Have you ever tried crafting with fusible beads?
I’d seen packets of Hama beads in our local toy shop, but I never really knew what they were until Hardie Grant sent my kids and I copies of the two new Kid’s Crafternoon Books. The Beading book features little birdy earrings made from fusible beads on the front cover and that inspired us to pick up some beads and bead boards and have a play.
The fusible beads are really tiny, and quite tricky to keep under control, so we started out just playing with patterns and colours to make basic shapes while we got the hang on them.
Once you’ve arranged your beads in the pattern you want on the board, you place baking paper over them and ‘fuse’ them with a hot iron for a few seconds. It took me a while to figure out the optimum amount of iron time and how much melt you needed to get the items to really stay stuck together, but even the ones I over melted still looked pretty cool
We had a go at one of the birds in the Beading book. The girls followed the pattern easily and were thrilled with the results. The bird inspired them to come up with their own more complex patterns and we ended up making the first letter in each of their names, a beaver (?!) and lots of other letters, shapes and patterns.
The girls LOVED this activity. It’s spot on for a 7-8 year old who like to sit and create, playing with patterns and colours. They sat and created for nearly two hours!
Morgan found it just a little tricky to get the beads to go where he wanted them, and getting them stay there (so did I!). He gave up after a while, preferring to offer colour selection advice to the rest of us.
I really enjoyed this activity too and my mind is whirring with cool things you could do with these beads! The Kids’ Crafternoon Beading book offers inspiration for using the fusible beads to make earrings, magnets and even bunting! I think they’d make cool bracelets if you made small circles and strung them together and we are thinking of turning our letters in to broaches. You can also string these as regular beads, so they are quite versatile, and lots of fun.
I blogged about the first two Kids’ Crafternoon books, Papercraft and Sewing, back in July. Now there are two new books to add to the series – Kids’ Crafternoon Beading and Kids’ Crafternoon Felting. Edited by Kathreen from Whipup, the two new books are just as lovely as the first two. Full of interesting projects from a variety of contributors, and perfect for kids aged 6 and up, and adults too of course!
All four books are available from Booktopia.
Win one of two Kids’ Crafternoon Books!
This competition is now closed, winners have been notified
If you’d like to win a copy of either the beading or felting book all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and tell me what you’d make from fusible beads. Please be sure to also let me know which book you would like to win. The most creative, funny, and interesting answers will win.
Terms & Conditions
You must be an Australian resident to enter and provide a valid email address.
Entries are limited to one per household.
Entries close Thursday December 1st 2011
One winner for each book with be notified via email and announced on this post by December 2nd 2011
Winners must contact me within 7 days or the prize will be re-drawn.
Winners postal address will be passed on to Hardie Grant Books and the prizes will be sent directly from them.
Follow along with the virtual book tour and find out what these other super talented crafty bloggers have to say about these lovely books –
- Lisa Tilse from The Red Thread – 14-Nov
- Suzie Fry – 15-Nov
- Larissa Holland from mmmCrafts – 16-Nov
- Pascale Mestdagh from Between the Lines – 17-Nov
- Christine Chitnis – 18-Nov
- Holly Keller from Chez Beeper Bebe – 19-Nov
- Monica Solorio-Snow from The Happy Zombie – 20-Nov
- Cate Holst from Go Make Me – 21-Nov
- Shannon Cook from Luvinthemommyhood – 22-Nov
- Jennifer Casa from JCHandmade – 23-Nov
- Steph Morgan from Modern Parents Messy Kids – 25-Nov
- Kara Fleck from Simple Kids – 26-Nov
- Li’l Magoolie – 27-Nov
- Jackie Boucher from Oh Dee Doh – 28-Nov
- Bianca from Sadie and Lance – 29-Nov
- Tricia Hogbin from Little Eco Footprints – 30-Nov
- Lisa Siebert guest posting at Poppytalk – 1-Dec
{ Disclosure: I was given a copy of each book to review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The opinions in this post are purely my own. }
My kids LOVE fusible beads and spend many hours making bookmarks, coasters, and scenery pictures among other things. I treasure the designs they make and have put magnets on the back of some to go on the fridge.
oh we love fuse beads. I think we’d probably make some christmas ornaments since we are trying to adorn our tree this year in purely handmade goodies. In saying that though, I’d actually love to win the felt book. Creating felt goodies has been on my list but alas I am a pretty hopeless crafter and need all of the help I can get…..this book looks like it would be a perfect fit ;-)
My 5 year old daughter LOVES her beads. We use http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130603633906 these that are a huge help!
