Totally Culture: 8 Bit Doctor Who Christmas Gifts

If you're in need a quick and easy gift to give to a friend/family member then look no further, these 8-Bit Doctor Who characters are fantastic and are fun additions to include in a Christmas present. They're also quite good to keep for yourself for keepsake. I wouldn't recommend only giving these as a present, they're fun to put as a small present to accompany an ordinary gift.
I created 15 8-bit templates, a mixture of companions and Doctors, which you can use as reference for your creations. Feel free to make bigger versions of these, perhaps 4 beads for each pixel, or just do what I do and use a bead for each pixel. They're super easy to make and only take a few minutes. All you need are some perler beads, some fuse bead paper (ironing paper), and a template board, as well as an iron with the steam on the lowest setting. For my tutorial (see below), I used a 14x14 perler template board, white/red/black/skin coloured beads and a suitably sized fuse bead paper. I would recommended having a background of some kind surrounding the character if you're concerned with parts falling off (particularly the legs).

The templates are all at the end of this post, simply click on the one you want and use it as reference!

These are the beads I used. They're initially quite difficult to manage, especially if you're as clumsy as myself, however after you get going and get used to it, you'll be fine.

Simply place the beads onto the board in relation to the squares on the templates I've created below. As mentioned earlier, it's perfectly fine to put 4 beads on for one pixel square if you want a bigger figure, although you'll need a much bigger board. Start off with the head, be sure to place them at the very top of the board to ensure you have enough space for the body.

Don't fret too much about it all being perfectly aligned at the moment, when you iron it they'll melt slightly so they'll fuse together. After you've completed the head, move onto the body. Start out from the inside, moving onto the outside.

Once you've finished placing all the beads, be sure to double check the colours are in the correct place, then place the paper on top of the beads. Turn your iron on to a medium heat setting, with the steam on the lowest setting possible. Once it's all heated up, gently rotate in a circular motion over the beads for 20-30 seconds. I placed a book on-top of the figure for a minute to even it out. Then, I peeled the paper off and turned the figure over and re-placed the paper. Repeat the circular motion so both sides are evenly melted. At this stage, the leg came off so I reattached it by focused on the leg for a quick few seconds. Again, leave the book on-top of it for a minute or so and then peel off the paper once again. And there it is, you're finished.

Excuse the wonky leg. But here it is, the Twelfth Doctor in 8-bit form! Perfect to include in a Christmas present, or to keep for yourself!

The templates are below. If you do make some of these, be sure to show me on Twitter @TotallyCulture, Facebook 'Totally Culture', or tag me on Instagram 'TotallyCulture'. Feel free to respond below too! I'd love to see your attempts!