Simple Hama bead snowflakes for Christmas

I know it's been ages since I shared a new Hama bead craft on my blog, so this week I've been working on some Hama bead snowflakes! They are a great way to add a bit of homemade craftiness to your Christmas decor.

The designs for these snowflakes are mainly based on the snowflake pattern that I came up with for my Hama bead snowflake bunting many years ago. I used designs which are created on the hexagon shaped pegboard. I also experimented with some smaller designs. The hexagon pegboard works really well as it easily divides into six sections, so you can just start by placing beads in the centre, head out towards the corners, and see what you end up with! 

When it comes to ironing the Hama beads, for this particular craft it is especially important to make sure that you iron the beads until they are well fused, and to iron them on both sides. Even though some areas are only one bead wide, as long as they have been well ironed then they will be sturdy enough to stand up to being used in your Christmas decor.

If you are new to crafting with Hama beads then you might find this post helpful - Ironing tips for Hama beads. 

This craft was a bit of a de-stashing exercise for me - I've been lucky enough to hoover up lots of Hama bead collections from friends and family which has left me with small numbers of beads across a huge range of colours. So I mixed in some of the pale blue, transparent and glitter blue beads to add some interest to my Hama bead snowflake collection!

I don't have a final home for these snowflakes yet, but it would be easy to add some festive cord or ribbon so that they can be used as ornaments on the Christmas tree.

I can also imagine them hanging from lengths of cotton in a window or over an unused fireplace. They could be attached to gifts, or enclosed with Christmas cards.

These Hama bead snowflakes were so fun and simple to make, and I loved coming up with different ways to place the beads in order to create new designs.

If you are looking for more snowflake crafts then you might also enjoy these:

Mini Hama bead snowflake embellishments

Free simple cross stitch snowflake designs

Snowflake cross stitch embroidery frame design

Cross stitch felt snowflake bunting

Lollipop stick and button snowflakes

You can also see some of my favourite Hama bead Christmas crafts.

All my free Christmas themed cross stitch designs

Over the last few years I've shared a few simple cross stitch Christmas themed designs, which can also be used for other pixel crafts like Hama beads or diamond painting. I thought I'd gather them all together in one post, along with links to some of the crafts that I've made using these designs!

Mini Christmas cross stitch motifs

These tiny Christmas cross stitch patterns are very simple and use just a few colours, meaning that they are very quick to stitch up. There are 24 designs which makes them perfect to use for an Advent calendar craft - maybe to decorate the front of small gift bags or as part of a larger cross stitch design. You can see the image below, and this pattern is also available as a .pdf to download - Free Mini Christmas Cross Stitch Designs.

My favourite craft using these designs is my cross stitch gift tags. They are a very sweet way to add a personal touch to your gifts.

I also came up with a red and white Scandi inspired version of these motifs, perfect for any Scandi themed Christmas crafts that you might be working on.

Mini cross stitch snowflake designs

I love these tiny snowflakes which are so quick and easy to sew. They work best for cross stitch as they aren't sturdy enough for Hama beads (if you want to use Hama beads then you can use transparent beads for the gaps as seen here Hama bead snowflake designs). They are perfect for cards, or you could use for gift tags or other Christmas embroidery projects. I used them to make some simple cross stitch snowflake bunting.

I combined some of these snowflakes to make a cross stitch snowflake embroidery hoop design which I really love. I've included the pattern below, or you can also download it as a printable .pdf file here Free Snowflake Embroidery Hoop Pattern.

Simple cross stitch bauble designs

Finally I have some little cross stitch Christmas bauble designs, which also work really well for Hama beads as seen in my Hama bead Christmas baubles. There are two shapes of bauble - a round one and an elongated one, and you can come up with lots of different ways to personalise them.

I hope that these come in handy for some festive crafting!

Some of my favourite Hama bead Christmas crafts

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you'll know how much I love crafting with Hama beads. As the children have grown they haven't been used as they used to be, but I still have a Hama bead cupboard in the kitchen and I have some upcoming Hama crafting plans!  

Until then, I'm sharing some of my older Hama bead posts, all with a Christmas theme, in case you are planning some festive crafting for either children or adults.

I love using Hama beads for Christmas decor, and one of my favourite things to make is Hama bead snowflakes. A long time ago I made some Hama bead snowflake bunting, and I'm currently planning some more crafts using the patterns that I created for that post. I've also created some more intricate Hama bead snowflake designs which use transparent beads to keep the structure of the snowflake intact. I've used them as mini embellishments and also to decorate a glass jar lantern.

