From beads to butterfly

The first time I set my eyes on Hama beads, I knew that I definitely had to get them for Angel after she turned two.

There's something about these colourful beads that charms me. Not only do they help to improve finger dexterity, train colour recognition and build patience, but they also make a fun craft session for my girl.

What you need:

1) Hama Beads
- They come in 3 sizes: Mini, Midi and Maxi
- Maxi beads are recommended for children aged 3+ but Angel is loving them already!

2) Pegboards
- These boards come in various shapes like bear, elephant, car, dog, aeroplane, dinosaur etc
- I chose Angel's favourites - Duck and Butterfly

Optional - Hot iron and ironing paper for fusing the beads together.

Caution: Beads are a potential choking hazard so adult supervision is required at all time. Ironing should only be carried out by an adult.

You should be able to purchase all of these in selected toy shops or craft stores, if not, they are also available online at hamabeads.com or on ebay.

Step 1 - Pose for the camera before you begin. =)

Step 2 - Choose the colours of beads you desire and place them one by one onto the pegboard. It is the perfect opportunity to teach your child how to differentiate the colours and to revise their knowledge of colour names.

Initially, Angel would place the beads onto the empty space in between the pegs, instead of on the pegs. I demonstrated it to her a couple of times and she pretty soon got the idea of what she had to do. The Maxi beads fitted her tiny fingers perfectly and every time she managed to place a bead onto a peg, she would look up and give me a sweet and somewhat smug smile.

Step 3 - Play with the colours until you are happy with the final look. Once you have finished beading, place a piece of ironing paper over the completed design, ensuring that all beads are covered. Run a hot iron gently from side to side in a smooth slow movement until the beads begin to fuse. You should see the beads through the ironing paper when they are done.

Step 4 - Wait for it to cool, remove the ironing paper and carefully separate the bead craft from the pegboard. You can place the craft under a heavy book or similar to ensure that it will stay flat. This is how it will look like from the front and back.

Step 5 - Hold your completed bead craft high up in the air, shout "Hooray" and smile! For you have just created a beautiful butterfly made of beads!

And guess what? The Hama bead craft serves as a beautiful coaster too. Not for boiling hot soups, obviously. But perfect for that mug of hot chocolate to mark the celebration of a happy craft session.

For more kids crafts and DIY tutorials, visit my gallery here.