Top 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.

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.

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!

Don't let the other comments deter you. My godson and my buddies daughter both started making them at 3. Granted it was just a mix of colors in no particular pattern. They were soo proud, their parents loved what they made. Buy some adhesive magnets so her art can go on the fridge. Or buy the star shaped boards and let her make Christmas ornaments for the family. Buy her suction cup hooks and translucent beads and she can make stained glass sun catchers for windows. There are so many things you can do. Just because adults make elaborate art with a kids toy doesn't mean kids can't play with them too. I am sure this goes without saying, but make sure an adult does the ironing. They even make animal and character shaped boards. She will love it!

Edit: Look for kits like this that have the boards and beads. This package even says 6+, not 8-10 like others say.

I think boards are a safe bet!

What does he usually do with his pieces? Does he hang them, make them into magnets or pins?

Do you know where he gets his beads? A gift card to Joann or Michaels would be an awesome idea, because he could get his own beads with that.

If he doesn't have anywhere to store them right now, maybe a drawer set like this one is a good idea!

Depending on how many different colors of beads you have, small drawer organizers are a great way to sort, store, and retrieve beads.

This organizer comes with 39 drawers and this one comes with 60. You can use a label maker to label each drawer with the name of each color, which makes it way easier to restock beads since you can easily identify the exact color with the labels.

I currently use this ArtBin organizer, which is great to take with you on the go. It comes with removable dividers so you can make the spaces as little or big as you want. The downside to this organizer is that once you add all the colors, it's a huge pain to resort the colors, if you like to sort them rainbow-style.

I find it's best to just order straight from the Perler website if you're going to buy in bulk. The 1000 count bags of colors are $2 each if you buy more than 6 so if you're getting all of the colors, that's the best deal. I haven't used any other brands so I'll let someone else speak to that.

I would recommend getting the larger bags in your outline and shading colors (black, greys, white, etc). Also, some way to organize your beads makes the WORLD of difference. I have this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P2UOCO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It can be wall mounted and has enough room for just about every solid color if you're going with just perler.

I recently purchased an Akro-Mils 64-drawer, and it has been absolutely magnificent. Each drawer comfortably stores a 1000 count bag of beads, with some room to spare. There is no back on the unit, which I thought was odd at first, but this has not been an issue in use. All in all, it has ended up being a really solid option for this hobby.

Akro-Mils 10164 64 Drawer Plastic Parts Storage Hardware and Craft Cabinet, 20-Inch by 16-Inch by 6-1/2-Inch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDH3JC?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Edit: Added some details 😊

I don't know if you need the amount of storage but I personally use this one from Amazon, which looks like this once it is all setup. The individual containers slide out from the base and you can swap in and out. The individual containers don't have tops so if you knock it over they will spill but if you put it on a table where you don't move it you don't have to worry about it all that much. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions feel free to pm me.


Edit: words

I went from a crappy $6 Wal-Mart ceramic faceplate junk pile to the Black & Decker Classic. It's pretty hefty, but it irons like a champ. :)

I HIGHLY recommend the masking tape method. This automatically sets you up to iron the back first as well. This method is ideal imo if you are using a combination of Hama / Perler! Due to the different ironing temperatures. I end up with a beady presentation side and a more ironed & flat/not displayed backside.

The biggest tricks I've personally found to this method are:

1. Moderation!! You don't need a perfect iron the first time thru, work up to the bead flatness you want over several smaller ironing cycles. Personally I don't shoot for a perfect flat no hole ironed backside like hardcore perler does - its way more effort and risk to mess-up /r/beadsprite example.
   
2. If you want a non brittle back ironed sprite, your gonna have to iron the front slightly, this will also remove any bend to your sprite. I use a lot of weight to ensure flatness.
   
3. Finally BUY A NEW IRON! I use the one recommended by hardcore perler and immediately saw a difference in consistency in my ironing. Typically for the back I have it at a 5, for the front its usually about 4-4.5 and do one slow light press across it gets the job done. It can be hard to see them beginning to stick together, black is the easiest to tell just as it starts sticking to the parchment paper. I'd take it down to a 3 if you need to touchup any front edges to avoid any over ironing.
   

