Enamel Dots

I have seen several videos on YouTube on how to make homemade enamel dots. Some say use pony beads and others say use Perler beads while others use a liquid paint product. So I decided to test the beads to see how well they work. I must say they worked very well. I used my oven at 400 degrees and used parchment paper. Unlike using the liquid paint where you have to wait until it dry, these are ready to use within minutes of coming out of the oven. In the video you will see the difference and how well they come out. Upon further use I discovered that the pony beads are shiner and a bit harder than the Perler beads but I did not test the more metallic type Perler beads. Also you will notice in the picture with the two dots that they are a little different although they are both pony beads. The longer you leave them in the oven the flatter they get. So if you want some that are small but more domed take them out as soon as they are melted. If you want them flatter and a bit bigger then leave them in a bit longer.

The nice thing is you can big tubs or bags of these from your local Michaels or JoAnns and use your 40 or 50% coupons to make this a great value! Check out the layout that I made for a challenge for National Scrapbook Day; those pretty enamel dots are the pony beads! Now I have a container full of different sized dots just waiting for another project!