Perler Bowls

Am I the only parent of girls who has major regret over the purchase of Perler Beads??  Not that they were so expensive or anything...but that they come in TUBS of 11,000 beads, and after my children used a couple hundred of them they were tired of the Perler Beads.  And I have a thing about decluttering and not just keeping things to keep them, but to use what we have and have what we use.  Period.  So this tub of beads was driving me crazy.  Until today.  Thank you, Pinterest, for all the crafty ideas that you give me and my girls!

Now, we have NO Perler Beads left...only several different Perler Bowls for personal use in keeping items sorted on the girls' dressers, and for neato gifts.  Check it out:

All you need is some vegetable oil, as many oven safe bowls as you want to use, and a tub of those blasted beads.

Oil the inside of the bowl to prevent sticking, and the oil helps keep the beads in place as you press them evenly around the sides and bottom of the bowls.

I tried to show that they are in one layer on the sides and bottom.

The instructions said a 200 degree oven, but I had to crank mine up to 300.  Either way, keep an eye on the beads--they melt fast!

Taking them out and viewing the finished product is surprisingly gratifying. :)

I used a pie plate to make a larger, shallower dish.

We also tried using a small custard dish, with sweet results.  The possibilities are endless--there are 11,000 of those pesky little things!

In about 30 minutes time, we were sporting a colorful new set of knick-knack bowls and plates.  I may actually hang the big plate on the wall.  Why not?

Bye bye beads--hello bowls!  SO much more useful!