About this tool

Turn your picture into fused-bead art!

Turn any picture into fused bead art with the GlueStick Imagination Station. Take or upload a photo, or pick your favorite GlueStick creative buddy. Ask a grown-up to iron it when you are done to reveal your fused-bead masterpiece. Our tool is designed to approximate common Perler® brand color palettes, helping you find new uses for beads you may have leftover from one of their amazing kits.

Perler® is a trademark of Advantus Corp. GlueStick is not affiliated with or endorsed by Advantus Corp.

Ages 6+ Needs Adult - HOT
  1. 1

    Design

    Greta says:
    "I can't wait to make a project with you!"

    or bead your favorite unlockable buddy

    Fit it on the pegboard

    The yellow box is your pegboard. Drag it to move. Drag the yellow circle to zoom in or out.

    How should it sit?

    Scale to Fit keeps the whole picture. Crop to Fit uses every peg and may cut the edges of your picture.

    Reticulating splines…

  2. 2

    Find Supplies

    Do you have everything you need?
    Create a free GlueStick account to track supplies and see if you have what you need at a glance. Leave your kids tips about where supplies are stored in your household so they can set up and clean up their creative spaces independently.
    00:00
    A cartoon of Parchment Paper
    You have: unknown
    A cartoon of Irons
    You have: unknown
    A cartoon of Ironing Boards
    You have: unknown
    A cartoon of Tweezers
    You have: unknown
    A cartoon of Books
    You have: unknown

    Your bead colors show up here after you design your picture.

  3. 3

    Get Creative

    Greta says:
    "Take it one step at a time. You've got this!"

    Step 1: Place your beads

    Follow the pattern you created and carefully put one bead on each peg that matches the picture. Some people like to do one color at a time. Other people prefer to do one row at a time. Pick what works best for you! Empty pegs should stay empty.

    Step 2: Set up the iron

    HOT! Grown-up required

    A grown-up must help you with the iron. Put the pegboard on a flat, heat-safe table or ironing board. Set a household iron to the medium setting. Turn steam off. Cover the beads with ironing paper that came with your fused bead kit. Parchment paper is a good substitute. Do not use wax paper or you will ruin your project.

    Step 3: Fuse the beads

    HOT! Grown-up required

    A grown-up must help you with the iron. Move the iron in slow, gentle circles over the beads for 15 to 30 seconds. Lift the paper to peek. When it is right, the beads stick together but still have little holes in the middle. Let it cool. Some colors melt faster than others. Big pictures may need a little more time.

    Step 4: Flip and fuse the back

    HOT! Grown-up required

    A grown-up must help you with the iron. Let your project cool. Then, take the paper and the beaded picture off the pegboard. Flip it over. Cover it with ironing paper and iron the other side the same way. Let it cool all the way. Placing a heavy book on top while it cools can help keep your project flat. You can use the pegboard and ironing paper again. Never put a pegboard in the oven.

  4. 4

    Clean up

    Put things away so your space is tidy for next time.

    Tidy up our space

    Put away our supplies

    Check off each supply when it is put away — and any clean-up tips underneath are done too. You might find a fun surprise!

    • A cartoon of Fuse Beads
      Where they belong:
      • — Don't forget! Sort fuse beads into colors, if needed
    • A cartoon of Parchment Paper
      Where they belong:
    • A cartoon of Irons
      Where they belong:
      • — Don't forget! Let the iron cool before putting it away.
    • A cartoon of Ironing Boards
      Where they belong:

    If you used these optional supplies, make sure they're cleaned up, too!

    • A cartoon of Tweezers
      Where they belong:
    • A cartoon of Books
      Where they belong:

    Update what we have left

    Did we run out of anything while making this project? Update our supply cupboard so that we know exactly what we have for next time.
    Create a free account to manage your cupboard
  5. 5

    Share your Masterpiece

    When you're done, we'll help you show off your work to friends and family.