Perler beads are great for making patterns and designs quickly, but they’re not the best option if you want to keep your project from getting destroyed. Perler beads tend to break easily, with even the slightest force from a fingernail or a stretch of elastic. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks and tips you can use to extend the life of your perler bead projects. Keep reading to find out what you need to do!
Keep your beads on the string when you’re done
The most common reason perler bead projects break is because the beads fall off the string. If you’re done with a project, and you haven’t tied off the end of the string, don’t just throw the beads away! Tie off the string securely with a piece of ribbon, scotch tape, or even a rubber band. The beads will fall off the string, but they’ll be where you can catch them again. If you throw the beads away, you can’t go back to the project and easily tie off the end of the string again.
Avoid harsh chemicals
Perler beads are made with a special plastic that’s been infused with a resin. This resin is what makes the beads stick together, but it’s also what causes breakage. While there are even-toned and duller hues of perler beads available, most of the color comes from the resin. If you’ve treated the beads with a chemical, especially something that’s acidic or reactive, you’re causing the resin to break down and become even lighter in color. If a part of your bead is breaking off, you need to remove the chemical that’s causing it to happen. This can be as easy as rinsing your beads in a cup of water, wiping them down with a neutral cleaner like rubbing alcohol, or even soaking your beads overnight in a bowl of baking soda.
Don’t stack your beads
If you’re making a project that requires a large number of beads, it’s important to keep them on the string when you’re done. You don’t necessarily need to use every bead in your project, but it’s important to keep them from getting tangled. Perler beads are delicate and break easily when they’re tangled up in each other. If you’re making a project that requires a large number of beads, try to keep them off the string. Keep them in a jar, a tub of plastic wrap, a binder clip, or any other container that will keep them from tangling with each other.
Put perler bead projects away safely when they’re finished
In order to keep your perler bead projects from breaking, you need to keep them away from anything that could damage them. If you’re done with your project, you need to put it away safely. The first thing you should do is put your beads back into their containers. If you’ve been using the containers to hold your beads, you can just put them back in them. If they’ve been packed away with other things, though, you need to bring them out again. You should also make sure that all of your project materials are safely stored. You don’t want something like a screwdriver or a ruler damaging your perler beads.
Get rid of dust and dirt that causes breakage
Beads are inherently fragile and break easily, so the last thing you want to do is damage your perler beads further. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent breakage, including getting rid of dust, dirt, and other debris that’s getting inside your beads. Perler beads are opaque, so you can’t see dust or dirt with the naked eye. The only way you’ll know if your beads are getting damaged is if the pieces start breaking off. Dust and debris tend to cause breakage in two ways. The abrasive particles inside the dust and dirt can damage the beads by scratching the surface of the plastic. If a piece of dust or debris gets stuck in one of your beads, it can also cause a tiny crack in the plastic that allows other pieces of debris to get inside the bead.
Use a drying agent
If you’re making a project that requires a large number of beads, it can be helpful to use a drying agent. Drying agents can help your beads last longer. When you’re done with your project, you can just put the beads in a plastic bag and leave them in a warm or sunny place. The heat from the sun will help the beads dry out, bringing them back to the original shape. It’s important to make sure that the beads are completely dry before you put them away. If they’re damp, they’ll continue to warp in their container and become misshapen.
Be careful with rubber bands and stretchy elastic bands
One of the most common reasons perler bead projects break is because a rubber band or elastic band is stretched too far. If you’re making a project that requires a large number of beads or that involves a large amount of stretchy elastic, you need to be extra careful. Elastic bands and rubber bands can break easily. You can put a ton of tension on the elastic band and stretch it out, or you can put an edge on the rubber band and damage the plastic. You don’t want to stretch elastic bands and rubber bands out too far. You can damage your perler beads if the rubber band or elastic band snaps or breaks.
Use glue to anchor your beads securely
Perler beads are fragile and break easily, so you need to be extra careful when putting them away. You can use glue to secure your beads together, though. It’s important to use a glue that’s designed specifically for plastics and plastics. The glue should be designed to be heat-resistant, so it won’t melt the plastic that your beads are made of. You can use super glue, glue sticks, or even a pencil to glue the beads together. Just make sure that you don’t get any glue on your fingers when you do this.
Conclusion
Perler bead projects are a lot of fun, but you need to take precautions if you want to avoid damage to your beads. Keep your beads on the string when you’re done and make sure that your projects are well protected. These simple steps can help you to keep your beads from breaking when you’re done!