I really love this colourful Hama bead fairy light bunting. I used a variety of beads from my stash, including a mix of solid and transparent beads, which really makes the fairy lights seem to glow. The pattern is so simple but I think it's really effective, and the finished pieces could also be used as individual hanging decorations as well as bunting.

For a sweet, personalised Hama bead gift I love these little Hama bead Christmas wreath hanging ornaments, which can also be turned into magnets. You just need to make a simple circular frame using a random selection of beads in different shades of green, add a ribbon, and find an image for the centre. I used offcuts from old Christmas cards, or you can also insert a photograph of a loved one.

Another type of ornament are these simple Hama bead bauble tree decorations. I made them with a specially shaped piece at the top which can be used to showcase some festive Christmas ribbon in a large, decorative bow. In the post I have shared the designs for two different shaped baubles.

One of my free Christmas patterns is this collection of mini Christmas themed Hama bead designs which can also be used for other pixel art crafts like cross stitch or diamond painting. I used them to make some tiny embellishments using mini Hama beads which can be used to make pin badges or as decorations for homemade Christmas cards.

I've also shared another take on the Hama bead baubles by using a palette of red and white and some different motifs to create Scandi themed Hama bead baubles. You can find the patterns in the post, and I love how customisable they are. You can make them in any colour you choose to match your decor!

These baubles even went on to inspire a selection of different Scandi themed Hama bead crafts. 

Finally, something from deep in the archives of this blog - my Hama bead Gingerbread House! This project uses the Hama bead house pegboard which is one of my favourite larger boards. You can customise it in so many different ways! This Christmas I definitely need to work on an updated version.

If you would like some more Christmas themed Hama bead craft projects then you may like these older round up posts:

Hama bead Christmas crafts and projects - a selection of festive craft projects using Hama beads for both children and adults.

Hama bead Christmas crafts for adults - more Hama bead festive crafts, but these are particularly aimed at adults with more emphasis given to working with the fiddly mini Hama beads and creating functional and decorative items.

Finally, if you are new to crafting with Hama beads then you might find this post useful - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

How to use Hama beads in crafts this Halloween

I love crafting with Hama beads, and I also love remembering some of the many Hama bead crafts that I've shared here on the blog over the years. Today I'm revisiting some of my favourites, all of them Halloween themed crafts.

If you haven't used Hama beads before then you might find this post helpful - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

Start small

If you are new to working with Hama beads or you don't want to purchase too many supplies, start by practising with some smaller pieces. I've created a set of small Halloween art pixel designs which are perfect for all sorts of projects - Halloween party place cards, keyrings, party bag gifts and favours, mini bunting, magnets, pendants...all sorts of things! They are easily made using the basic square pegboard and whatever beads you might have lying around.

Work with what you have

If you already have some Hama bead supplies then it's easy to do some Halloween Hama bead crafting just using what you already own. 

These Hama bead witch designs are made using the princess pegboard. With a bit of imagination the board can be used in lots of different ways to create some spooky witches.

I also repurposed the Hama bead house pegboard to create a Hama bead Halloween house. I just chose colours that worked with a Halloween theme and added a pumpkin and some bats.

If you have a selection of Hama bead pegboards already lying around, think about how they could also be used for Halloween themed designs. Even the basic shapes like circles, hearts or stars can become perfect Halloween decor if you use a spooky colour scheme or glow in the dark beads.

Halloween themed tableware

Following on from the above, another use for the basic circle shaped pegboard is to make some Halloween Hama bead coasters. You can find designs to copy, like the ones in my post, or just work on stripes or concentric circles in Halloween colours.

For your Halloween table you could also make some Halloween themed Hama bead napkin rings. These designs are really simple, using only the square pegboard, and by shaping them slightly when they are still warm from ironing they fit perfectly around a rolled napkin.

Halloween decorations

If you already have some suitable finished Hama bead crafts lying around the house then maybe there is a way that you can re-use them for some Halloween decor. For example, I used the Hama bead witches mentioned above to create some Hama bead witch displays using shoebox lids. We painted the lids black and used glitter and sequins to decorate before mounting the Hama bead witches.

I also used a pattern which I developed for Hama bead sugar skulls to make some Hama bead sugar skull bunting. I love how the sugar skulls use the same template yet they are all individual, and it's also a great way to use up small quantities of leftover beads.

Think about wearable accessories

This same sugar skull pattern can also be used the the tiny mini Hama beads to craft some gorgeous little sugar skull earrings. Great for Halloween themed parties!

