St. Patricks Day Perler Bead Projects

My oldest son adores St. Patrick's Day, or as he calls it "Green Day," simply because his favourite colour is green. He loves all things green and is thrilled to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. When it came to making St. Paddy's-themed crafts, I was inclined to use perler beads because they are so versatile — you can make up fun designs along the way, or you can follow a pattern.

These simple St. Patrick's Day perler bead designs are a perfect craft to get him even more excited about one of his favourite holidays. They're great for older kids, with the help of an adult to do the ironing. We personally love perler bead crafts as a way to work on fine motor skills and patience — because trust me, that's what you'll need when placing each one of those little beads on the pegboard.

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Here's what you'll need to make these St. Patrick's Day perler bead designs:

• square perler bead pegboard
• perler beads in green, black, and yellow
• iron
• ironing paper

To make the shamrock, you will need only green perler beads. Recreate the design in the photo below on a pegboard.

For the hat, you will need green, yellow, and black. Again, use the photo below as a pattern for the design.

Once you have completed the designs, cover the perler beads with a piece of ironing paper. Then place a warm iron on top, moving in circles, until the beads are melted together. It usually takes 10-20 seconds; obviously a parent should be in charge of this step.

When you lift the iron, you can see how the beads start to stick ever so slightly to the ironing paper. You can gently peel back the ironing paper to see if the beads are fusing together. Once that side is fused together, you can flip the design over. Place another piece of ironing paper on the non-melted side, and begin melting the non-melted side with the iron.

To make sure your perler bead designs stay flat, I always like to place a heavy book on top while the designs cool. This tip is especially handy for larger designs!

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You can then turn the finished perler bead designs into magnets, pins, necklaces, or framed artwork. My kids prefer to play with the designs that they make.