Perler Bead Pattern Maker
Turn any image — a photo, a drawing or pixel art — into a Perler bead pattern in real Perler, Hama or Artkal colors, with a bead shopping list and a printable chart.
Drop a picture here
Photo, drawing or pixel art · JPG, PNG, WebP · or paste from your clipboard
Your picture stays on your device — nothing is uploaded.
How to convert an image to a Perler bead pattern
- 1
Add a picture
Upload a photo, a drawing or pixel art — or snap one with your phone. Simple shapes with bold outlines turn into the cleanest patterns.
- 2
Pick beads and size
Choose your bead brand, how many beads wide, and how many colors. You’ll see the real finished size and how many pegboards you need.
- 3
Print, place and iron
Download the chart with color codes and bead counts, place beads row by row, then iron under ironing paper until the beads fuse.
Bead pattern size chart
Finished size depends on how many beads wide your pattern is and the bead size. Midi beads (Perler, Hama Midi, Artkal S) are about 5 mm; mini beads (Perler Mini, Hama Mini, Artkal C) are about 2.6 mm. Multiply the width in beads by the bead size to get the finished width.
| Width (beads) | Midi beads (5 mm) | Mini beads (2.6 mm) | Pegboards (square design) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 7.5 cm · 3.0 in | 3.9 cm · 1.5 in | 1 |
| 29 | 14.5 cm · 5.7 in | 7.5 cm · 3.0 in | 1 |
| 43 | 21.5 cm · 8.5 in | 11.2 cm · 4.4 in | 2 × 2 |
| 58 | 29 cm · 11.4 in | 15.1 cm · 5.9 in | 2 × 2 |
| 87 | 43.5 cm · 17.1 in | 22.6 cm · 8.9 in | 3 × 3 |
Sizes are before ironing; fused pieces shrink very slightly.
Pick a size for your project
Keychains and charms
10–15 beads wide. Use mini beads when you want more detail in a small piece — a 15-bead mini design is under 4 cm across.
Magnets and coasters
20–29 beads wide. A 29 × 29 design fits one large square pegboard and makes a 14.5 cm coaster.
Wall art and gifts
58 beads or more. Set 2 × 2 large pegboards side by side and build one board at a time, following the purple board lines on the chart.
Photos and portraits
Faces need room for detail. Start at 58 beads wide with the Photo setting and 15–20 colors, then lower the color count until it still looks right.
How to iron Perler beads
Ironing (fusing) turns loose beads into one solid piece. It only takes a few minutes, but heat and timing are the difference between a sturdy piece and a warped one. Kids should iron with an adult.
- 1
Heat the iron
Set a dry iron to a medium setting with steam turned off, and give it a couple of minutes to warm up evenly.
- 2
Cover the design
Lay the ironing paper that came with your beads — or a sheet of parchment paper — over the whole pegboard, so the iron never touches the beads.
- 3
Iron in slow circles
Press lightly and keep the iron moving in small circles for about 10–20 seconds. Peek under a corner: the beads should be joined, with the holes still open.
- 4
Cool it flat
Leave the paper on and let the piece cool for a minute. A heavy book on top keeps it from curling. Then peel off the paper and lift the piece off the board.
- 5
Iron the back
Flip the piece, cover it again, and iron the back the same way. Fusing both sides makes the piece much stronger and flatter.
Ironing problems and fixes
Beads not sticking together
Iron a little longer, a few seconds at a time, and keep the iron moving over the whole design — cold spots are the usual cause.
Holes melted shut
That’s heavy fusing. The piece is still fine and extra strong; for the classic bead look, lift the iron sooner next time.
Piece curled or warped
Cover it with paper, warm it again for a few seconds, then cool it under a heavy book. Ironing both sides evenly prevents most warping.
Ironing mini beads
Mini beads melt faster. Use shorter passes and check often so the fine details don’t blur together.
Perler, Hama and Artkal colors
Pick the brand you actually own so the shopping list matches your bead tubs. Each color in the list shows the brand’s own name and product code.
Perler
The most common brand in the US. Midi beads are about 5 mm, and the list uses Perler’s product codes (like 80-19001 for White) so you can reorder exact colors.
Hama
Popular in Europe. Hama Midi is also about 5 mm and fits the same large pegboards; Hama Mini is the small mini-bead size. Codes look like H01.
Artkal
The biggest color range: the S series (5 mm) has nearly 200 colors, which gives smoother shading for photos. The C series is the 2.6 mm mini size.
Mixing brands
Beads of the same size fit the same pegboard, but different brands can fuse at slightly different speeds — iron mixed pieces a little more carefully.
Tips for a great pattern
Start small
A 29 × 29 design fits one large square pegboard and takes most kids under an hour.
Fewer colors, cleaner art
8–15 colors is a sweet spot for beginners — easier to sort, cheaper to buy, and the picture still reads well.
Pick the right picture type
“Cartoon” keeps outlines crisp and colors solid — best for drawings, logos and pixel-art sprites. “Photo” blends colors for smoother shading.
Plain backgrounds help
Pictures on a white or single-color background work best — turn on “Remove plain background” so you only bead the subject.
Make a QR code out of beads
Links, Wi-Fi passwords, or the classic Rick Roll — scan-tested before you place a bead.
Perler bead pattern maker FAQ
Is this Perler bead pattern maker free?
Yes. It’s free, there’s no sign-up, and it runs right in your browser. Your picture is processed on your own device and never uploaded.
Is this a Perler bead pattern generator or a converter?
Both. Generator, converter and maker are different names for the same job: you give it an image, and it converts the picture into a bead grid, matches each bead to a real bead color and counts how many of each you need. It works the same way for Hama and Artkal fuse beads.
Can I turn a photo into a Perler bead pattern?
Yes — upload or snap a photo and set Picture type to “Photo” for smoother shading. Photos need more beads and colors than cartoons, logos, emoji-style art or pixel art, which convert most cleanly, so start around 58 beads wide and lower the color count until the picture still looks right. On a plain background, turn on “Remove plain background” to bead only the subject.
Do I need to download an app?
No. The pattern maker works online in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. On a phone you can pick a photo from your library or take a new one.
Which bead brands and colors are supported?
Perler, Perler Mini, Hama Midi, Hama Mini, Artkal S (5 mm) and Artkal C (2.6 mm). Colors come from a community-maintained bead color reference, so screen colors are close to — but never exactly — the real beads. Clear, glitter and glow-in-the-dark beads look very different in real life, so they’re left out unless you switch them on.
Can I change the colors in my pattern?
Yes. In the bead shopping list, tap × on any color you don’t have and the maker swaps it for the closest color you do have; “Bring back all colors” undoes it. You can also change the width, the bead brand and the number of colors at any time, and the chart updates right away.
How big will my finished design be?
Each midi bead is about 5 mm, so a pattern 29 beads wide is about 14.5 cm (5.7 in) and fits one large square pegboard. Pick any width from 10 to 120 beads — drag the slider or type an exact number — and the tool shows the finished size and pegboard count as you go.
Can I print my bead pattern?
Yes. Download a PDF with a bead shopping list and one page for each pegboard, or the whole chart as a single PNG image. Every color gets its own symbol, the edges are numbered, and the list has color codes and how many beads of each color you need. Turn on “Black & white chart” to print on any printer without colored ink, or “Actual bead size” for a PDF that prints at true scale, so you can slide it under a clear pegboard.
Can I turn a QR code into beads?
Yes — use the Perler Bead QR Code Maker. It builds the pattern from your link and scan-tests it before you start beading.