You can also use the mini Hama beads to make some little Halloween themed pin badges. All you need to do is create the design and then add a pin badge backing. 

I hope that you liked my ideas for some Halloween themed Hama bead crafting!

Hama bead Christmas kit inspiration for adults

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

I love a festive craft project, even better if it's something that I can display in my home as I celebrate the Christmas season. At this busy time of year sometimes you just want a simple project that you can work on when you have some quiet time, and Hama beads are the perfect craft that's both relaxing and satisfying. Working from a kit means that you have everything you need in one place without having to spend time gathering materials from around the house, and I've hunted down some gorgeous Hama bead Christmas crafting kits which would be fun to work on during those long dark evenings.

You'll notice that they are all official Hama bead branded items. While they can be a little more expensive than the cheaper options, I've learned the hard way that the imitation beads are just not as good!

First up is something that you can get a start on ready for next year! The Hama bead Advent Calendar (affiliate link) is a really fun Advent craft, and then when it's finished it can be re-used year after year. The kit contains 24 festive designs and shaped pegboards which can be kept for future Christmas projects.

If you want to make something simple which you can use to decorate your home then the simple Hama bead ornaments (affiliate link) or simple Hama bead decorations (affiliate link) are perfect. The designs are quick and easy to make, and can also be worked on together with small children for some family crafting fun.

I love these Hama bead Christmas trees (affiliate link) because once you have the included small Christmas tree pegboard you can really get creative with different designs. You could even make the trees in different colours to match your festive decor, for example in red/white or purple/silver. Then the completed trees can be used as Christmas tree decorations or turned into bunting.

Finally this Hama bead Santa Claus pegboard (affiliate link) is really fun, and again could be customised to suit your own decor. You could mount him on a stick to prop up in a flower pot, hang him inside a wreath, or prop him up on the mantlepiece.

Alternatively, you could just treat yourself to a big bucket of coloured Hama beads (affiliate link) or a selection of mini Hama beads (affiliate link) and browse my Hama bead Christmas crafts and projects which is packed with ideas for both simple and more complex Hama bead crafts which are perfect for this time of year!

Hama bead fairy light bunting

Hama bead snowflakes using the midi beads

A couple of years ago I designed some free simple cross stitch snowflake designs and patterns which I used to make a snowflake embroidery hoop piece. I also adapted the pattern so that it could be used for Hama beads, and I used the mini Hama bead snowflake embellishments to decorate a pretty winter snowflake lantern.

This year I thought I'd have a go at making some Hama bead snowflakes using the larger midi beads. As a reminder here's my Hama bead snowflake pattern - it is made using white beads for the snowflake and then transparent beads in the gaps so that the snowflakes can be easily ironed.

The Hama bead snowflakes made with the midi beads measure about 5-6cm in diameter and are very sturdy. 

These snowflakes make great Christmas decorations. I can see them hanging from the ceiling or in a window, or simply stuck across a window with a glue dot.

Because of the hole in the bead they could also be hung with ribbon for a tree ornament, they could be glued to a name card for the Christmas dining table, they could be used as gift tags or to decorate a gift bag, they could be popped inside a Christmas card for a festive surprise. 

They are so simple to make that it would be a great craft to keep children occupied over the Christmas holidays and of course there's no need to stick to white, you could use beads of any colour, maybe glittery beads or in contrasting colours.

Have fun with your Christmas crafting!

How are Hama beads made?

I've been crafting with Hama beads for many years now, and every time I pick one up I wonder how they are made, and what the Hama bead factory looks like! So I thought I'd do a little bit of research into the history of the beads, how they are manufactured, and see if I could find some videos of the process!

There is lots of information about Hama beads on the official Hama Beads About Us page, so that's the best place to start. I learned that the beads are made from polyethylene and the boards are made from polystyrene. Interestingly, according to the website, both the beads and the pegboards can be recycled with normal household plastic waste. The fact that Hama beads are made from single use plastic has been bothering me for some time, so it's really good to know that they can be recycled. I'm almost certain that I couldn't put the individual beads into my own recycling bin, but it definitely sounds like it's possible to recycle any unwanted fused projects.

Hama beads were first produced in 1971 by Maalte Haaning Plastics A/S, with the Hama brand name being registered in 1984. The name comes from the first two letters of the surname of the company's founder (HA) and the first two letters of his first name (MA). Originally the beads were glued onto pieces of cardboard or plastic trays, and at the end of the 1970s the ironing technique was developed.

