Perfect Spring Craft: Perler Bead Bowls

1-MADI’m so excited to be a guest writer for Kansas City Moms Blog today! I do a lot of fun, easy, and inexpensive crafts with my little girl Mya. One of our recent favorite projects are these perler bead bowls that are so vibrant and colorful — perfect for spring!

As a side note, I love art glass. My favorite glass artists are Lino Tagliapietra and Steven Main… and Mya, of course. But since she’s not getting near a 2000 degree kiln anytime soon, we went a safer, way more affordable direction. I call this little activity “Chihuly on the Cheap” because this is the closest craft to resemble art glass that you can do with a toddler. You don’t need much… just a few items and an over-eager kiddo. The blue princess crown is optional (although Mya would tell you otherwise!)

What You Need

  • perler beads
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • pyrex glass bowls

What to Do 

  1. Spray the inside of the glass bowls with non-stick cooking spray. This allows the beads to stick to the side of the bowl.8-MAD
  1. Sprinkle the perler beads to cover the inside of the bowl. (We bought our beads at Ikea for $6, but you can get them at any craft store.) Ours were only one layer thick. Use your fingers to slide them around and butt them up against each other to create a solid arrangement of beads. You really don’t have to fuss over it. As long as they’re close together, they will fuse together in the oven.
  1. Bake at 375 degrees for ~15 minutes. Check every couple minutes, and remove glass bowls from oven when all beads are melted.
  1. Let the beads completely cool before removing them from the glass bowls. You might hear some small popping noises while the plastic beads cool and pull away from the glass.
  1. Remove your colorful bowls from their glass molds! The smooth side of the bow11-MADl will have some residual cooking spray on it, so clean it with a damp paper towel and a little dial dish soap.

We ended up making three different sizes. I like the irregular jagged edge, but if you desire a smoother look, just use some scissors to cut the rim straight.

I liked the look of the largest one as a centerpiece.

However, it would just end up getting filled with Mya hair ties, Playmobil people and bouncy balls. So we went a different route and hung them up with some command strips.

I love the little cluster of them on the wall. Mya was also pretty proud of them and had to take some pictures of her own. Not bad for a little goofball!

FamilyShotAshley and her husband Derek have a DIY, crafts, and fun-lovin’ blog: at theMADcreative. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram  and Pinterest. They live in Olathe, where Ashley is a stay-at-home mom. They love everything about the home and raising their little girl, Mya.

 

 

Guest Contributor
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