The short answer: if you are out of parchment, use aluminum foil laid perfectly flat, or a silicone baking mat. Both survive iron heat and release beads well. Do not use wax paper or plastic wrap, which melt onto the beads. And the dedicated ironing paper sold by craft brands is just thick parchment anyway.
Running out of paper happens to everyone, and the substitutes fall into three clear groups: safe, risky, and ruinous. Here is the full breakdown.
Safe substitutes
- Aluminum foil: heat-safe and non-stick enough, but smooth it flat first so creases do not show in the melt.
- Silicone baking mat: the best substitute, it is reusable, non-stick, and iron-safe.
- Dedicated ironing paper: this is thick parchment, so it works exactly like the kitchen kind.
What to avoid
Wax paper melts its coating into the beads and leaves white stains. Plastic wrap melts into a mess that is nearly impossible to remove. Newspaper ink transfers onto the surface. When in doubt, the safe list above always works. Ironing technique itself does not change with the paper substitute: still 10 to 15 seconds in slow circles, then flip and repeat. Our foil FAQ and parchment FAQ have details, and the full routine is in our ironing guide.