What are fuse beads?
Fuse beads are small plastic beads placed on a pegboard, then joined with heat using the paper and method recommended for them. Each filled square in a pattern represents one bead.
They are also called iron beads. Perler and Hama are familiar brands. BeadSketcher makes square-grid patterns for this kind of craft; it does not provide loom or peyote stitching instructions.
Keep the first project small
Start with compatible beads and a board, the recommended ironing paper, and a simple pattern with a few solid colors. Animals, flowers and small hearts are easy places to look.
Check the bead list before laying anything out. A broad, connected shape is usually more forgiving than narrow lines or several separate pieces.
Turn a picture into something you can make
Choose a picture with a clear subject, crop away extra space and try a grid size. If the result looks busy, reduce the number of colors; if the face or outline disappears, increase the grid size.
You can fix individual cells in “Edit pattern”, print the grid, or mark your progress while making it. Save a .beadsketch file when you stop so you can pick up where you left off.