Pixel Mage Designs

STEP 1: PREP

Preheat a small crafting iron or household iron to medium-high heat. Ironing should only be done by an adult or older responsible child with adult supervision. Keep iron out of reach of small children!

Cut strips of masking tape the length of the design. Carefully place them over beads row by row, starting at the bottom. Press firmly and evenly so all beads stick to the tape.

Slowly flip the board and release the taped design. It's okay if a few beads get loose! Simply replace them with tweezers as closely as you can.

Place a fresh sheet of parchment paper over the taped design.

STEP 2: IRON FIRST SIDE

Begin ironing with circular motions, working from the outer edges of the design toward the middle. Try not to hold the iron in one spot for more than 5 seconds.

Beads will show through the paper when the design is ready to flip. You can also check that they are fused together by peeling away the parchment and wiggling any sections that seem loose. If they move, they are not fused to each other and need to be ironed longer!

Once all beads are connected, it is safe to flip the board and remove the tape. The tape will be slightly hot, but should not burn your fingers. Turn the design clockwise as you remove the tape.

*Don't be discouraged if a few beads still come loose. Gently flip and reposition them, unfused sides up. They will get fused into the pattern with the next step.

STEP 3: IRON OTHER SIDE

Repeat the ironing process for the other side of the pattern. This time feel free to iron a bit longer and/or press down on the iron with medium pressure.

This will help create that signature 8-bit pixel look as the holes close. Beware of over-melting though, as this will distort your design and does not produce a great look.

When you are satisfied with your ironing, immediately place a heavy book or other weighted flat object on top of your design, with the parchment paper still between them. Leave to cool for ten to fifteen minutes.

You're done! Check out your finished design, take a photo or video and share it with me!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why iron both sides of the design? Isn't it faster to only do one side?

It's pretty common to see bead sprites that are only fused on one side. My method is a little different. I've found through trial and error that ironing both sides helps the bead sprite to stay flat and prevents warping. I've also discovered that warping is more likely the longer the masking tape is left in contact with the beads. So, this method solves both problems. The tape is left on for the shortest amount of time possible by ironing both sides of the sprite in one go. You could say this method is all about 'ironing out the kinks'! (Sorry.)

Aren't you supposed to poke holes in the tape with the tape method? How come your beads don't explode?

One reason many fuse bead crafters are hesitant to try the tape method is because of the tendency for beads to 'pop' when they are covered by tape and air is unable to escape once they reach a certain temperature. However, I have never had this happen using my method.

That's because I am not trying to fully melt my beads while the tape is still on. If you expose them to too much heat, they will pop. If you only expose them to enough heat to fuse them together, they will be fine.

The goal of the first ironing step is to only fuse the beads together so you can safely flip them. In the second ironing step, you are free to melt the beads until your desired level of 'pixely-ness'~

Run into a problem and don't see the answer here? Please let me know and I'll add it!