Why I Hate Perler Beads

Do you know what Perler beads are?  They are teeny tiny little plastic beads that you place on a little pegboard.  Then you cover them with either Perler's special paper or waxed paper and melt the beads with a warm iron.  The beads then stick together and the design can be removed from the pegboard. 

Don't get me wrong.  Perler beads have provided my children with hours of crafting fun over the years.  They develop eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills.  They also help with following patterns and encourage creativity.  The Perler website has hundreds of free patterns for endless projects.  They are also made in the USA.  But, all of these fine attributes come at a price.   So here is my top 3 list of why I hate perler beads

3.  Anything that comes in quantities of 5,000 up to 17,000 and is marketed to children has to be trouble. 
The great bead spill of 2008 comes to mind.

2.  Easy to lose.  No matter how well you clean up, there are always a few that escape.  It really hurts when you step on one of those little beads in the middle of the night.

1.  They fit very neatly up three-year old noses.  Yep, you guessed it, Sweetie put a green Perler bead up her nose.  We tried making her sneeze with pepper.  That method worked on the Crafter when she stuck a button up her nose at age three.  It did not work on Sweetie.  I called the doctor.  He suggested pinching the nostril without the bead and blowing in Sweetie's mouth the same way you would give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation .  He said that it had worked when his son put a bead up his nose.  I had the Crafter hold Sweetie's arms and attempted the procedure.  Blow #1 had no effect.  Blow #2 pushed the bead to where it was visible.  Blow #3 pushed the bead to the nostril opening.  Blow #4 blew the bead out.  It worked thank God!!  I called the doctor to thank him.  I am grateful that the bead is out.  I am grateful that the doctor gave us a suggestion to try at home before going in.

And that's why I hate Perler beads.