink. I got it from this mixed box of Perler.

I can't seem to find a way to figure out what color this is that I need to buy.

https://www.amazon.com/Perler-Beads-000-Count-Neon-Blue/dp/B000RNQEJQ