A Guide to Protecting Your Peg Boards and Perfecting Your Craft

Hey, hey, let's dive into the sticky world of tape and its role in fuse beading.

You might be wondering, what does tape have to do with fuse beading? Well, it’s all about protecting your pegboards! These boards, where we place our colorful beads, are made of plastic. When we fuse the beads together with heat, we risk warping the boards or damaging the pegs. But don't worry, we've got a crafty solution—tape!

Here's the scoop: before fusing, we use tape to lift the beads off the boards. The best tape for this task is good old masking tape—the thicker, the better. With thicker tape, you cover more area with less effort. Some folks try painter's tape, but we find it doesn’t quite have the stickiness we need to keep the beads in place.

Now, let’s walk through the tape method step-by-step. First, cut a piece of tape to the right length for your project. Then, without hesitation, press the tape gently but firmly onto the beads. If it’s not perfect the first time, don’t sweat it! You can adjust as you go. Once the tape is down, roll over it with a brayer roller or even just the tape roll itself. You'll see the beads adhere to the tape as you press.

Once the beads are securely on the tape, simply lift your project, flip it over, and get ready to iron. This technique not only saves your pegboards from damage but also keeps your projects looking pristine!

With a little practice, using tape in your fuse beading projects will become second nature. So, grab some tape and stay crafty, friends!

Check out this video for a little visual on how to tape a small project and iron them!