Knit One, Perler Two

 One of my top priorities this year has been to lay the groundwork for a Makerspace initiative in my school library.  I have researched the benefits of Makerspaces, priced out materials like 3D printers and sewing supplies, and prepared budget proposals to present to our school board, all in service of securing funds for establishing a pilot program.  What I had *not* previously considered was that not every offering needs to be high tech or resource intensive; Enter the Perler Beads.   

I came across this idea while browsing the Don’t Shush Me library blog, which has a wealth of ideas for operating a school library.  I hadn’t considered beading as a potential inclusion in my program, but after reading over the article in question, I found myself sold.  In short, these are small, plastic beads that can be arranged on a pegboard in order to make shapes, similar to pixel art.  Afterwards, heat is applied to slightly melt them, resulting in a single piece that holds its shape.   

What struck me about this is the accessibility; the activity requires no special dexterity, is very easy to understand, requires only minimal supervision, and results in a tangible product that the student can keep or gift as they wish.  With such a high percentage of students with disabilities at my school, this sort of offering is idea.  Moreover, it opens up new vectors for students to create and share artwork, and could even be used to create gifts for friends and family- especially pertinent when our school experiences such a huge rate of poverty. 

Ultimately, I think a service like this fits well into my ethos of Makerspaces as a practice in Equity, and the low cost is an added bonus on top.  I will assuredly add this to my repertoire, and I encourage any of my fellow librarians to consider Perler Beads as well! 

 

References 

Bogan, K. (2024). Makerspace station: Perler beads. Don't Shush Me! https://dontyoushushme.com/2022/05/31/makerspace-station-perler-beads/ 

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