How it works
- Open a grid. Enter a width and height in beads, or load a photo, .cpat file or CraftPatterns PDF.
- Pick your beads. Add colours from your chosen bead range; each lands on a number key from 1 to 9.
- Draw and refine. Pencil (B), eraser (E), fill (G), line (L) and rectangles (R), with mirroring and unlimited undo.
- Print or save. Download a PDF with board-by-board pages and bead counts, or a PNG, SVG or CSV shopping list.
Tips for a great bead pattern in the editor
Work in board-sized blocks. Thinking in 29-bead squares makes everything easier: you can place one board at a time, iron in sections and know at a glance how many boards to borrow from a friend. The pegboard planning guide covers layouts for larger pieces.
Every bead needs a neighbour. Unlike paper pixel art, a bead design has to hold together once it comes off the board. A single bead joined only at a corner will usually break away. Before printing, check thin details such as whiskers, antennae and lettering, and give each one at least one side-by-side neighbour.
Outline last, not first. Fill the main colour areas, then trace the outline with the line tool. Drawing the outline first tends to leave gaps you only spot in the Realistic view.
Mirror for coasters and ornaments. Snowflakes, mandala coasters and hearts look more polished when they are perfectly symmetrical. Press H, V or both and draw one half or one quarter.
Use the Realistic view to judge colours. Beads are shiny and round, and the tiny gaps between them change how colours read. The Realistic preview shows ironed beads, so you can see whether two greys are distinguishable before you buy them.
Check the bead counts against your stash. The colour key lists how many beads each colour needs. If one colour runs to hundreds and you only have half a tub, replace it with a similar shade now rather than discovering the shortfall halfway through placing beads.
Plan for the back. Display pieces are often fused on both sides, and a dark background hides wobbly edges. For see-through pieces such as window hangings, choose a translucent bead colour from the chart if your range has one.
Strengthen hanging points. If the design will hang from a ribbon, plan which edge bead will take it and make sure that bead is fully surrounded on its sides so the weight does not tear it away.
Saving and sharing
Download the .cpat project to keep a master copy you can reopen anywhere. For a shared printout, the PDF can be set to A4 or US Letter, with a large-print option for younger beaders. Opened a design from a photo and want to start over? The photo to bead pattern maker is one tap away.
What you get
| Sizes | 10–290 beads wide from a photo; editor up to 2,000 × 2,000 |
|---|---|
| Colours | 2–60, matched by CIEDE2000 colour difference |
| Palettes | Perler, Hama, Artkal S, Nabbi, MARD |
| Downloads | PDF (cover, colour key, numbered chart pages, optional colour pages), PNG, SVG, shopping list CSV, .cpat project |
| Files accepted | JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, AVIF, iPhone HEIC; .cpat and OXS patterns; PDFs made by CraftPatterns |
| Privacy | Runs in your browser. Images are never uploaded. |
| Price | Free — no sign-up, no watermark |
How it compares with other free tools
What you can expect here, every time — no tiers, no trial.
| Free printable PDF | Yes, with no watermark |
|---|---|
| Sign-up needed | No |
| Image uploaded to a server | No — processed on your device |
| Editor | Yes — pencil, fill, line, rectangle, mirror, undo |
| Progress tracker | Yes — free, works offline |
| Switch the same pattern to another craft | Yes — one tap |
Frequently asked questions
What size grid should I start with for one pegboard?
Set the grid to 29 × 29 to match a standard large square pegboard. For a design across four boards, use 58 × 58. The PDF draws a bold line every 29 beads so you can see exactly where one board ends.
Can I draw with the exact bead colours I own?
Add colours from the bead chart by code or name, or browse a colour family such as reds or greens. Colours can be matched to ranges compatible with Perler®, Hama®, Artkal S or Nabbi beads. If you have an odd colour in a mixed tub, use "nearest to any colour" to find its closest listed bead.
How do I recolour a whole design at once?
Use replace colour to turn every bead of one colour into another. To simplify a design that uses too many similar shades, merge two colours into one and the bead counts update immediately.
Can I open a pattern I generated from a photo?
Yes. Every generated pattern has an edit button, and you can also open a saved .cpat project, a CraftPatterns PDF or a fresh photo directly in the editor.
Will I lose my design if I close the tab?
The editor autosaves to your browser on this device, and your saved designs appear in My projects. Because nothing is stored on a server, download a .cpat backup now and then; the editor reminds you after 10 minutes.
Can I turn a bead design into a cross stitch chart?
Yes. Switch craft with one tap and the same grid becomes a cross stitch, alpha bracelet, C2C, knitting or diamond painting pattern, with each bead colour mapped to the nearest thread, yarn or drill.
Is there a fill tool for large backgrounds?
Press G for the fill bucket. It floods every connected bead of the same colour, which is the quickest way to fill a sky or change the backing colour of a coaster.
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