You can get ones with a scoop on the end too:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PERLER-BEAD-TWEEZER-PLUS-NEW-Must-Have-/360396194465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e94982a1
Oh and I always over melt mine, but the kids still love them!! lol
Sandi :)
I would love to win the beading book for my girls, I learnt how to make beaded necklaces with my mum when I was younger and its still a craft that soothes my mind and allows me to indulge in my creative passion. I think my girls and I might make a beaded alphabet, it would be fun to choose the colours for the letters and it would be a tricky thing to design and carry through with. It would be a fun tool for Amy who will be learning to read soon, something we could do together that would serve a creative and a functional purpose!
we’ve had the hama beads for a while, but I think my 8 and 6 year olds would love the a copy of the book to give them some fresh inspiration. I’m torn though as I think the felt book would be equally popular around here!
My daughter has been making. Her own hearts and circles all very different out of the glitter Hama beads. She is now finishing off a mobile with them. Great projects that get little fingers moving!!!
Hi
Firstly, never ever iron too hard on the board – I have lots from when I was young that have very flat pegs on the edges of the boards.
Secondly, use a earbud with the cotton pulled off and a blob of blu-tac on the end to pick up the beads or tweezers with sharp points. Works a treat and much easier for little fingers.
Finally, I would make the space invaders in the beading book – I love them and think they would look great as a bunting in my sons room.
So I would love to win either book but the beading one is the top of my list.
Thanks for sharing your amazing projects – Hope these hints help.
Those beads look just the ticket for making some new decorations for our Christmas tree – Although I think perhaps the felt might be more suitable for my (uncoordinated) self and my three little boys.
I can see us making names first of all to put up on bedroom doors. On a dark, moonless night, you could feel your way around the house. We’ve had a few nights like that lately. Things going bump in the night.
Kids’ Crafternoon Beading would be our first choice, but either book would be wonderful.
When out shopping recently my daughter asked for some felt!! Eek!!! My hand sewing skills are terrible and my felt projects often don’t last the distance in little hands! Perhaps the felt book would help me improve and give my kids the chance to create something themselves – which hopefully will inspire them to treat them a little bit more gently!
My daughter is a craft-a-holic and would love to give these a go. At 4.5 yrs she is getting bored very easily and Im running out of ideas ! I need help before I run out of paper, glue, glitter and scissors. (yes scissors, I dont know where she hides them ? Some big black hole under her bed Im guessing, where all her missing shoes are) The beads interest me the most, I love beads, and vaguely remember having something like this as a child.
I think I might pull out the fusible beads for the bigs to have a go at making christmas decorations! These books look awesome, I’d love to add any of them to my inspiration pile!
I’d use the fusible beads to make little hammocks for our rubber duckies to chill out in after a busy afternoons play.
Love the felting book.
Beady awesomeness! I would make the letters I . . . A . . . M . . .O . . N . . .S . . T . .R . . I . . K . .E, then I would stick them on a special Mummy headband. Beady book would be fabby, so I could bling it all up a bit more!
I would love to make a series of ’emotion’ faces – to help my son with Asperger’s learn about people’s feelings.
I would love a chance to win the beading book for my little girl. She is 6 and LOVES these pesky little beads (says the mother that always seems to be vacuming and picking them up) She spends hours creating things though. She would love to make some little birds and magnets. She has been creating hearts all year and we have added them to every birthday present that has left the house.
Oh, I’d love that beading book! I have three small people who would be kept well and truly entertained! I think I’d give them a free run – let them get inspired by the ideas in the book and then make what they want!!!
I have never heard or seen these before but what a fabulous idea. My 6 year old niece loves craft and her room is covered in her mozaic sticker creations (which have been the favourite this year) – I could see having a fabulous time with the beads (and giving her Mum a bit of breathing space as well :)
I think some new fridge magnets would be nice!
We LOVE fusible beads in our house … probably a little too much because they are everywhere! Any time I start to vaccuum I hear the telltale rattle as another bead goes up the pipe. With fusible beads I’d make a fusible bead box to keep all our fusible beads in!
And I’d be over the moon to win the felting book.