The Hama bead factory is located in Nykøbing, Denmark and products are sold to more than 50 countries worldwide. You can watch a fascinating video tour of the factory here:

I love those massive buckets full of beads, imagine being able to run your hands through them! I also enjoyed seeing the enormous creations that have been made using Hama beads. In front of the factory there is a safari park made with life size Hama bead animal creations which you can go and visit. Maybe I need to arrange myself a trip!

Information sourced from the Hama beads official website.

Hama bead Christmas crafts and projects

I love crafting for Christmas, and over the years I've shared many Christmas craft ideas on my blog. Today I thought I'd share some of my favourite Christmas crafts and projects using one of my most used craft materials - Hama beads. All of these craft ideas are perfect for keeping children busy in the run up to Christmas, can be used to create some individual and unique Christmas décor, and are perfect crafts for both children and adults.

Make sure to click the links for each project to find a more detailed tutorial and patterns.

I love Scandi red and white theming and so I used just these colours to make some simple Scandi inspired Hama bead baubles, finished off with a narrow loop of red ribbon.

These Hama bead Christmas wreath ornaments are so easy to make, and perfect for using up any odds and ends of green beads that you might have leftover from previous projects or kits.

These wreath designs can also be used to make some Hama bead wreath magnets, perfect as a small gift for relatives, as place names for the Christmas table or as gift tags.

My Hama bead Christmas fairy light bunting uses transparent beads, although they could easily be made using solid colours for some cheerful, bright Christmas bunting.

These Hama bead and ribbon bauble ornaments use festive Christmas ribbon for some extra embellishment.

Some more Scandi inspired design with this Scandi style Hama bead Christmas mat which is a great place to put your Christmas cuppa.

This Hama bead snowflake bunting was one of my very first Hama bead craft posts! I used the hexagonal and circular pegboards to make six different Hama bead snowflake designs which I strung up as bunting but which could also be used as festive coasters.

More recently I designed some more Hama bead snowflakes patterns which I used with mini Hama beads to make tiny Mini Hama bead snowflakes.

I used these tiny snowflake embellishments to decorate a winter snowflake lantern. 

I recently designed these free mini Christmas cross stitch designs which can be used for all sorts of pixel crafts, including of course Hama beads. I used them to make some Mini Hama bead Christmas embellishments which are perfect to decorate Christmas cards, to add extra interest to your Christmas decorations, to decorate place cards or gift cards...the possibilities are endless!

I used some to make mini Hama bead pin badges for some sweet little Christmas accessories!

Another red and white craft, these Scandi inspired Christmas battery tea light holders are perfect for some festive decoration when they are filled with a battery tea light.

Finally if you have a Minecraft fan in the house why not keep them busy making some Minecraft Hama bead Christmas baubles.

I hope that you enjoyed this roundup of some of my favourite Hama bead Christmas themed crafts! I've published many different Hama bead crafts over the years, and you can find them all here - Hama bead crafts and projects.

Hama bead Christmas fairy light bunting craft

Recently I wrote about how I had been sorting out my Hama beads, and that seeing all my beads gave me some new craft ideas. I discovered that I had acquired quite a few transparent beads in different colours, and so I came up with a Christmas Hama bead craft! I designed a simple Hama bead fairy light pattern which can be made in lots of different colours and strung up to make fairy light bunting.

Below are my beads laid out on the board, and underneath you can find the printable image which you can use to work on your own designs. I used a solid colour for the outline and a transparent colour for the inside. If you don't have any transparent beads you could use beads in a lighter shade, or otherwise simply make them all in one solid colour. For the top I used some gold beads from my stash but many colours would also work, for example yellow, light brown or black.

I made twelve lights in total, in six different colours. The Hama beads need to be ironed to fuse the beads together. It's a simple process, but if you need some help with ironing the Hama beads then take a look here - Ironing tips for Hama beads.

Finally I used some gold sparkly thread to string the Hama fairy lights together. I don't over iron my designs, so I was able to use a large needle to thread the string directly through the beads in the corner of the gold top part. They stay in place along the string pretty well, but you might want to make a knot on either side of the light to make sure that it stays firmly in place. 

The bunting is light, so it can easily be strung up wherever you'd like. I have some small suction hooks which I use to hang decorations. The transparent beads mean that this bunting string would look really good on a window so that the light can shine through during the day!

If you are looking for more ideas for Hama bead Christmas crafting then you might like these posts:

Hama bead Christmas crafts for children

Hama bead Christmas crafts for adults

Hama bead crafts