Skull Perler Beads (25+ Free Patterns)

You’ll love these patterns for skull perler beads, perfect for Halloween or any other time of year. Easy to make for kids or adults!

We’ve been doing a ton of perler beads around here lately! Once you get started, you can’t stop. It started with the Halloween perler beads, then we moved onto pumpkins.

Now it’s time to do some skull perler beads!

As far as I’m concerned, skulls and skeletons are an integral part of any Halloween crafting regime. I absolutely love them, and not just for the holidays.

Why the love of skulls, you may ask?

Well, skull designs have a universal appeal. There’s something intriguing about them . . and even rebellious. I feel like a well placed skull says, “I don’t quite follow the rules.”

Which . . . I’m an Aquarius . . . so we love that.

I love that skulls transcend cultural boundaries. Meaning, there are versions for everyone. Whether you’re into video games, folklore, heavy metal, or steampunk, skull designs have an unmistakable allure.

I also like that they aren’t just for Halloween decorations, either.

These skull perler bead projects can serve as a fantastic gateway into other themes (think sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos) or edgy fashion crafts. You’re not just making projects; you’re exploring cultural narratives and expressing your own personal style.

Are you ready to get started?

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

Tips for Using Perler Beads

Before we get into the patterns, I want to review a few basics of using fuse beads to make sure you get the best results. If you don’t want the tips, scroll down to the bottom to get the skull perler bead patterns.

Remember that the overall goal is to melt the beads together on both sides while still leaving the holes open. Here’s how you get the best results (using a rainbow as an example).

Use Ironing or Parchment Paper

Place ironing paper or parchment paper over the beads on the pegboard. Be gentle so you don’t disturb the beads underneath.

Heat your iron to the medium setting (no steam). In a circular motion, begin to iron the project. Don’t press down too hard with the iron. When ironed properly, the beads will still have an open center. Check and make sure your edges are melted. Let the design cool on the pegboard.

Note: BE CAREFUL about lifting up the paper while you’re ironing! If you want to check, carefully peel back paper around the edge of your design and see if all the beads are melted.

If you lift the paper up quickly and there are a lot of unmelted beads, they will easily fall off or go flying and you may be forced to start over. Sometimes the edges need more time so when you check, just check the edges and peel paper back slowly.

Peeling back the paper to check if the beads are melted

Another Note: some beads melt faster than others (clear melts faster than white, for example). So some holes might be larger than others. It’s okay! That’s part of the look of the project.

Iron the Other Side

Remove the bead design from the pegboard. Flip it over to the non-melted side and repeat the fusing process.

Ironing the other side of a fuse bead design

Remove the Paper

Let cool completely and remove the paper again (which is reusable). Some people pull the paper off after they iron the first side, but I just wait until the end and peel off both pieces. It’s up to you!

Peeling the ironing paper off the finished project

Now if you’re ready for the skull perler beads, here are the patterns.

Skull 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 four square pegboards together (or two depending on how wide the pattern is).
Some of these patterns also use either round pegboards or hexagon pegboards, which you’ll probably want in your arsenal just generally speaking.
Some of the backgrounds below aren’t white – that’s simply to give contrast to the pattern so you can see where all the white beads should go.
Don’t stick to my colors necessarily. Customize with your favorite color beads. Some people prefer gray for skulls while others want to go pink. It’s obviously up to you.
I generally start with easier, smaller patterns in my list and then move on to the more difficult ones. If you’re looking for something a bit more advanced, just keep scrolling!

Five Types of Skulls

If you’re looking for a small skull for jewelry, a keychain, a headband, or something similar – one of the below are a great choice! Fill in the eyes of the bottom left skull with grey or clear beads.

Here are some additional skulls to float your boat, including a skull and crossbones.

Skull with Pink Heart Eyes

This pattern uses 105 black, 153 gray, and 31 pink beads.

Rainbow Skull, Glowing Skull and Crossbones

The pattern on the left is great for using up leftover beads! If you try the crossbones, glowing beads in any of the colors are perfect.

Halloween Friendly

These are fun for Halloween if you add some purple, orange, or glow! The pattern on the left uses a small circle and is great for coasters. The pattern on the right uses a large circle board, and glow in the dark beads fill in the purple skull.

Front Facing Skull

This pattern uses 117 black, 87 gray, 58 dark gray, and 37 light gray beads.

Wherefore Art Thou

This looks very Shakespeare, no? This pattern uses 133 black, 217 light gray, 160 white, and 85 dark gray beads.

Side Facing Skull

This pattern uses 130 black, 115 pewter, 66 gray, 102 light gray, 40 white, and 54 dark gray beads.

Skull and Crossbones with a Heart Eye Patch

This pattern uses 164 black, 211 white, and 33 red beads.

Skull with Heart Eyes and a Pink Bow

This pattern uses 119 black, 59 salmon, 82 light gray, and 102 white beads.

Dia de Los Muertos

This pattern uses 138 white, 50 purple, 12 blueberry creme, 16 light lavender, 60 black, 20 cotton candy, 32 cheddar, 2 yellow, and 16 light green beads.