My Poppet : your weekly dose of crafty inspiration: How To: Hama bead Medal Brooch --> Give yourself a Medal

Being a mum is a hard and sometimes thankless job, as awesome as my kid is, some days I feel like I deserve a medal. (She is usually pretty great, so I shouldn't really complain)
Well, I'm not one to rest on my laurels, so I decided to make a few medals of my own with some Hama beads. They are colourful, plastic fantastic ones, perfect for reminding myself that I'm pretty great at my job, when things aren't always going my way.
I think you deserve one too, so read on and make some of your own...

You will need:
Hama (or Perler) beads in assorted colours including green, yellow, lilac, red, pink, blue and white.
Circular Hama pegboard
Tweezers (optional but useful)
Silicone baking paper (ironing paper)
Iron
Heat proof surface
Heavy book
Brooch back
Quick dry craft glue

What are Hama beads? I'm glad you asked.
Hama Beads (also called Perler beads) are small plastic beads/tubes that are placed one by one on a pegboard and then ironed until the beads are fused together. They are available at some craft stores, online and even IKEA.

How to:
1. Following the pattern layouts, place your beads, one by one onto the peg board. Tweezers help.
2. Place your non-stick ironing paper over your design. Apply the iron (no steam) for just a few seconds using smooth movements, make sure the iron doesn't touch the pegboard. Leave your bead design to cool for a short time, then carefully remove it from the pegboard.
3. Once you have removed the design from the board, the beads will be fused together on one side, flip the design and on a heat proof flat surface, iron the other side with the paper.
4. While still warm, place a heavy book on top of the 'medal' to avoid the edges curling up as it cools.
5. Glue the brooch back onto the least attractive side of your medal. Some glues have some trouble sticking to the bead plastic, so you may have to experiment with a few different types.