Melting Pot

This morning we made a little set of bowls using Perler beads.  In case you are not familiar, these are meltable beads, found at craft stores in the children's section, usually packaged in some sort of kit with a specific design (like a robot). You can also buy free-standing packs of multi-color beads, or single colors to make your own creations.

I pinned this bowl project a while ago, thinking it would be a fun experiment for the kids. It was done using rainbow colored beads. While very cute, it pretty much relegated them to the playroom. Using black and white beads made for a more sophisticated set of bowls. Because they have tiny holes throughout, they make excellent vessels for soap and air plants. Check out the tutorial below!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil the inside of an oven-proof bowl, and pour a small handful of Perler beads into the base.  Spread them evenly up the sides, adding more beads to the base, pushing the sides up until the desired depth is achieved.  Bake on a sheet pan for 10-12 minutes until the beads are melted.  Allow to set and cool for at least 5 minutes.  Use a butter knife to loosen edges and slip the bowl out of the mold.  Wipe the base clean of oil and you're all set!