Perlers and Pixels

Materials:

• Projector and slides

• Perler beads (various colors)

• Pegboards

• Iron and parchment paper

• Grid paper

• Markers or colored pencils

 

Time Needed: 60 minutes

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I Do: 10 minutes

• Define pixels: the small, square units that make up digital images

• Explain how resolution (number of pixels in an image) affects clarity: higher resolution = more detail, lower resolution = blockier images

• Show examples of pixel art using perler beads

  • One pixel = one “square”

 

We Do: 35 minutes

• DESIGNING (10 mins)

  • Students will create their own pixel art design on graph paper, starting with simple shapes or characters

  • Use markers/colored pencils to fill in space

• BEADING (20 mins)

  • Following their design, students will use perler beads to recreate it on pegboards, following the color and arrangement of their paper grid

• FUSING (5 minutes)

  • Use the iron to make the beads fuse into a complete piece

 

You Do: 10 minutes 

• Reflection

  • How does designing with perler beads relate to creating pixel art?

  • Why is it important to think about grids and individual units when designing digital or physical art?

  • How do more pixels (or beads) affect the level of detail in your design?​