Perler beads are a fun project because they are easy to use, require few supplies, and can be used to create what ever you want. Here's just a few tips about what to buy and how to get started if you've never done perler beads before.
The way perler beads work is simply by melting the plastic beads with an iron until they fuse together. Hence the name fuse beads. (perler beads is actually a brand name, commonly used like Kleenex is often used for tissues) That is why you have to have an iron. The other essentials are the beads themselves, at least one pegboard, and ironing paper. Beads come in a huge variety of colors and styles from several brands, such as Perler Beads, Hama, and Nabbi. Avoid super cheap brands such as Melty Beads, as cheap beads will not melt and hold up well. Beads can be neon, glow in the dark, striped, glittery, metallic, clear, translucent, just about anything (yes, including basic primary colors). The beads have small wholes in the center so that they can be placed on a peg board. The board keeps the beads all together until you melt them. You don't have to have more than one peg board shape, but the more boards you have, the more creative you can get. The final essential is ironing paper. Unless you want the beads to stick to the iron and come off of the pegs, paper is a must. When you buy a board(s) it will come with special paper for ironing. Parchment paper, however, will work just as well. There is no need to buy rolls of special paper. Do not use wax paper, though, because the wax will melt. Only parchment works.
While these are the essentials, there are a couple of other things that make fuse beads easier. Wide tweezers can be an immense help. The beads are so small that they can be stressful to pick up with your bare fingers, so you should seriously consider trying tweezers. Some bead sets even come with tweezers. Standard tweezers that you might have in your manicure set, will not work. They are too narrow to pick up standard 5mm beads. Getting multiple peg boards also is not essential, but gives more options. Bead patterns on square boards are the most common, so if you're just getting one, get a square. Hexagonal patterns are also common. After hexagons probably circular patterns are the next most common. There are, however, many, many different shapes such as: hearts, stars, pets, sea creatures, food, and people shaped boards. There are many sets that include multiple boards, so choose your favorite.
Probably by now, it's pretty easy to understand how these popular beads work, but here's a quick run through. First, find a pattern you like or simply create your own.There are whole websites devoted to perler beads, and you can find patterns on this website also. Place the beads on the peg board, making sure that you have the right shape! Is your pattern in straight lines horizontally and vertically? Then it's made on a square (see the flower in the picture above) Is the pattern made in little six-petaled flowers (a.k.a. hexagons)? Then it's made on a hexagon. Circles? You get the idea. Once your pattern is complete, your ready to iron. Place the ironing paper on top of your design while the iron heats to a medium low heat. Once it's hot, gently lower the iron directly on top of the design so as not to disturb the beads and move it slowly back and forth. Holding the iron in one place will only melt some of the beads rather than distributing the heat evenly. Once the beads are melted, remove the design from the board and flip it over to the unmelted side. Place paper over this side and repeat the process. Once both sides are melted, get a heavy book to place on top of the pattern, to ensure that it won't bend while it's cooling. Be careful! The beads could be quite hot. Once they are cooled, ta-da! A beautiful creation has been born. (that turned out to be a long run through, but at least the bases were covered!)
Now you've got all you need to experiment with perler beads! Check out the patterns and projects posted here and enjoy! :)