Mario and Pokemon Crafts — Gamer Magnets

Interested in Mario crafts? How about Pokemon crafts, to celebrate your love of classic video games? Take your colorful fuse (or perler) beads, an iron and lots of imagination and turn them into nerdy gamer-style magnets. Make your favorite Nintendo or other computer-game-inspired shapes and display them on any metal surface.

Materials:
- Fuse beads (also called perler beads) and pegboard
- Magnet tape (or small magnets and jewelry cement glue)
- Jewelry cement glue
- Iron
- Baking paper

Step 1

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Use the patterns supplied, or create your own game characters and consoles by placing fuse beads into position on your pegboard. Cover your creation with a piece of baking paper and gently rub the iron back and forth over it so the beads melt slightly and fuse together.

Step 2

When it has cooled remove the character from the base. Turn your design over and place the baking paper on top and gently iron it again.

Step 3

Cut a piece of self-adhesive magnet tape and attach it to the back of your character, or use jewelry cement glue to attach a regular magnet in place.

Step 4

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This project is excerpted with permission from "Kids' Crafternoon Beading: 25 Projects for a Crafty Afternoon" edited by Kathreen Ricketson and published by Hardie Grant Books.