Guides / Color & materials

Plan a Pattern With the Bead Colors You Own

Turn your bead boxes into a usable color list, limit conversion to available colors and check the materials list before you start placing beads.

Illustrated bead grid arranged in groups of colors to plan from beads already owned.
Illustrated guide

How can you make a pattern with only the bead colors you own?

Write down the codes on your bead packaging, keeping brands and bead sizes separate. In Bead Maker, choose a matching color reference, open Available colors and exclude codes you do not have. The MARD selection can be saved on this device for another project. Preview the converted grid and compare its used-color counts with your physical stock before printing. A saved color selection is not an inventory quantity tracker.

Digital pattern previewMARD 221 palette · 5 colors used · 381 beads
  • G15 × 188
  • D11 × 72
  • D16 × 52
  • A20 × 37
  • G05 × 32
Drawn from a 29 × 29 grid; not a finished-piece photo. Screen colors are approximate. Compare codes with your own beads before making.
1

Record codes from your actual supplies

Sort bags by manufacturer and bead size, then note the codes printed on the packaging. A useful inventory has a code, a name or swatch, and a simple stock note such as plenty, low or empty. Unlabeled beads need a daylight comparison; do not assign a code from the screen alone.

2

Choose a matching color reference

In Bead Maker, choose MARD when your inventory follows MARD codes, or import a color library supplied for your own brand. The built-in MARD 221 chart is not an official Perler palette. Avoid carrying code numbers from one brand into another without checking the actual beads.

3

Limit conversion to what you can place

Open Available colors in Setup and turn off codes you do not have. For MARD, Save my colors keeps that selection on this device and Load my colors brings it back later. This saves a selection of usable codes, not quantities or a cloud inventory.

4

Check the result against stock

Preview the pattern, then inspect the used-color list and bead counts. A code may be available but too low in stock for the design. Replace it, reduce the color limit or restock before starting. Keep the printed list beside the board so each bead bag stays tied to the right code.

Make a pattern from your own image

Open Bead Maker

Explore the Perler bead pattern maker, choose an editable fuse bead pattern, or try the example pattern shown in this guide. Compare codes in the MARD 221 color chart.

Related guides

Perler Bead Sizes: Choose Beads & PegboardsSimplify Fuse Bead Colors Without Losing Detail