How it works
- Type the name or word. Up to 40 characters, over one or more lines.
- Choose a font and layout. Basic 5×7, Serif 7×9, Tiny 3×5, Bold 6×7, Outline 7×9 or Big 10×14, written across, stacked or sideways.
- Pick bead colours and a border. Choose text, background and border colours from your bead brand, or leave the background empty.
- Download and bead. Print the PDF, with bold lines marking each 29-peg board, and the bead counts for each colour.
Tips for a great bead pattern from text
Watch for corner-only joins. The letters are drawn with strokes one bead wide, and curves such as the shoulders of A, O and S step diagonally, so some beads meet only at a corner. On a filled background that does not matter, but with the background left empty a corner join can snap after ironing. Either fill the background, or open the pattern in the editor and add a bead to bridge each diagonal step.
Choose Basic or Serif for strength. Tiny 3×5 letters are neat on small keyrings, but they have very little bead to hold them together. Serif 7×9 adds feet to the stems, which gives a free-standing name a slightly sturdier base. Letters are always set in capitals, which also helps them read clearly in beads.
Join empty-background letters. When the background is left out, each letter fuses as its own little island. If you want one solid name, open the result in the editor and draw a bar of beads beneath the word, touching the foot of every letter, so the whole name lifts off the board in one piece.
Contrast beats colour count. Two or three colours are plenty. White letters on a dark background, or black on yellow, read from across a room; similar shades such as two blues blur together once fused and the ridges catch the light.
Count the boards before you start. Spacing, padding and borders all add width. A five-letter name in Basic 5×7 can fill 29 beads on its own, so padding and a double border push it onto a second board. Stacking it onto two lines, or switching to Tiny 3×5, can keep it on one board. Check the board count on the cover page, or plan larger signs with the bead count calculator.
Plan the keyring loop. A split ring can go through the hole of a single bead at the top edge, so many crafters add one extra bead above the middle letter in the editor and iron lightly there so the hole stays open. Fusing both sides gives a sturdier tag.
Use maxi beads for toddlers’ signs. Maxi beads at 10 mm double the size of a midi design, so a short name becomes a big, easy door plaque, and the larger beads suit small fingers.
Mix brands carefully. Different brands can melt at slightly different rates. If you mix tubs, try a small test strip first; the Perler to Hama converter helps you find a near match from the other range.
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
Will a name fit on one pegboard?
Often, yes. A 29×29 square board fits roughly five Basic 5×7 capitals with one-bead spacing, or about seven Tiny 3×5 capitals, before padding and borders. Narrow letters such as I take less room, so the exact fit varies. Longer names can stack onto two lines or spread across two boards; the pattern lists how many boards your layout needs.
Should I fill the background?
For a free-standing name or keyring, leave the background empty so only the letters and border are fused. For a sign or coaster, a filled background makes the piece stronger and gives you a neat rectangle to hang or stand.
Can I make each letter a separate piece?
Choose the Stacked layout and set the background to empty. Each letter then sits on its own rows, which makes it easy to fuse them one by one and string them as a bunting or garland.
Do the letters work with all bead brands?
The pattern is just a grid, so it works with any standard fuse beads. Colours can be matched to ranges compatible with Perler®, Hama®, Artkal S or Nabbi, and the key shows a nearby Hama colour when you use another brand.
Which border is best for a child's name?
Hearts and stars borders are popular for bedroom door signs. A checker border in two bright colours looks good on school bag tags, and a single border gives a clean edge for place cards.
Can I share the design with another parent or teacher?
Copy the share link. Opening it rebuilds the same text, font, border and colours, so a whole class can make matching name tags from one link.
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