Thanks! I'm hoping I can pull off a decent finish. Nervous about the ironing phase since this will be my largest project to date. As for the organizer I came across them in post on this sub from a few years back. Here's the link to it on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_dQjVCb24HTHXM

The drawers perfectly fit a 1000 pack of beads. I just cut the names of the colors off the bags and tape them to drawers and then organize them in a rainbow spectrum.

I have a couple of these. My only complaint is the lack of larger drawers, but each drawer holds about 1000 beads or so - or one pack of perlers. Other that that minor issue, it's amazing and pretty solid.

Thank you kindly; I can’t wait, either! What I’m using for storage is this:

https://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10164-Plastic-Storage-Hardware/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=storage+container+64&qid=1568316558&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Each container is perfect for holding 1000 beads, and you can even mount it to the wall or leave it sitting on your work space!

This is specifically what I use. I have 2 of them, and each drawer perfectly holds 1000 beads! I just recently picked up 2 more as I'm looking to get into mini-beads too. If you're not from Canada, Amazon.com has something similar here. Arko-Mils seems to be the best ones to find online.

I picked up one of these 64-Drawer cabinets and it's worked great for me. Each drawer can comfortably hold 1000 beads. I also like that each drawer can be completely removed, so you can keep the cabinet out of the way somewhere and take individual drawers to wherever you might be working.

I can't comment on the quality, as I only have the clear ones, but if you're just looking for one board, it's not too bad of a deal, as it can be difficult to find single boards. If you're going to make some designs that need 2x2, then I'd recommend this, from Amazon.

4 of those from that eBay seller would be $6.00 + $2.75 shipping + probably $0.75 each for shipping the 3 additional boards, for a minimum total of $11.00.

The ones from Amazon are $8.68 with an option for free shipping if you need a few other things to push the order over $25.

Yep, I bought mine at Michael's. I can't find the exact ones on the Michael's website, but here they are on amazon. They work great and you can keep adding on more.

Amazon

I think alphabetical works well until you have 3+ different shades of each color and you're deciding which one to use. I've been using a slightly bigger one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10126-Plastic-Storage-Hardware/dp/B003P0XRH0 that I found at Joanns for much cheaper, the large bins on the side are for common colors that get used more and can be split in half if needed, and then my girlfriend ROYGBIV'd the smaller drawers. This has worked out awesomely for us, but the downside is its not very portable, when closed nothing is sealed so you just have to be careful. Moving around the house is easy, but if we wanted to go to a friends, I dont think it would make it.

I just bought a $6 tray at walmart that was something like this to start:

http://www.amazon.com/Darice-1157-11-13-7-Inch---8-6-Inch---1-37-Inch/dp/B001B0S2H6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1457298917&sr=8-6&keywords=perler+bead+tray

I think individual containers or something a little bigger is better if you get really serious into it, but that tray is great for starting out.

Well, I use a tiny travel iron, but even it has some holes for steam. I'm honestly not sure if any modern irons don't have holes. I like the little one though because less weight means I can move it around easier on large projects without having to worry about dislodging any beads. I always just keep my iron moving in small circles and that seems to do the trick!

And the containers are part of the Arko Mils storage cabinet. I have 2 of the 64 drawer. Each drawer holds about 1000 beads.

That said, if you don't want to spend the money on it, there's a really clever solution with using empty water bottles for each color. Makes it easier to pour out and you don't have to worry about them spilling (just put the cap on it!)

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.

Simple design, doesn't stick out too much- the Akro-Mils 64 compartment organizer. This is what I personally use, and I love the heck out of it. The drawers come out easily so you don't have to worry about reaching up for whatever colors you need, you can just grab the trays and go. For bead count- each drawer holds approx. 1250-1500 beads. If you don't fill it up past there, you should also be able to subvert the spillage through shaking crisis. I should also mention the drawers can stack if needed. They don't seal, but they are held in fairly securely. By "tub of nightmares", I'm assuming you mean the 11,000 tub? I got roughly 30 colors from it, with colors varying in quantity. Black, white, yellow, blue, red, green come in numbers. Some of the other colors, like the light greens, browns, and pastels are rarer. If your wife is serious about the hobby, she will be wanting to get the 1000 pc bags.

