Animal Perler Beads (60+ Free Patterns!)

Animal lovers, you’re going to love these 60+ perler bead patterns! These animal perler beads include mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and more.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest of the US, there were always a lot of totem poles around. They’re a type of art made by carving large wood poles with faces, symbols, and figures.

Native and indigenous peoples used totem poles for historical significance, spiritual reverence, and for artistic expression. Here’s a great quote from my alma mater on their origins:

“The figures carved on Northwest Coast poles generally represent ancestors and supernatural beings that were once encountered by the ancestors of the lineage, who thereby acquired the right to represent them as crests, symbols of their identity, and records of their history.”
–Robin K. Wright, University of Washington

So now you know what a totem pole is . . . and now you have to identify your totem animal! What animal would represent YOU if carved onto a wood pole?

For me personally? It’s the platypus. As one of the world’s few venomous mammals, the platypus represents individuality and uniqueness. Two things I value greatly.

But the truth is, there are so many animals I love for their characteristics (or perceptions!). What about playful dolphins? Courageous lions? Reliable horses?

No matter what your totem animal (or your favorite animal), I’m excited to share some cute animal perler beads with you today.

Whether you’re feeling a reptile, a bird, a mammal . . . there are over 60 patterns on this list for you to create. I tried to cover everyone’s favorite animals, but let me know if there’s something you’d like for me to add in the comments.

Perler beads are recommended for ages six and up, so this is a very fun craft to try with your elementary age kids. All children seem to love perler beads (also known as hama beads, fuse beads, or melty beads). But don’t be shy – adults love them too!

Easy Animal Perler Bead Patterns

Make sure to check out these notes:

A few of these patterns are larger than a 29 x 29 pegboard, so you’ll either need a extra large pegboard (49 x 69 tall) or to put multiple square peg boards together to form a larger “canvas.”
In addition to square pegboards, you’ll see round, heart, and hexagon pegboards. These are fun to have in your arsenal if you plan to do a lot of perler-ing.
You’ll see a couple of the pattern backgrounds below aren’t white – that’s simply to give contrast so you can see where all the white beads should go. You don’t need to add the background (but you can if you want to).
Don’t stick to my colors necessarily. Customize with your favorite color beads! Stars are great for using up extra beads.

The animal perlers below are in alphabetical order, minus the first pattern of small animals.

Mini Animals

To get yourself started try one of these cute (and small!) animal perler bead patterns. There’s a monkey, panda, otter, fish, giraffe, elephant, hedgehog, and a crocodile.

Bear Head

This pattern uses 192 brown, 188 light brown, 24 black, 2 white, and 2 dark gray beads.

Clowder of Cats

Each cat uses 63 beads. Check out more cat perler bead patterns.

Cartoon Cow

This pattern uses 175 black, 200 white, and 23 flamingo beads.

Crocodile

This pattern uses 154 kiwi lime, 2 black, and 7 fern beads.

Deer Head

This pattern uses 76 light brown, 115 brown, 66 fawn, 53 white, and 30 dark gray beads.

Standing Deer

This pattern uses 44 charcoal, 45 light gray, 227 honey, 76 sand, 23 black, and 16 white beads.

Dogs and a Bone

These dog patterns use 83 cream, 7 light blue, 54 cheddar, 46 gingerbread, 53 black, 19 white, 2 light gray, 5 red, and 24 brown beads.

Dolphin (and a Shark)

The dolphin uses 67 gray, 11 robin’s egg, and 1 black bead. The shark uses 18 robin’s egg, 111 pastel blue, 29 dark blue, 2 red, and 1 black bead.

Large Dolphin

This pattern uses 122 black, 95 robin’s egg, and 276 pastel blue beads.

Cute Elephant

This pattern uses 111 black, 171 gray, 2 blush, and 4 white beads.

Large Elephant

This pattern uses 101 purple, 17 sky, 29 black, 39 kiwi lime, 32 caribbean sea, 544 gray, and 44 white beads.

Tropical Fish

The fish on the left uses 53 salmon, 116 fern, 77 cream, 1 dark blue, and 6 hot coral beads. The fish on the right uses 207 apricot, 58 spice, and 1 black bead.

Fish in a Fishbowl

This pattern uses 148 neon blue, 310 clear, 82 neon green, 39 neon orange, 2 black, 19 neon yellow, 9 grape or glow purple, 11 neon pink, 6 cocoa, 4 rust, 10 light brown, and 4 sand beads.

