Hello, everyone! Welcome to my second instructable! (I'm still young, so please don't be rude) Today I am going to show you how to make a Donkey Kong themed shelf with Perler Beads.

Mom says: "We're not making the whole shelf with Perler beads, just using Perler beads to accent and upcycle an old wooden shelf. We were looking for a fun way to display all his small gaming figurines."

I hope you enjoy.

P.S. I am also entering this instructable in the Fandom Contest, so please vote for me. :-)

(Update: The Fandom Contest is over, please ignore the previous text.)

Step 1: What You Need

To make this shelf, you will need the following:

Shown:

A shelf (see picture 1)
Black Paint (we just used what we already had on hand, glossy acrylic)
Perler Beads (colors that look best- we used black, turquoise, and magenta, though raspberry would have worked, too.)
Perler Bead boards (rectangular, or square ones that lock together)
Non-stick Parchment Paper
An iron
A template for design and color (screenshot of the game, for example)

Not shown:

Glue of your choice, we used hot glue

Optional:

Needle-nosed tweezers (we got ours at Hobby Lobby in the beading section)

Mom says: "The number of Perler beads you will need will depend on the size and configuration of the shelf you use. For this project we ended up using about 3 bags of black beads, and one bag each of the other two colors. Also, the number of interlocking Perler bead boards you need will depend on shelf length. In a pinch, if you don't have enough interlocking boards you could iron together shorter sections. But you run the risk of not-quite-straight girders if you go that route."

Step 2: Painting

This step is very simple; all you have to do is paint the whole shelf black.

Step 3: Girders

On the rectangular board, make a girder using pink and black beads. (Use your template for this. We based ours on a piece from Donkey Kong Jenga, or you could use a screenshot of the game or someone else's Perler pattern published online.) If the girder is too long, use as many square boards for how long your girder is. Iron the Perler Bead pattern you just made (according to instructions on the Perler bead package), then glue it onto the shelf. Make as many girders as you have front edges.

Mom says: "We happen to have one of the super pegboards, which measures 18" by 11". It was the perfect size for our smaller girders. For the longer girders we had to lock together 5 of the squares to get it the right length. Make sure to have an outlet nearby for the iron. You won't be able to pick up interlocked boards and carry them around! Also try to make your pattern about one or two rows longer than you think you need to.

"Note: basic Perler board packages only come with a small, folded-up piece of parchment paper. If you use that, you will most likely end up with unsightly creases in your melted Perler design. By using a roll of parchment paper from the grocery store instead, you can avoid those creases."

Step 4: Ladders

Use this pattern for the ladder, unless the post is longer/shorter. Make as many ladders as you have posts.

Mom says: "We opted not to cover up the little post bits that stick out at the top, though you certainly could if your shelf is similar to ours."

Step 5: Glue

Once you have made all of your patterns, glue them onto your shelf. Use girders for front edges, and ladders for posts. I also added a picture of the back of the shelf just for reference.

Step 6: Hanging

Hammer a nail into your wall, and hang your shelf there.

Mom says: "Our shelf already had little brackets for hanging. If yours doesn't, you might need to add some."

Step 7: TOYS!!!

Add your toys/gamer figures to your shelf, and you're done!

Thank you for reading this instructable. If you made this, please let me know!

OTHER INSTRUCTABLES:

Introduction: Donkey Kong Shelf With Perler Beads