How Many Perler Beads Do I Need? (Grid Size to Bead Count Chart)
How many perler beads you need for any pattern: the bead count formula, per-grid charts (16×16 to 100×100), per-color counting, the 10% buffer rule and bag math.
How many Perler beads do I need? Quick answer: a full 29×29 pegboard takes 841 beads, a 36×36 pattern takes 1,296, and a 58×58 poster takes 3,364. The exact formula is width × height × fill ratio, plus a 10% buffer per color. This guide gives you the full bead count chart, the per-color math that most guides skip, and how to get an exact shopping list from any photo in seconds.
Perler bead count chart by grid size
Standard 5mm midi beads, full-bleed patterns (no transparent background):
| Grid | Finished size | Beads needed |
|---|---|---|
| 16×16 | 8 × 8 cm | 256 |
| 29×29 (1 pegboard) | 14.5 × 14.5 cm | 841 |
| 36×36 | 18 × 18 cm | 1,296 |
| 52×52 | 26 × 26 cm | 2,704 |
| 58×58 (4 pegboards) | 29 × 29 cm | 3,364 |
| 87×87 (9 pegboards) | 43.5 × 43.5 cm | 7,569 |
| 100×100 | 50 × 50 cm | 10,000 |
Poster-scale mosaics genuinely pass ten thousand beads — which is why the buffer and the bill of materials below exist.
The bead count formula
Every bead occupies one grid cell, so:
total beads = grid width × grid height × fill ratio
Fill ratio accounts for empty cells — transparent backgrounds, border whitespace, cut-out silhouettes. Full-bleed squares are 1.0; a portrait with the background keyed out runs 0.6–0.8. Example: a 36×36 portrait at 0.75 fill ≈ 36 × 36 × 0.75 = 972 beads.
How to count beads per color
The total tells you whether you own enough beads; you buy per color — and color distribution is never uniform. Portrait patterns are dominated by 2–3 colors (usually the background and the darkest tone) with a long tail of accent colors used 20–50 times each.
Two ways to get per-color counts:
- Let the converter count. A proper bead pattern maker generates a bill of materials (BOM) automatically — exact counts per color, matched to Perler, Hama or Artkal color codes. This is the reliable way; the table image above is a real example.
- Estimate by hand. No converter? Count each color in one representative quarter of the pattern and scale by total area. Crude, but it catches the dominant colors.
Why you need 10% more beads than the count
Add 10% to every color, non-negotiable:
- Ironing casualties — a few beads always tumble off or get crushed, never the colors you have spares of
- Sorting losses — stray beads end up in the wrong compartment
- Mid-project redesigns — you will decide the eyes need a darker shade at row 40
beads to buy = ceil(color count × 1.10)
From bead counts to bags
Beads sell in 1,000-count bags and mixed tubs:
bags per color = buffered count ÷ 1000, rounded up
For the 58×58 example above: white at 1,240 beads → 2 bags; black at 830 → 1 bag. Accent colors like green (154 beads) don't justify a full bag — that's what mixed tubs and per-color listings are for. Rule of thumb: the 2–3 dominant colors get dedicated 1,000-bead bags; the long tail comes from one assortment tub.
Worked example: 58×58 pet portrait
24 colors, background keyed out, fill ≈ 0.86:
- Total: 58 × 58 × 0.86 ≈ 2,904 beads
- Per color: the BOM lists counts per color — dominated by background and darkest fur tones (white 1,240, black 830 in the example table), with a long accent tail (green 154)
- Buffer: every line ×1.10
- Bags: dominant colors in full bags, tail colors from the assortment tub
The lesson in step 2: hand math gets you the total, but only a generated BOM gets you trustworthy per-color counts — estimating 24 color buckets by eye is where purchasing mistakes slip in.
FAQ
How many beads cover one pegboard?
One standard square Perler pegboard is 29×29 = 841 beads. Connect four for 58×58 (3,364 beads) or nine for 87×87 (7,569 beads).
How many beads are in a Perler bag or tub?
Individual-color bags are typically 1,000 beads; the classic mixed tub holds ~22,000 in about 30 colors.
How do I get a bead count from a photo?
Upload the photo to a photo to bead pattern converter — it matches every cell to a real bead color and outputs the exact per-color counts as a shopping list.
Does a bigger grid need proportionally more beads?
Yes — bead count scales with area, not width. Doubling the grid from 29×29 to 58×58 quadruples the count (841 → 3,364).
How much buffer should I buy?
10% per color, minimum. For rare accent colors you can't buy locally, go 20% — shipping delays hurt more than spare beads.
Get an exact bead count in 30 seconds
Skip the hand math: drop your image into the free bead pattern maker and the chart and per-color shopping list come out together — Perler, Hama and Artkal catalogs, background keying, printable PDF included. New to converting photos? Start with the photo to perler bead pattern tutorial; for digital-only pixel art, the image to pixel art converter covers game palettes and dithering.