Anyone else experience major nostalgia when they see Perler Beads? I think it was sometime between 3rd and 4th grade that I became too cool to craft with the little plastic tubes, but lately I haven’t been able to stop. I’ve been dying to think up an excuse to bring a pack of Perler Beads into the office, but it wasn’t until I started thinking in terms of Valentine’s Day that I had my aha! moment, and this punchy project was conceived. Since then, they’ve become something of an addiction around these parts — carefully placing plastic beads onto tiny pegs has become our new form of meditation (try it, you’ll see!) Keep reading to see how we made & packaged these irresistible little guys to send to our Valentines this year…

• Perler Beads
• Perler Beads pegboard
• parchment paper
• iron
• small glassine envelopes
• neon washi tape

1. Arrange beads on pegboard in desired design. For a 2.75-inch envelope, we created squares that were 12 pegs across.
2. Carefully lay parchment paper over beads.
3. Set heated iron on parchment paper and hold for 10-15 seconds.
4. Once melted plastic is cooled, remove square from pegboard and stuff into small glassine envelope. Use piece of washi tape to secure shut.