(Part 2) Best fuse & perler beads according to redditors

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.
  
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  hope this helps!

Rough math says it's probably ~30-40 lbs.

$400 at $1.5-2/bag (using $1.75 for simplicity) comes out to ~230 bags. Amazon says shipping weight is 2.4 oz for a bag. 2.4*230 = 552 oz. 552/16 = 34.5 lbs.

http://www.amazon.com/Fuse-Beads-Bag-6000--Black/dp/B002LTTCXO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374684952&sr=8-3&keywords=black+perler+beads+6000

I dont remember if this was it exactly but I found it the same way as I order most of my colors, amazon is magic.

There are some limited quantities available on Amazon still. A little pricey, so whether or not it's worth it would depend on how much of it you need.

https://www.amazon.com/Perler-Beads-Pearl-Yellow-Count/dp/B00920B2YC

The light blue is the pearl light blue.

Perler beads!. My sister and I used to be entertained for HOURS doing these. Basically you make the pictures out of beads using the templates (or free-hand 'em) and you iron them so they melt together. Kind of makes me want to have perler beads right now, haha.

1 - a bunny!!!! to cheer you up!

2 - fun new Perler ideas The flamingo sold me....

3 - I have been there and failed classes as well, just keep on keeping on.
Though my rock bottom was that I drank so much and was throwing up blood... after a trip to the ER, I haven't drank since.

4. Ideas for magnets: Spike with a mustache!!!, Twlight Sparkle, or Rainbow Dash would rock my daughter's world... not gonna lie the Spike is for me... I love him lol

I hope that your week improves and if you want to chat feel free to PM me ::hugs::

Mustaches. Planets and rocket ships. Cresent moons and stars. Shooting stars. Lighting bolts. Xbox and PS controllers.

Edit: totally forgot link!

Fun colors!

I think this pack of Cheddar Perler Beads would be my cheesiest item! Because cheddar!

http://www.amazon.com/Perler-Beads-Holiday-Winter-Count/dp/B00920B1D4

Includes light blue, dark blue, clear, white, toothpaste, turquoise, glow in the dark blue and gold beads

as per amazon description...

I recommend getting Islamic Beads (musbah in Arabic), it'll really show that you made some effort to look into the culture and it's not overly expensive. Many guys carry one around in Kuwait.

You can go as expensive as you want from from treated wood to pure Amber.

Here's a link to see what it looks like. Islamic Prayer Beads 342-M 8mm. Olive Wood (Zaitun) Handmade Muslim Tasbih Haji Beads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T6B1ITG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_H.UCDbMPSGDD1.

Good luck 👋

Dud: Hama beads
She just doesn't have the patience for it, starts off making a picture or pattern and then wants me to finish it. I, however, find it really relaxing to stick those little pegs there and make it all pretty so I love it!

Hit: Flying Fairy thing
Loves it, always wants to play with it, gets pissed when it has to charge. I do not love it as it always gets stuck at the ceiling and I have to climb up and get it or it flies into the curtain and goes bang and a wing comes off or it flies into me.

Edit: Also her monster truck that I got on sale for a fiver just in case she wanted to give a present to her best friend turned out to be so cool! She won't let me play with it much though.

My guess is [Transparent Turquoise] (http://www.perler.com/1000-beads-transparent-turquoise/80-19071.html), a discontinued color but is also found in the [Ocean Buddies kit] (https://www.amazon.com/Perler-Beads-Ocean-Buddies-Fused/dp/B001BCCA4A) and [Sweet Shoppe bucket] (https://www.amazon.com/Perler-Bucket-Fusion-Kit-Sweet-Shoppe/dp/B00B1BSDE2).