DIY "Enamel" Dots - A Tutorial

I adore enamel dots on cards. I could go through a million of them. So how's this for an idea - let's make our own for pennies! Check out the instructions with photos below for some crafty fun.

1) Get some Perler beads, I mean the actual name brand. The ones from the dollar store really don't work well for this project. I went to Micheals and used their 40% off coupon and got this entire bucket with ALL the colors for $6.00. There are way more than I will ever use.

It's kinds like opening a new box of crayons, so pretty!

2) Preheat your oven to 290 degrees fahrenheit (143 celsius). 

3) Place the Perler beads on a silpat sheet standing up. Make sure they are placed this way in order to melt correctly. It takes a little time, but I just sat in front of the tv and did it in less than 10 minutes.

4) Place in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

5) Here's what they look like about 1/2 way through baking.

6) Remove them from the oven and let cool. Don't they look delightful? I use a scraper (I found mine at the dollar store)  to get them off quickly, as there are so many. It would take forever to pick them off one by one.

I use Micro Glue Dots to adhere them to my projects. The Mine Dots are a little too big.
Link - Micro Glue Dots

Here's a bright and cheery card with several of the enamel dots.

Have fun making all those adorable enamel dots. Isn't it rewarding to create?

Alicia