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How to Make a Perler Bead Cactus

This Perler bead cactus is super cute! Use melty beads and our printable patterns to make your own 3D Perler bead plant. It's a fun and easy craft, perfect for kids and beading beginners.
Active Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Yield: 1 Perler bead cactus
Author: Debbie Chapman
Cost: $1

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

Step 1: Find what you need

  • Gather your supplies and materials.
    Perler Bead Cactus Supplies

Step 2: Prepare your pegboard and beads

  • Print our free Perler bead cactus patterns, or follow along with the template on your device’s screen.
    Find the link to the patterns in the materials list above with more details found below this tutorial.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • To make these cactus designs you’ll need a large square pegboard. If you have a clear pegboard you can place it on top of the printed pattern to make it easier to follow along.
    We also find it helpful to sort the Perler bead colours we need and divide them into small bowls.
    Perler Bead Cactus

Step 3: Follow the pattern

  • Begin placing beads according to the pattern.
    Optional: Use tweezers to place the Perler beads. It makes it easier to add beads to specific pegs.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Continue adding beads according to the pattern. We made the bottom half of the cactus first, but you can add the beads in whatever order makes sense to you.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Make the second part of the design and compare them to the pattern one last time, to make sure you’ve followed it correctly and are happy with how it looks.
    Perler Bead Cactus

Step 4: Iron the design

  • Place the pegboard on an ironing board or other heat-safe surface. Cover the Perler bead design with a piece of parchment paper.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Heat your iron to medium temperature, no steam. Place the iron on the parchment paper and move it around in circular motions for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Check the beads to see if they’re melted together. Continue to iron for another 10 to 20 seconds, if necessary.
    The beads are melted correctly when the parchment paper sticks to the beads and needs to be peeled away from them.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Leave your design on the pegboard until it’s cool to the touch. When you remove it, place it under a stack of heavy books to stop it from warping as it cools completely.
    Perler Bead Cactus

Step 5: "Plant" the cactus

  • The cactus piece with the hole in the bottom is the top. Slide it into the slot of the other half to create a 3D cactus!
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • To "plant" our cactus we filled a small clay pot with sand.
    Important: Place tape over the hole in the pot so the sand doesn't run out!
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Wiggle the bottom of the cactus into the sand so it stands up straight. You can also partially fill the pot, place the cactus in, and then add more sand to secure it.
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Your Perler bead cactus is complete!
    Perler Bead Cactus
  • Now have fun making all of the cactus designs!
    Perler Bead Cactus

Video

Notes

Looking for more Perler bead patterns? Here's a few of our favourites:
Perler Bead Food
Butterfly Perler Beads
Perler Bead Flower