4 Smart Ways To Melt Perler Beads Without an Iron

Try a few other approaches if you want to melt Perler beads and can’t use an iron. Using an iron is usually the most straightforward approach, but if you don’t have one or are attempting to make a pattern that won’t work with only an iron, try these alternative methods.

When experimenting with different techniques on how to melt Perler beads, that’s an excellent idea to create a small sample design to utilize the first time you attempt a new approach.

That way, you can practice utilizing the strategy before applying it to your design specification, and you decide not to risk accidentally destroying it.

What Are Perler Beads?

Perler beads, also known as Hama beads or Nabbi beads, are adhesive plastic beads. These bright beads are generally placed in designs on plastic pegboards and merged using a clothes iron. They may also be strung together to make necklaces, weaved into keychains, and constructed into three-dimensional decors.

4 Smart Ways To Melt Perler Beads Without an Iron

1. Try Out a Lighter

This approach works best if you already have an extra-long lighter. You don’t risk having your fingers or garments burned with this technique since a tiny lighter’s flame.

First, wrap your design with baking parchment, precisely like you would if you were using a conventional electric iron.

Then, just ignite the lighter and place the blaze near to the Perler bead pattern. Keep the flame a few inches above the design, and don’t let it touch the parchment paper.

This allows the pattern to melt more evenly and prevents the heat from scorching the paper or beads.

Make sure to move the lighter gently around the whole pattern so that the surface of the Perler bead design is equally heated.

This can be challenging, so monitor the design’s process by raising the paper halfway along and see where you have to apply additional heat. Once the initial side has been uniformly melted, turn the Perler bead pattern over and continue the process.

2. Leverage Your Oven

Heat the oven at a low setting, around 300 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it may take more time to melt the Perler beads properly if you heat the oven to a higher temperature.

The beads may flow together.

Put your design on the baking pan and cover it with parchment paper. Remember to keep an eye on the oven as it cooks. The beads should cling together but not melt.

It’s easy to lose sight of how long they’ve been in the oven, so if you want to be sure your design doesn’t get scorched or damaged, sit near the oven and keep an eye on it.

You don’t have to flip the design over to make the second side in this manner, but you can if both sides don’t seem evenly flat. Simply pull your beads out halfway through to turn them so they don’t burn.

3. Use the Candle

In theory, this procedure is quite simple, but it will require some tinkering to get it just right. It’s comparable to using a lighter, you will fix only the flame this time, and you’ll be dragging the Perler bead pattern over the flame instead.

There are two viable options. It’s better to use little unscented candle holders in both cases. If you cannot use candle holders, alternative candles should work just as well but maybe more challenging to use.

Put the light tea candle on a plate or dish for the first procedure. Place your Perler bead pattern on a metallic, heat-resistant surface like a baking sheet. Because the candle will warm from underneath, place the parchment underneath the design rather than over it.

Hold the tray over the candle and move it around to ensure that all Perler beads are evenly heated. Wearing gloves or oven mitts to protect your hands from burns is a brilliant idea.

You may also use numerous candles and a plate with Perler beads on top of them. Place the tealight candles in holders with additional air spaces, such as these, to prevent the flame from going out.

4. Try a Hot Pan

Using a hot pan to melt your Perler beads is one of the most common and similar iron methods. While most people might not think of iron immediately, especially when they’re trying to find an alternative way to iron, this method isn’t different from the ancient iron models.

Before the invention of electricity, which is the best ever since sliced bread, people utilized metal irons heated over stoves. And while there’s a lot of technological changes that have taken place, you can still leverage the idea as a substitute for the electric iron.

To get the best results with this method, you’ll need to heat your stove in medium heat to limit the chances of you having to reheat the stovetop every time.

That said, allow your pan to heat for a couple of minutes, then ensure that your stove is on medium heat. Next, cover your Perler using parchment paper and put the hot pan on top of it, being careful not to press your beads.

Depending on your pan size, you may be required to periodically reheat the pan before you finish melting one side. This process should take almost the same amount of time it would take iron, especially if you are sure that you have set the right heat.

How To Melt Perler Beads Without Parchment Paper?

1. Aluminium Foil

Aluminum foil is perhaps the most acceptable substitute for parchment paper. Many people currently have some on hand, and it can perform many of the same functions as parchment paper.

Line your baking sheet with foil to minimize drips and spills, but it lacks the nonstick characteristics of parchment paper, so you’ll require to add a little oil as well. Because foil is reflective, it cooks things a little faster, so check your bakes a few minutes earlier than usual to see whether they’re done.

2. Greased Pan

Consider the old-fashioned approach of greasing and flouring the pan for a nonstick surface when baking cookies or cakes. You may use unsalted butter, which will provide a tiny richness to the batter and golden brown color, or shortening for a more neutral flavor.

To achieve the most excellent results, properly wash your hands and oil the pan with your fingertips, spreading a thin coating over the whole pan. To prevent changing the flavor, use the same flour you used in the bake, or if your bake involves chocolate, use cocoa butter.

To clear any excess, turn the pan upside down and tap the bottom. You should now have a layer of protection between your bake and the pan.

3. Cooking Spray

You may also use cooking spray to keep items from sticking. You may use these handy hydrocarbons to spritz cookware with fine droplets of oil, just enough to keep things from sticking but not so many that it drastically increases the fat level of your bake.

This is terrific news for anyone limiting their calories, as adding too much excess fat might change the consistency of the completed bake. You don’t even need flour for this procedure; just a fast spritz, and you’re good to go.

Can You Melt Perler Beads With Aluminum Foil?

Place the Perler beads over a foil dish and arrange them any way you choose. Press the beads firmly on the bottom edge as you work. Place the foil dish on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes, inspecting it every five minutes to ensure the beads don’t entirely melt.

Frequently Asked Questions