How to Make a Perler Bead Hamburger

Children and adults use Perler beads to make fused-together shapes. Perler bead crafts are simple enough for young children to make. But they require adult supervision, as the beads must be fused with an iron. Use the beads to make a hamburger shape that a child can play with or hang as a decoration. During the holidays, make a food-themed tree by hanging hamburger and other food shapes.

Things You'll Need

• Circular pegboard
• 350 brown beads
• Iron and ironing board
• Ironing paper or parchment paper
• 100 red beads
• 100 green beads
• 1000 light brown or tan beads
• Square pegboard
• Hot glue

Instructions

1. Arrange the brown beads in a circle on the circular pegboard. The circle should have a diameter of 15 beads. Use brown beads to fill in the circle, so that it is a solid mass of beads.

2. Plug in the iron, and turn it to a medium heat setting. Set the circle of beads onto the ironing board, bead-side up.

3. Cover the top of the beads with the ironing paper or parchment paper. Press the paper with the iron to fuse the beads. Fusing should take about 10 seconds. Do not hold the iron to the beads too long, as you don't want them to melt too much.

4. Let the fused beads cool until you can handle them, then peel them off the pegboard. Repeat the process to make a second brown circle for the hamburger patty.

5. Make a circle on the pegboard using the red beads. This is the "tomato" for the hamburger. The diameter of the circle should be 14 beads wide. Fuse the beads as you did for the hamburger, then peel off and set aside.

6. Arrange the green beads on the circular pegboard, in an uneven shape that resembles a piece of lettuce. Fuse as you did with the burger and the tomato shapes. Let cool and peel off.

7. Use the light brown or tan beads to make the bun pieces. Arrange the beads in two circles on the square pegboard. Each circle should be 16 beads across. Fuse, then peel off.

8. Make three more circles using the tan beads for the top bun. Give one circle a 16-bead diameter, the second circle a 15-bead diameter and the third circle a 14-bead diameter. Fuse, let cool, then peel.

9. Set one 16-bead diameter bun piece in front of you. Apply a thin layer of hot glue, then top with another 16-bead diameter bun piece. Put a thin layer of hot glue on the top of the second bun piece.

10. Place the lettuce shape on top of the bun piece, then apply a layer of glue to the top of it. Set the first burger patty shape on top of the lettuce, then add a layer of glue and set the second burger patty shape on top of the first.

11. Spread glue on top of the second burger patty piece and set the tomato piece on it.

12. Apply a layer of glue to the remaining 16-bead bun piece, the set the 15-bead piece on top of it. Add glue to the top of the 15-bead piece, then put the 14-bead piece on top. This is the top bun for the burger.

13. Put a layer of glue on top of the tomato and set the top bun piece on it. Let the glue dry for about 10 minutes.