Gotta Love Enamel Dots... but NOT the price!
Ok, I admit it, I have been LOVING the enamel dots I have been seeing from all the different designers, but I do NOT like the price of them! They are very expensive and eat into a budget very quickly. I saw this idea on a group I am in that used Perler beads, but was skeptic. I looked on Pinterest, and again skeptical, looked on YouTube...yep you guessed it...skeptic again. I was at Walmart and decided to pick some up to play with. I will tell you, I am no longer a skeptic!!! IT WORKS!
Not sure what Perler Beads are? Remember back in the good ole days you used to make those shapes with beads and then use an iron to melt them together? Those little plastic beads that my grandma loved to buy me and my mother cussed?? Yeah, those things!! Those fun little beads are what you need. Don't remember them, well that's ok, here's a picture:
This bucket was only $7.00 at our local Walmart. Yes, you can get them cheaper with a coupon at Joann's or a craft store but out here you do what you can with what you have! I picked up this bucket with a lot of fun colors in it for a lot of variety.
Here is how you make them. Set your oven to 350 degrees then line your pan with PARCHMENT paper. It is very important to use parchment paper or a craft mat that can withstand heat. You will place your Perler beads with the hole upright so it looks like a donut on the baking sheet. I baked mine for 30-35 minutes. You want to make sure that they are melted all the way and do not have a little indention in the middle. *IF YOU USE GLITTER OR METALLIC ONES THEY WILL HAVE AN INDENTION IN THEM NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU BAKE THEM*
Here is what mine look like once they were melted
Here is a closer up view
So there you have it, your own CHEAP way to make your own enamel dots! It's cheap, easy, and very fun to do! If you go to a bigger city there are more options or you can do what I did, and just on Amazon and look at all of theirs. I have striped ones on the way :) Hope to make a card using my own dots very soon so be on the look out for that post!
Not sure what Perler Beads are? Remember back in the good ole days you used to make those shapes with beads and then use an iron to melt them together? Those little plastic beads that my grandma loved to buy me and my mother cussed?? Yeah, those things!! Those fun little beads are what you need. Don't remember them, well that's ok, here's a picture:
Here is how you make them. Set your oven to 350 degrees then line your pan with PARCHMENT paper. It is very important to use parchment paper or a craft mat that can withstand heat. You will place your Perler beads with the hole upright so it looks like a donut on the baking sheet. I baked mine for 30-35 minutes. You want to make sure that they are melted all the way and do not have a little indention in the middle. *IF YOU USE GLITTER OR METALLIC ONES THEY WILL HAVE AN INDENTION IN THEM NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU BAKE THEM*
Here is what mine look like once they were melted
You will notice that I have 3 different sizes. To get the bigger ones you need to stack 2 beads on top of each other. It is a bit tricky but worth it if you want big ones. The next size are just one bead. The minis are a regular ones cut in half with a pair of scissors.
So there you have it, your own CHEAP way to make your own enamel dots! It's cheap, easy, and very fun to do! If you go to a bigger city there are more options or you can do what I did, and just on Amazon and look at all of theirs. I have striped ones on the way :) Hope to make a card using my own dots very soon so be on the look out for that post!
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