Free Perler Bead Patterns

How to use these patterns

1. Pick a patternEach card shows the size in beads and the number of colors. Three-color designs like the heart and the star are the quickest builds.
2. Print the board page or recolorPrint the board page at 100 percent to slide under a clear pegboard, or open the design in the editor to change colors or brand.
3. Place, iron and enjoyBuild bead by bead on the board, iron following your bead maker's instructions, and turn it into a magnet, coaster or keychain.

One board, one evening

Every design here fits on the common 29 by 29 square pegboard, so you need no joining and no extra boards. The largest, such as the Daisy, fill the whole board; the narrowest, like the Ringed planet at 29 by 19 or the Rainbow at 29 by 17, leave room around them. Colors range from three, in the Heart, the Ghost and the Smiling star, to eight in the Sprinkle donut, the Ice cream cone and the Rainbow.

Each pattern is a single connected shape, checked so that every bead touches a neighbor on at least one side. That matters after ironing: no loose bits fall off. Every design uses black for the outline, which keeps edges sharp and makes the shape easy to see on the board. All are original StitchJam drawings; the fused pieces you make are yours to keep, give or sell at a stall, while the PDFs stay here rather than being reposted.

Printing the template

The PDF prints each design at actual size, one square per peg, with a printed 50 mm reference bar. Set the print scale to 100 percent (some dialogs call it Actual size) and hold a ruler against the bar. If it is right, place the sheet under a clear pegboard and drop each bead onto its matching square. If the bar is short, your printer has scaled the page and the grid will drift.

Beside the chart, a key gives each shade's code, its name and how many beads it takes, plus a little spare for the ones that roll away. On-screen bead colors are approximate, so compare with your own bag if a shade matters.

Perler, Hama, Artkal or Nabbi

The charts list Perler colors, but you are not tied to one brand. Open a design in the editor and change the bead brand to Hama, Artkal or Nabbi: each color is swapped for the closest one that brand makes, and the key shows its codes. Standard 5 mm beads from these makers share the same pegboards. To compare ranges, see the perler bead color chart.

You can also change single colors: a blue donut glaze, a green rocket, a pink planet ring. The bead counts update with each change.

Things to make from one board

A single-board design is a natural size for a coaster, a fridge magnet, a wall decoration or a small gift. Smaller ones, like the Strawberry or the Smiling star, can be keychains: leave a gap for a jump ring or glue a ring to the back after fusing. Glue a pin to the back of a heart for a badge, or string several pieces into a garland for a party.

For seasonal decorating, the board-sized Ghost and Jack-o'-lantern suit Halloween, and the Christmas tree with baubles and a star works as an ornament or a gift tag in December.

Easy perler bead patterns for kids and adults

For young children, start with the Heart, the Smiling star or the Ghost: three colors and big filled areas. Larger tweezers help small fingers, and an adult should always handle the iron. Older kids and adults often enjoy the detail of the Sprinkle donut or the Rocket, where small one-bead features like sprinkles and windows make the design.

Ironing varies by brand and iron, so use the heat and timing your bead maker recommends, keep the room aired, and keep the piece flat under a book while it cools. The full process is in how to make perler bead patterns.

From these patterns to your own

Once you have built a few, try a design of your own. The perler bead pattern maker turns a picture or drawing into a board-by-board pattern with counts. For animals ready to build, see the perler bead animals page.

Every pattern here is an original StitchJam design or a public-domain source named on the pattern. Colors are DMC or bead brand numbers; on-screen colors are approximate. Free for personal use and gifts.