https://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10124-Plastic-Hardware-6-5-Inch/dp/B003TV3NL0/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=organizer+bins&qid=1566174263&s=gateway&sprefix=organiser&sr=8-6

:) Have fun spending on Amazon ! Hehe

This one is great :) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDH3JC?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Ironically it was a leftover from a megaman one that I did. I got a 10 pack of them from amazon it was like $20 or so

Edit: it was $30 for the set of 10 but it looks like they sell singles as well, Here is a link to it

I think [49x69 is the biggest one] (https://www.amazon.com/Perler-80-30105-Beads-Classic-Superpegboard/dp/B005IP77G2/). (standard is 29x29). Make sure you use the masking tape method, because reading the reviews it looks like the big board is more sensitive to heat and warps easier.

Buy individual color bags for sure. I like to do large projects and the amount of time required to sort would be awful. Plus I think the mixed sets have overall less colors than you can get individually.

When I make a big bead sprite, I make a template that tells me how many beads of each color I need. I usually try to make a couple templates at the same time, so that I can buy beads in bulk from the perler website.

I keep my beads stored in a cabinet like this. Makes it very easy to find the beads I need.

​

Just submitted my order for beads and missed Light Brown! Curses.

What storage do you use Kyle? I was looking at this one and it looks very similar.

Thanks for being awesome.

Thanks to /u/danthol, I bought this iron which has consistent heat from Amazon:

Black & Decker F67E The Classic Iron with Aluminum Soleplate, Steam-surge button by Black & Decker http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RJTQ8U/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_o2Gitb1ND0CS9

I also highly recommend watching /u/danthol's YouTube videos for ironing tips and techniques

I bought these peg boards, you get a set of 4 that hook together so you can do smaller projects or bigger ones. It comes with the parchment paper to iron with as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005HZ35FK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1408728727&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

I also bought the giant back of 11000 beads because you do get lots of colors but sorting does suck. My daughter helps some but she gets bored quick. I would definitely buy extra black because most sprites are outlined in black. White is also a color I have used a lot and bought extra of. Hope this helps some.

For organization I originally started with one of those uhh... craft carrying case things. It’s plastic and has a bunch of dividers that make up little boxes inside. But that became a hassle when I got too many colors, so I got a couple of those parts organizers (similar to this —> https://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10164-Plastic-Storage-Hardware/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=pd_aw_lpo_469_tr_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D2W2B78175XCFRACJFNZ). It’s WAY better, because you can take out the drawers you need to your table or whatever instead of ALL your colors. Makes grabbing the beads easier too.

As for sorting, I think you have the right idea. Take out the easiest, most distinguished colors first, then end up with the tan/pink/orange colors that are harder to tell apart. Takes a while but there’s really no better way. I suggest pouring say a few handfuls into a big wide soup bowl at a time and sort that, then rinse and repeat.

Perler makes a plastic tweezer/scoop combo tool that works great. Michaels or whatever craft store you go to should have them.
(Edit) Amazon link:
Perler Bead Tweezer Plus https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T1UGDC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Nff3xbPEFK2BK

I would start with something like this:

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https://www.amazon.com/Perler-17605-Funfusion-Bead-Multicolor/dp/B001KW4H60/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=perler&qid=1563314557&s=gateway&sr=8-9

​

and https://www.amazon.com/Perler-80-22666-Fused-Pegboard-Square/dp/B005HZ35FK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=perler+boards&qid=1563314594&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

​

That will give you the basic colors to start with, and boards. Just make sure you have a working Iron.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDH3JC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I used this and it's working great! Each drawer holds a little over 1000 beads, and it's not too large that it takes up too much room. Plus, you can see the colors through the drawers.

My very first bead purchase was one of these Perler trays. They're presorted and have a good range of colors that I was able to make small, simple sprites like a Link and Chrono. It's only 4k beads though, so it will go fast. After that, I picked out some larger sprites I wanted to do, figured out the color schemes and how many beads I would need, and started buying the 1k bags online.

Have you got a photo of it? It'll be easier to identify if you post a photo next to some other beads, like the pastel blue. Perler's got quite a few blue shades, I've got I think 6 or so different ones.

