Make easy and beautiful melted bead art and free-form suncatchers and mobiles using translucent pony beads, thread or wire, a metal pan, and a grill.
We’ve been in the midst of a whole round of melted pony bead suncatcher experimentation!
We first started with using round cake pans and muffin tins to make basic melted bead suncatchers, but now we’re into more freeform melted bead art and experiments.
We’re absolutely loving the freedom of form that string and wire are allowing. And we’ve even tried adding glass stones among the plastic pony beads, just for fun. Read on to discover how easy and beautiful creating melted bead art can be!
How to Make Free Form Melted Bead Art
MATERIALS
- Translucent or glitter pony beads
- Embroidery thread or wire
- Metal bakeware: pans, cake tins, muffin tins, metal cookie cutters, or even gelatin molds
- Aluminum foil to line bakeware (for easy clean-up and no risk of plastic residue)
- Grill or oven
- String or ribbon for hanging
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. String beads onto thread or wire
For most of our melted pony bead suncatchers we’ve used embroidery thread. I suggest tying off the last pony bead just so they don’t slip off in the next step. We also tried wire for one but because it was fairly rigid and did not lay flat in the pan, the melting beads started to drip off of the wire. A more malleable wire such as floral wire might work better.
Step 2. Create your melted bead art
Prepare your metal pan or bakeware with a layer of aluminum foil (despite the fact that there isn’t any in these photos!). Arrange your beaded wire or thread into your desired artwork, design, or shape on the pan.
Note: These photos were taken before I discovered how helpful using foil was. You should especially be sure to use foil if you are using the same pans you bake with.
Our first creation was a tight spiral but we quickly figured out we could be more abstract and experimental with our shapes.
We dropped the string of pony beads loosely in the pan, allowing it to overlap itself at points.
Optional Idea: Add in glass stones or glass beads. Make sure the glass stones are surrounded by the plastic pony beads. You want the melted beads to surround them and hold them in place.
Step 3. Melt the Plastic Bead Art
Melt the pony bead designs for 5 or so minutes on an outdoor grill (best because the fumes from melting plastic beads is toxic) or, if necessary, in an oven (with your kitchen windows wide open).
Wondering what temperature to melt beads?
We had the best success with using our grill set on “high” (400-450º Fahrenheit). Place the pan in the center and put the top down. When we tried doing multiple pans at once we found that the ones on the edges did not heat up as well and we had to rotate them for even melting. Heat for 5 minutes and then check the progress every few minutes after that. Melting the pony beads completely should take no more than 10 minutes.
Step 4. Let cool then remove from pan
Once the melted bead art has cooled completely (this only takes a few minutes) it will peel easily out of the pan.
Step 5. Hang your melted bead art
If needed drill a small hole through the top. String with ribbon and hang your new suncatcher art indoors in a window or outside on your porch or deck.
3 More Melted Bead Art Ideas
- Make Mondrian-Style Melted Bead Art
- Use wooden embroidery hoops as frames for your melted bead suncatcher art
- Try a beaded wire mobile or one of these other 7 homemade suncatchers with plastic beads
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22 Comments
Sarah m
August 10, 2013 at 5:23 pmVery cool! I’ve never seen this type of project before.
Sarah m
Nina
August 10, 2013 at 6:53 pmThanks so much for this idea today. We just made a bunch of them with great results. We made one where we used a skewer to draw into the melted beads.
Jeanette Nyberg
August 10, 2013 at 7:39 pmThis is seriously the coolest project ever. It’s so pretty!
katie
August 11, 2013 at 11:21 amWe used “valentine” colors and put them in heart cookie cutters then in oven as vday gifts
katie
August 11, 2013 at 11:22 am* if you left the remainder of thread instead of snipping, could you not hang it from that?
nancy
August 11, 2013 at 5:33 pmThese are beautiful. I live in an apt. building. Do you think I could melt these indoors or does it give off any kind of toxic smell or smoke?
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:41 amOh, cool! How did that one turn out?
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:41 amThanks, Jeanette!
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:41 amYep!!
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:43 amYou could do it indoors (and we did the first time), but yes, the fumes from the melting plastic are not good to breathe. If you do it, ventilate well! Maybe you could convince a friend (who has a porch with toaster oven or yard with grill etc) to do the project with you?
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:44 amSounds lovely, Katie!
Jean Van't Hul
August 12, 2013 at 11:44 amThanks, Sarah!
Lesley
August 15, 2013 at 7:34 amHi
I’d like to know is there a special type of bead that is used? I am having trouble finding this kind of bead.
MaryAnn F. Kohl, art book author and educator
August 16, 2013 at 11:14 pmYou know how much I love your blog, your ideas, YOU!!! May I share?
https://eepurl.com/DRXHf
Free Leafy Art ideas for September! Leafy Art, From MaryAnn
Kohl
K hanau
September 27, 2013 at 9:13 pmI wonder if you could use fishing line, clear thread, that clear plastic lacing material or even floss?
grace
December 10, 2013 at 11:49 pmwhat type of thread was used to bead these? I would like to use them in my class as well b/c I lOVE this project!!
sandy blue
May 7, 2014 at 2:04 pmFor the beaded suncatchers,, I would use use one of those clear stretchy cords so you wouldn’t see the string in the melted beads. Otherwise the colours were very pretty
Sarah
May 20, 2014 at 7:50 pmI just found this and I’m about to go find pony beads to make myself wedding decorations. Have you tried using fishing line to see if maybe you wouldn’t get the line where you can see the string?
Andrea M Labbe
October 21, 2020 at 3:51 pmHi! Did you ever try using the fishing wire? I guess if it melts it would not matter since it’s just really used to make the color patterns easier…you can hang with something else after it’s all melted. But if you did try, please let me know.
Loretta
June 12, 2014 at 3:10 pmWas looking for fun ideas for kids and came upon your lovely website!! Thanks so much for the beautiful crafts you offer with plastic beads. Who would have thought it would be so easy..?? (and beautiful, too!) Will try when my special girl comes this weekend. She will love this.
Nicole Doran
December 9, 2017 at 3:26 pmwas wondering about the beads can they just be the normal pony beads or do you have to find a certain type? because all i can find is the narmal ones and not the melting type.
Andrea M Labbe
October 21, 2020 at 3:49 pmHello! Has anyone tried using fishing wire/cord in place of the thread or wire?