Perler Bead Earrings & Free Template
Learn how to make these DIY Perler bead earrings featuring a free template! When you’re done, check out these fabulous Perler bead necklaces using the same free template! This post contains affiliate links.
Welcome to the second part of our Perler bead jewelry set! In case you missed it, we began the series with these fabulous Perler bead necklaces.
The earrings will use the same basic technique, and yes, we used the same template (available for download at the end of this post). You can use the same colors and styles to match your necklaces, or you can use the instructions as a starting point to make different designs.
I have so many project suggestions for necklaces, but earring ideas are a little harder to come by for kids. That’s why this Perler bead project is so great – most kids are familiar with this method.
Also, the beads are very lightweight and can be attached to earrings without weighing them down, and they’ll feel so cool having made real jewelry all (or mostly – you’ll want to do the ironing) by themselves.
There are two basic ways to make Perler bead earrings – there are studs, with a design in front and a straight post called a “flat pad ear stud” going through the ear. Then there are drop earrings, with a hook (earwire) going through the ear and a charm dangling down. This post will teach you how to make both types!
The trick to making gorgeous Perler bead earrings that work is to stick to the right size. A necklace needs to show up beautifully on a shirt. Earrings need to be lightweight and wearable.
The template includes smaller shapes to attach to the post earrings, and slightly larger shapes for the dangling ones. For smaller children, you could also use the smaller shapes for hanging earrings too.
If you’ve already downloaded the template for our Perler bead necklaces, you can pull out that same template, otherwise download it at the end of this post.
The larger earring designs are also the perfect size to use to decorate hair clips or paper clips! Simply take a plain clip and use a glue gun or E6000 (adults only) to stick the design onto it. The paperclips become fun bookmarks (for things where you don’t mind bending the page a bit – like a notebook.)
Glue it onto anything with a flat pad, such as rings – though we’ll have a separate post for more styles of that, bobby pins, brooches/safety pins, clip-on earrings, and more.
Ready to get started? C’mon, let’s go!
What you’ll need to make perler bead earring
- Fuse bead pegboard (preferably 29×29, but other sizes can work)
- Fuse beads, assorted colors
- Fuse bead paper or parchment paper
- Iron (I like to have a mini one to keep for crafting)
- Perler bead jewelry template (download and print at the end of this post)
- Optional: tweezers
For drop earrings:
- Sewing needle (or a similar tool for poking holes)
- Jewelry jump rings
- Jewelry pliers
- Earwires
For stud earrings:
- E6000 or superglue
- Flat pad studs
How to make Perler bead earrings
1. Print the template. If you’re using a clear (see-through) peg board, you can place it directly onto the template if you make sure to print it at 100% scale. Look at the designs on the template and choose which one – or more than one – you want to start with. The template includes designs for different types of jewelry – the stud earrings are the smallest ones, and the drop earrings are just a bit bigger.
2. Using the dots on the template as a guide, copy the design by placing beads onto the peg board. You can copy by matching the pattern, or you can lay your clear tray on top of the pattern sheet and place the beads directly on top of each colored dot as shown.
3. When all the beads are laid out, carefully cover them with a piece of fuse bead or parchment paper. It is helpful to cut the paper down to a size just a little larger than the peg board.
Preheat the iron to a medium setting, or the level indicated by the instructions on your bead package.
4. Place the iron carefully on top of the paper. Apply very gentle pressure while moving it in small circles to heat the entire project evenly. Do this for 30 seconds OR as indicated by the instructions on your bead package.
5. Gently lift a corner of the paper. Check if the tops of the beads have become stuck together. If they seem loose, put down the paper and repeat the ironing for another 10 seconds, and check again.
When the tops of the beads are stuck together and smoothed out (you should barely see the holes in the beads, if at all), turn the project upside down and carefully lift off the peg board.
6. Cover the exposed side of the pattern with another sheet of the paper. Iron it a little less than the first side, just enough to make the beads stick together. This should prevent the design from getting warped. If it starts to curl anyway, place a book on top of it to flatten it as it cools.
7. If you’re making stud earrings, simply glue the design to the flat top of the stud.
For drop earrings, use a needle or pin to open the fused hole of the bead in the top center of the shape.
Hook a jump ring through that hole and through the ring at the end of the earring base. Use jewelry pliers to close the ring firmly. You may need to use two jump rings so that your earrings hang forward facing, depending on the direction of your earwire loop.
Download the Fuse Bead Jewelry Template:
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