Axolotl fuse bead pattern

About this design

Axolotls are all about the gills, so they get the most room here: three Rose fronds fan out from each side of the wide head, with a few Bubblegum beads in the lower fronds for sparkle. The face is soft Flamingo with eyes set far apart, a straight little smile and Salmon cheeks. Below the head, a short body has a Carnation belly stripe, two stubby arms and two feet that poke out at the bottom. The whole pattern is symmetric left to right.

Bead counts: 220 Flamingo, 155 Black, 62 Rose, 47 Carnation, 6 Bubblegum and 4 Salmon.

Placing the beads

At 27 × 26 the axolotl uses most of a large square pegboard, so start one row down from the top and centre it carefully; count from the middle column outwards so both sets of gills land evenly. Lay the gill outlines first — the black beads between the fronds are what separate them — and fill the pink head afterwards. Flamingo and Carnation are close in shade, so keep them in separate trays.

Ironing and finishing

Ironing is for an adult. Pale pinks fuse quickly, so use medium heat, keep the paper flat and check after about ten seconds. The tips of the gills are only joined on one or two sides, so give them an even press on the front and again on the back. Cool it under something heavy for a flat finish. At about 13.5 × 13 cm it makes a fun coaster or a decoration for a fish-tank shelf.

Colour plan

Perler 80-15203 Flamingo does the most work, 45% of the 494 beads, followed by Perler 80-19018 Black at 31%. Perler 80-19006 Bubblegum (6) and Perler 80-15204 Salmon (4) are used only a little: small details worth marking on the chart so you don't miss them. 30% of the grid is left empty.

Working notes

All the beads touch along a full side, so it irons into one solid piece.