Edit: Actually, is this the pack you got? I know there's a few different 4000 packs http://www.amazon.com/Perler-Fused-Bead-Tray-Package/dp/B001KW4H60 Light blue and pastel blue look pretty similar, though light blue is a tad darker (the one in that tray is light blue though) and the darker blue there is neon blue, which is similar to dark blue but a tad bit lighter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001B0S2H6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3/188-2816046-2572722?qid=1462401793&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Darice&dpPl=1&dpID=414LW8Ja9LL&ref=plSrch

Sorry for the terrible link. On mobile. Small and great for small projects. I have several and refill when needed. A label maker with the color number also makes it a lot easier!

Oh, hey, it's you! :P I think that's the risk when you buy the bucket, but four shades of pink could come in handy for shading - you never know. I had to buy three shades of green to make a Minecraft Creeper, for example. I bought two trays like this and this to be my base, and then bought individual bags of beads for projects I knew I wanted to make. It's not as many beads as in a bucket, but you know what you're getting and you don't have to sort them!

For what it's worth, this is the iron I use; it has steam holes, but it serves me well in all of my projects I post here.

Link to Amazon

^ You can get them at JoAnn fabrics too. Though that is a pretty good price.

Also I recommend the masking tape method so there is no warping of pegboards or weird bead mistakes while ironing ;D

Thank you! I used a pack of this and individual packs of Black, White, and Brown I bought at Michaels. They're all Perler beads.

Are these the Akro-Mils bins on Amazon? [44 drawer] (http://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10144-20-Inch-16-Inch-Hardware/dp/B003P2UOCO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) and [64 drawer] (http://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10164-Plastic-Storage-Hardware/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_y)?

Disregard, just looked through the thread and saw your post above lol

Parchment paper isn't too hard to come by, but I
just ended up buying the perler branded paper from amazon, 6 sheets is about $5. I wouldn't risk trying wax paper or other similar-but-different solutions, esp. on a large project.

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.

I got the Perler Superboard on Thursday. I'm learning a lot, like not ironing on the board because it warps, and how to use the masking tape method.

Nah, I definitely mean the 22,000 tub (catalog #17000).

Oh ok. I was looking at this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003P2UOCO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_R32BwbYC1HYCQ and this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_h52Bwb8GDHEXB

The small drawers look similar to tge size of yours.

I post this one a lot, but if you don't already have an organization system ready to go, you should definitely pick up one of these bad boys.

Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDH3JC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got most of them (Black) from Amazon, One (Blue) I have had for almost 20yrs.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDH3JC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you need to bead on a budget try this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZDME7Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's twelve dollars (Highest they've been is 14) and it includes 26 plain colors, plus 5 translucent colors. it also offers free shipping, the only downside is you need to sort yourself, but it doesnt take that long to sort

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

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

I bought one of these. I got the dividers so each drawer can hold two colors.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDH3JC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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://smile.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10164-Plastic-Storage-Hardware/dp/B000LDH3JC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

They seem to be the standard Perler bead boards. I picked up a 4-pack on amazon

Here you go

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

that's about right... bought these canvases
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015QWZL0/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
then bought all the necessary colors here:
http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/perlerbeads/Products/1000_Beads__See_All_Colors_041500P.htm
I've done other projects so had a lot of the colors already, so don't know the exact $$ but as I said, you're about right in the $30-$40 ballpark

oh and fiance already had the paints...

http://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-F67E-Aluminum-Soleplate/dp/B001RJTQ8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452726106&sr=8-1&keywords=balck+and+decker+iron

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003P2UOCO/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?qid=1457565729&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=storage+drawers

I use one of these. Label each compartment with the appropriate color bead, and put your more commonly-used colors in the larger compartments. There's also different versions of the same type of cabinet that have different numbers and/or sizes of drawers.

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

It was not in the bucket that I bought last year, but I am told it varies.
This is the one I bought from AMAZON

This is my current setup.

I got it from this link. Dragon and stone vase not included.

Edit: Yes, that is exactly what I purchased, but it came to me in black. But I actually bought this exact one.

use tweezers to help you sort those things. These are the ones I use, blk tweezers. Then toss those crappy bead containers you bought at Micheal's and get one of these, Akro-Mils 64-drawer.