Hey readers! Megan again! And my word... This society and their Hama beads...
This society. They love Hama beads. And to be honest with you? So do I. Hama beads are great. They're relaxing. They're fun. Anyone can do them. This is why they are something that everyone, young and old, can enjoy together.
As you probably guessed, we as a society are pretty skilled with Hama beads now. So, to help you become as skilled as we are now, we're going to give you our Top 5 Tips to Hama Beads.
#5: Sort Your Colours!
Okay, hear us out. We know this sounds like common sense but trust us, sorting your beads will help you in the long run. Just take a day out of your schedule, stick a podcast or a show you're currently watching and just sort. You'll need a few pots to separate the colours into but you can get them cheap. Once everything is sorted into their colours, everything from the this point on will be a lot easier. You won't be needing to search for colours as you go, you can just focus on what you want to make and have fun!
#4: Greaseproof! Greaseproof! Greaseproof!
When you're planning to iron the beads down, make sure to use Greaseproof Paper. I've seen people say that regular paper and tin foil work just as well but it's not. The beads will melt to the paper and make them stuck, rendering them unusable and the same will happen with the tin foil with the added danger of the heat being conducted through it. Greaseproof is the safest, and easiest route. You don't need to worry about buying the Hama official Ironing paper, it's literally just overpriced small squares of greaseproof. You can get a 10m roll of greaseproof for £1 and that'll last you ages. Not only that, but you're able to see your progress with the ironing of the beads!
#3: Don't apply too much pressure!
Okay this one is a difficult one. The pressure on the iron is KEY. If you press down too hard, the beads will melt too much and can also potentially melt the peg board too. If you don't put enough pressure on, the beads won't melt and the picture could get ruin. You need to slowly apply pressure and keep moving the iron ensure that the heat is spread evenly across all the beads. That way no beads will be over melted, and all the beads will be connected.
#2: Watch the Heat!
The heat of your iron is extremely important. If the iron is too hot, the paper will burn and the beads will burn and over melt. If the iron is too cold, it will have minimal to no effect on the beads. To start off, make sure to put you iron on a medium heat and iron over the beads. If the beads melt too quickly, reduce the heat. If the beads do not change state, increase the heat slowly until it has an effect. If you feel that beads are melting at a good rate and are melting evenly, keep at that heat. It takes a while to work out what the best heat for your iron is however, once you work it out, the rest of you Hama beads projects are going to be perfect!
#1: Just enjoy it!
The whole point of Hama beads is to have fun and be creative with simple designs! Just start with the basics and work up to more complicated designs. Don't get frustrated that you may not be able to do the amazing, fancy designs straight away. Just enjoy making pretty patterns. Even your practice pieces can be useful. They can be used as coasters or decorations. No creation is a failure!
PHEW! We got there in the end! However, I can guarantee that these tips will help you become a so much better Hama bead artist! These have all helped out members, and we're sure they'll help you too!
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