Pony Bead Patterns

Made for pony beads, not just pixels

Pony beads are chunky 9×6mm barrel beads, so a good pony bead pattern keeps the grid small and the shapes bold — a 24-bead width already makes a substantial kandi panel. Every pattern here is matched to The Beadery's real color range (the pony beads stocked by nearly every US craft store), with each color's official 3-digit code in the legend. That means no guessing whether "dark pink" on screen exists as an actual bead: if the chart says 063 Hot Pink, that's the code on the bag.

String the finished design as a flat panel, weave it into a ladder-stitch cuff, or glue it onto a base — the chart works the same way for each. Total bead counts per color are listed on every pattern page, so a single visit to the craft store covers the whole project.

Pony bead questions

What are pony beads?

Pony beads are 9×6mm plastic barrel beads — about three times the size of 5mm fuse beads. They are strung on cord or woven into kandi cuffs rather than ironed, and nearly every bag sold in US craft stores comes from The Beadery, whose official color codes these patterns use.

How do I read a pony bead pattern?

Each square in the chart is one bead. For a flat panel or ladder-stitch kandi cuff, follow the grid row by row. Every pattern lists its colors with official Beadery codes and exact counts, so you know how many beads of each color to buy before you start.

What can you make with pony bead patterns?

The most popular projects are animal keychains and bag charms strung on cord, kandi cuffs and bracelets for festivals and trading, and flat panels to hang up or glue onto a base. Small grids around 20–26 beads wide suit all three — every pattern here lists its exact size and per-color bead counts.

Can I turn my own photo into a pony bead pattern?

Yes — the free pony bead pattern maker converts any photo (or a text idea via AI) into a chart matched to real pony bead colors. It runs in your browser and the chart is free to print.