Upload a picture and get a fuse bead pattern matched to Perler or Hama bead colors. See it as beads or a symbol chart split into pegboards, count how many beads of each color you need, tidy it up by hand and print it.
Last updated:
Choose which bead colors you own
Edit:
Making pattern…
Hover over the pattern to see each bead's row, column and color.
Bead counts Click a color to highlight it; in Paint mode it becomes your brush
Symbol
Color
Bead color
Beads
Share
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Perler Bead Pattern Maker
Add your image: drop, paste or choose it. Simple pictures with clear shapes and few colors give the cleanest patterns.
Set the width in beads; 29 fills one large square pegboard. The height follows the picture's shape.
Choose the bead palette and limit the number of colors. Open the color list to switch off colors you don't have.
Check the pattern in Beads and Chart view, and use Paint or Erase to fix single beads.
Download the PDF: a cover page with the color key and bead counts, then each pegboard on its own page to print at 100%.
Bead sizes and pegboards
Fuse beads come in a few standard sizes. The finished size of your design is simply the number of beads times the bead spacing, measured before ironing (ironing shrinks it very slightly).
Bead type
Spacing
29 × 29 board
Good for
Standard / midi
about 5 mm
about 14.5 × 14.5 cm (5.7 in)
Most patterns, coasters, keychains, wall art
Mini
about 2.6 mm
about 7.5 × 7.5 cm (3 in)
Detailed designs, jewelry, small charms
Big / maxi
about 10 mm
about 29 × 29 cm (11.4 in)
Young children, large simple shapes
How the image is turned into beads
The picture is shrunk to the width you choose so that each bead covers a block of pixels, and the average color of each block is taken. Each average is then matched to the closest bead color you own using the CIEDE2000 color difference, a formula designed to follow how people perceive color differences rather than raw RGB numbers. If the pattern uses more colors than your limit, the least used colors are removed one at a time and those beads are matched again to the remaining colors.
Tips for great bead patterns
Start simple. Cartoons, logos, emoji and pixel art convert much better than busy photos. Pixel art up to 145 pixels wide is converted one bead per pixel, and single-pixel details such as eyes are kept.
Outline matters. A dark outline around a shape keeps it readable; paint missing outline beads by hand with the Paint tool.
Join pegboards side by side for big designs and follow the board numbers on the PDF cover page.
Iron with care. Place ironing paper over the beads and use a medium setting with even, circular motion; an adult should handle the iron.
One large square pegboard holds 29 × 29 beads, about 14.5 cm (5.7 in) across with standard 5 mm beads. Small designs like characters or icons look good at 20 to 40 beads wide, while portraits and detailed scenes need 60 beads or more, which means several pegboards joined together.
How many beads do I need?
The bead counts table lists exactly how many beads of each color the pattern uses, and the total is shown above the preview. Buy a little extra of each color, around 5 to 10 percent, because some beads roll away or come out of the bag misshapen.
Are the colors exact matches to real Perler or Hama beads?
The palettes use the brands' color names with approximate screen colors, so the tool can pick the nearest bead for each part of your image. Real bead colors vary between batches and screens show colors differently, so compare against your own beads and switch off any color you do not have.
Why does my photo look blotchy as a bead pattern?
A bead is one solid color, so smooth gradients in photos turn into patches. Try a larger width, allow more colors, or turn on dithering, which mixes neighboring beads to suggest in-between shades. Cropping the photo to just the subject first also helps a lot.
How does the background removal work?
If the edges of your picture are one plain color, such as a white or green background, the tool fills inward from the border and leaves matching pixels as empty pegs. Transparent areas of PNG images are always left empty. Untick Leave background empty to bead the background too.
Can I print the pattern at the actual bead size?
Yes. In the PDF, each pegboard gets its own page drawn at the real bead spacing (5 mm for standard beads) when it fits the paper. Print it at 100% or Actual size and you can slide the page under a clear pegboard to place beads directly on top.
Does this work for mini and big beads?
Yes. Choose Mini (about 2.6 mm) or Big (about 10 mm) under Bead size to update the finished size and the PDF scale. Color names come from the midi palettes, so check that your mini or big bead set includes those colors.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.