How to
How to make a Perler bead pattern from a picture
A Perler bead pattern is a grid where every square is one bead on the pegboard. This maker turns a picture into that grid using real Perler or Hama bead colors, counts how many beads of each color you need, and splits big designs into pegboard-sized sections.
- Choose a picture. Simple shapes with bold colors work best: a character, an emoji, a logo, a pet on a plain background.
- Pick the brand. Perler or Hama Midi. Every square is matched to the nearest bead color that brand makes.
- Set the size. Beads wide sets the width; 29 fills one large square pegboard, 58 fills two side by side.
- Limit the colors. The least used colors are merged into their nearest neighbor until only the number you chose is left.
- Check the shopping list. Each color shows its name, product code and bead count, most used first.
- Print the PDF. One page per pegboard, with symbols so you can follow it even on a black and white printer.
Where the bead colors come from
Neither Perler nor Hama publishes screen color values for its beads, so the colors here come from the open BeadColors list by maxcleme on GitHub, where bead fans record a measured color for each product code. The Perler list has 103 colors and the Hama Midi list has 92, of which the 75 opaque ones are used here: transparent, glow and metallic colors are left out. Treat the screen colors as a close guide and check a real bead when the shade matters.
Pegboards and finished size
Perler describes its large square pegboard as 5.7 inches square, and it holds 29 beads across, so each bead takes about 0.2 inch. That is how the finished size under the pattern is worked out. Thick bold lines on the pattern mark where one pegboard ends and the next begins; the boards interlock, so a design 58 beads wide sits on two boards side by side.
Tip
Small designs look best when the picture is simplified first. Start from pixel art made with the image to pixel art converter, or from a cartoon with thick outlines, rather than a detailed photo.
Other crafts on the same grid
For thread instead of beads, the cross stitch pattern maker builds a stitch chart with a color key, and the crochet graph maker and knitting chart maker account for stitches that are not square.
Questions people ask
Do I need an app to make Perler bead patterns?
No. This pattern maker runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install and no account. Your picture is processed on your device and never uploaded. The pattern opens again from the Copy link button, and the PDF prints from any device, one pegboard to a page.
How many beads fit on one pegboard?
The large square Perler pegboard is 29 pegs by 29 pegs, so a full board holds 841 beads. Perler lists it as 5.7 inches square, and the boards interlock for bigger designs. This maker splits your pattern into 29 by 29 sections; change the board size if yours has a different number of pegs.
How many beads of each color should I buy?
Use the count next to each color in the list under the pattern, then add about a tenth for beads that roll away, melt unevenly or come out a slightly different shade. Colors with only a few beads are worth checking against what you already own, since a close match from your stash often works.
Will the bead colors match my screen?
Closely, not exactly. Each bead color is matched from published color values that fans have measured, and screens show color differently. Look up the code and name in the list before you buy, and when a shade matters, such as skin or a logo color, hold a real bead against the preview.
Can I make a Hama bead pattern with this?
Yes. Switch the bead brand to Hama Midi and the pattern is rebuilt with Hama colors and their codes. Transparent, glow in the dark and metallic Hama colors are left out, because a flat screen color cannot stand in for them. Set the pegboard size to match the Hama boards you have.