Goldfish in a Bag

The pattern below is done on a hexagon board. You’ll use clear blue beads for the water and clear beads for the bag.

School of Fish (and an Octopus)

Make three small fish, a rainbow fish, and an octopus!

Goldfish and Two Turtles

Goldie uses a small heart board while the turtles use a hexagon board and a few shades of green beads.

Cute Fox

This pattern uses 127 black, 31 spice, 17 salmon, 52 tangerine, 100 orange, and 90 white beads.

Sitting Fox

This pattern uses 177 orange, 78 white, and 9 black beads.

Green Frog

This pattern uses 72 shamrock, 2 white, 125 kiwi lime, 30 slime, 4 black, 26 toasted marshmallow, 8 honey, 6 brown, 10 pastel blue, and 4 blueberry creme beads.

Giraffe Head

This pattern uses 86 mint, 16 black, 22 toasted marshmallow, 24 cocoa, 22 fawn, 117 light brown, 88 white, and 44 brown beads.

Standing Giraffe

This pattern uses 171 toasted marshmallow, 21 tan, 29 cocoa, 1 black, and 65 brown beads.

Goat

This pattern uses 99 cocoa, 8 gray, 20 brown, 7 white, 110 light brown, and 10 light blue beads.

Gorilla

This pattern uses 224 black and 228 gray beads.

Guinea Pig

This pattern uses 84 light brown, 201 white, 27 black, 68 rust, 15 cranapple, 3 sand, 3 blush, and 13 cocoa beads.

Hamster

This pattern uses 65 black, 110 brown, 43 white, and 13 peach beads.

Two Horse Heads

This pattern on the left uses 315 honey, 55 gingerbread, 44 red, 6 white, 18 gray, and 10 black beads. The horse on the right uses 149 black, 147 gingerbread, and 70 white beads.

Standing Horse

This pattern uses 182 light brown, 2 light pink, 62 black, 1 light blue, and 4 gray beads.

Koala Head

This pattern uses 92 black, 146 pewter, 6 black, and 6 blush beads.

Little Llama

This pattern uses 162 toasted marshmallow, 4 black, 7 tan, and 4 each of 4 colors to make the blanket on the back.

Large Llama

This pattern uses 346 toasted marshmallow, 39 tan, 12 cocoa, 2 flamingo, 33 butterscotch, 24 turquoise, and 26 cherry beads.

Hanging Monkey

This pattern uses 82 tan, 171 brown, 3 black, and 15 peach beads.

Monkey Head

This pattern uses 121 brown, 174 toasted marshmallow, 44 light brown, 2 white, 6 black, and 4 red beads.

Narwhal

This pattern uses 109 black, 226 robin’s egg, 12 light gray, 9 gray, 2 white, and 8 light pink beads.

Otter

This pattern uses 84 cocoa, 65 sand, 61 toasted marshmallow, 6 black, and 40 light brown beads.

Emperor Penguin

This pattern uses 95 black, 18 orange, 1 blueberry creme, 8 red, 10 yellow, 92 white, 6 light gray, and 6 sand beads.

Pink Pig

This pattern uses 247 black, 698 pink, 2 white, and 4 clear beads.

Panda with Bamboo

This pattern uses 148 black, 179 white, and 43 shamrock beads.

Red Panda

This pattern uses 153 rust, 127 white, 6 tan, 96 cheddar, and 22 black beads.

Salamander

This pattern uses 30 pastel blue, 28 cream, 41 dark blue, 11 transparent turquoise, 62 cobalt, 23 bright green, and 2 black beads.

Shark

This pattern uses 122 gray, 252 mist, 25 white, and 12 light grey beads.

Shark Head

This pattern uses 311 gray, 373 white, 109 black, and 105 light blue beads.

Man Swimming in Shark Infested Waters

This pattern uses 147 light gray, 39 peach, 17 cobalt, 380 pastel blue, 42 red, 69 robin’s egg, 74 gray, 71 white, and 2 black beads.

Round Sloth and Dolphin

Both of these patterns use small round boards.

Sloth Head

This pattern uses 85 cocoa, 126 tan, 134 toasted marshmallow, and 86 light brown beads.

Sloths Just Hanging Around

The pattern on the left uses 55 dark green, 139 gingerbread, 24 sand, and 6 black beads. The pattern on the right uses 62 bright green, and 80 light brown, 348 brown, and 39 sand beads.