~ PONY BEAD / KANDI GUIDE ~
Pony Bead Patterns: Ideas & How to Make Your Own
Updated October 2026 · ~6 min read
Pony beads — the chunky large-hole beads behind kandi cuffs, keychains, and the classic bead lizard — are perfect for grid patterns. This guide rounds up popular pony bead pattern ideas and shows how to design your own for free, then export a chart with a bead-count shopping list.
Popular pony bead pattern ideas
Kandi cuffs & bracelets
Multi-row peyote or ladder cuffs in bright, rave-ready color combos.
Keychains & charms
Pony bead animals and shapes that clip onto a bag, lanyard, or keys.
3D animals & lizards
The classic flat-and-fold pony bead lizard or gecko, planned on a simple grid.
Name & letter beads
Spell names or words with alphabet pony beads across a cuff.
Suncatchers
Arrange or melt pony beads into a shape to hang in a sunny window.
Lanyards & zipper pulls
Quick single-strand patterns for backpacks, badges, and bottles.
Pony bead tapestry patterns
A pony bead tapestry is a wall hanging: strands of yarn or cord hang side by side from a wooden dowel, and the pony beads threaded on them make a picture. It is a pixel chart read one column at a time — each column of the chart is one strand — so any pony bead pattern on this page, or one you convert from a photo, can be hung instead of worn.
One column, one strand
Count the chart’s columns and cut that many strands. Number them left to right the way the chart’s ruler numbers its columns, and tie them to the dowel in that order, so strand 12 is column 12.
Thread from the top down
With a strand tied to the dowel, thread from the free end: the first bead you add slides up to the top. So read each column from the top, and knot under the last bead so nothing slips off.
Plan for the bead’s shape
On a hanging strand a pony bead is about 9 mm across and 6 mm tall — one and a half times wider than tall. To keep a picture’s proportions, draw it about 1.5 times taller than it should look, or stretch the photo vertically before you convert it.
Size and bead count
Width is strands × 9 mm and height is beads per strand × 6 mm: 30 strands of 45 beads make a piece about 27 × 27 cm from 1,350 beads. Cut each strand to its beaded length plus about 20 cm for the knot at the dowel and a tail, and buy from the exported bead count.
Turn a photo into a tapestry chart →Draw one on a blank grid →
Pony bead animal patterns
Five original animal charts you can open, recolour and string today — three flat keychain charms and two cuffs, each a free pattern with a bead count.
Browse all pony bead patterns →
How to make your own pony bead pattern
Open the kandi / pony bead maker
Start from a blank grid — no photo and no sign-up needed. Each cell maps to one pony bead, so what you draw is what you string.
Set the size
Choose the width and rows for a cuff, or a small grid for a keychain charm or single bracelet. A standard kandi single is one row; cuffs stack several rows tall.
Place your pony bead colors
Tap a color and click or drag to place beads. Use the fill tool for stripes and backgrounds, and the color picker to reuse a shade already on the grid.
Add letters or a motif
Spell a name with alphabet placement, or draw a heart, star, mushroom, or animal. Keep capital letters about 5–7 beads tall with a one-bead gap so they stay readable.
Export your chart and bead list
Download a PNG or printable PDF with a per-color bead count — your exact shopping list — so you know how many of each color to buy before you string.
Tips for pony bead patterns
- ✓Standard pony beads are 6×9mm — one grid cell equals one bead when you plan a cuff.
- ✓Plan letter spacing first: capitals read best at 5–7 beads tall with a one-bead gap between letters.
- ✓Use the bead-count export as a shopping list — rave shops sell pony beads by color and bulk.
- ✓For a 3D lizard or animal, design it flat on the grid, then fold along the center line when you string it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are pony beads?
Pony beads are chunky plastic beads with a large hole, usually about 6×9mm. They’re the beads used for kandi bracelets and cuffs, keychains, and kids’ crafts.
What can I make with pony bead patterns?
Kandi cuffs and single bracelets, keychains and charms, 3D animals like the classic bead lizard, name/letter cuffs, suncatchers, and lanyard or zipper pulls.
How do you make a pony bead tapestry?
Make a chart as wide as the number of strands you want, tie one strand of yarn or cord per column to a dowel, then thread each column’s beads from the top down and knot under the last bead. Draw the picture about 1.5 times taller than it should look, because a pony bead is wider than it is tall.
Are pony beads the same as kandi beads?
Yes. “Kandi” is the rave/festival craft made from pony beads, so kandi beads and pony beads are the same large-hole plastic beads.
How do I make a kandi cuff pattern?
Open the maker, set the width and the number of rows for your cuff, place your colors and any letters on the grid, then export the chart with the bead-count list.
How do I add names or letters?
Place alphabet beads cell by cell on the grid to spell your word. Keep capitals 5–7 beads tall with a one-bead gap so the text reads clearly across the cuff.
Where can I get free pony bead patterns?
Design your own for free in the MakeBead kandi maker — start from a blank grid, export a printable chart, or browse the community gallery for ideas to remix.
~ FREE, NO SIGN-UP TO START ~
Design your own pony bead pattern
Open the kandi maker, place your colors and letters on the grid, and export a printable chart with a bead-count shopping list — free.
OPEN THE KANDI MAKER →