The short answer: craft stores in your area carry them, and online shops sell larger buckets at better prices. Start with a mixed bucket and a few single-color jars, then add colors as your projects need them.
Perler beads are sold nearly everywhere crafts are sold. The real question is not where to buy, but what to buy first so you do not waste money on colors you will never use.
Where to look
- Craft chains: Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joann in the US; Hobbycraft in the UK; and similar chains almost everywhere.
- Online marketplaces: Amazon and other marketplaces sell every brand, size, and color, often cheaper than stores.
- Brand sites: Perler, Hama, and Artkal sell direct, with the full color range and bulk buckets.
- Our shop: perlerbeadai.com/shop carries beads, boards, and ironing paper in one place.
- Second-hand: marketplace listings and yard sales sometimes have big lots for very little.
What to buy first
- One mixed bucket of 1000 or more beads to learn with.
- A pegboard, parchment paper, and an iron if you do not have one.
- Single-color jars of the colors your first patterns need.
- Skip fancy kits with shaped boards until you know what you enjoy making.
Before your first order, check which colors the patterns you want to build actually use. Our color guide lists every standard shade so you can match jars to patterns, and the bead count guide tells you how many you will need.