We received a bucket of 8,500 perler beads and the kids were very excited to make “melts beads” but on top of another bucket of 10,000 beads from a bucket from IKEA that’s ALOT of beads! The kids didn’t really have interest in them until we got this bucket (I think it’s also cause they are older and can actually make designs and follow patterns now) The two buckets weren’t mixed together yet, but having to find a very specific color for each of the kids (because why would they want the same color at the same time) I wanted to find a way to make it a little easier so I decided to start sorting the beads! I have the bucket that had the most color variety done and I still have to finish sorting the other bucket, but it’s already making things easier!
Some tips I used when sorting beads
1. If you have many different shades of the same color mixed it with other colors, I found it best to sort the similar colors together. I then sort them into their specific shade however it’s up to your preference on if you want to go that far.
2. Be patience especially if you have kids, they will want to play with the beads as soon as you get them out. You will probably want to set some aside for them to play with and then sort them later
3. Use baggies/containers that work best for you. I found that using the snack sized baggies tend to have more issues with spilling and they had a really big opening so I found some smaller baggies that stand up right a little easier.
I also tried using the plastic bead organizers but after a few times of it being opened the wrong direction, I wanted to find a different solution. It might also make things easier to have multiple baggies (or whatever you decide) of the same color, that way each kid can use their own without having to fight over who gets to use that color
4. I found sorting the beads in a muffin tin worked really well, I added cupcake liners inside to make it easier to get all the beads out. I recommend only filling them about 3/4 of the way full as you need to pinch the sides of the liner together to get it out and if it’s too full the beads will spill out.
5. Let the kids be involved, they will probably get tired of it after a few minutes, but letting them be involved can help keep them entertained while sorting the rest of the beads.
Anderson Crochet and Crafts 