Recently, the "Everything can be formed with beads" Perler Beads experience shops in Guangzhou have seen a surge in popularity. During the afternoon hours, workstations are packed with young people creating patterns and customizing gifts using colorful plastic beads, making it a trendy leisure activity. This children's educational craft has now rapidly gained popularity among the youth, giving rise to an emerging consumer market that offers both emotional and commercial value.

"Pindou," also known as Perler Beads, is a hands-on activity where small plastic beads are assembled on a template to create designs. Its popularity stems from its stress-relieving, immersive nature and the ease of gaining a sense of accomplishment. Even failed attempts can spark lively discussions on social media, with many netizens exchanging tips online. The handmade aspect adds commemorative value to each piece, blending social and emotional appeal. Similar to the once-trendy cross-stitch, it offers a sense of control and creative joy through repetitive labor. Moreover, it better fits into fragmented time, while providing stronger visual feedback and greater potential for sharing.

Statistics reveal that the popularity of Perler Beads continues to rise. As of February 2026, the number of handicraft-related remainder enterprises has reached 17,200 in China. In 2025, the number of newly registered entities saw a year-on-year increase of 28.6%. On social media platforms, the topic "I'm hooked on Perler Beads" on Rednote has garnered over 3.74 billion discussions, with related notes exceeding 5 million. Meanwhile, the topic about "Perler Beads" on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) has amassed more than 12.13 billion views. E-commerce platforms have similarly shown impressive performance. In 2025, searches for "Perler Beads" on Taobao surged by nearly 500% year on year. Sales of related products on platforms like JD.com exceeded 75 million yuan, marking a growth of nearly 300% compared to the previous year.

拼豆经济如何撬动年轻消费？

近日，广州“万物皆可拼”拼豆体验店人气火爆，下午时段工作台便座无虚席，年轻人用彩色塑料豆创作图案、定制礼物，成为当下热门休闲方式。这项曾属于儿童的益智手工，如今在年轻群体中迅速走红，催生出兼具情绪价值与商业价值的新兴消费市场。

拼豆是在模板上拼组塑料小豆的手工活动，其流行核心在于解压、沉浸、易获成就感，即便创作“翻车”也能在社交平台引发热议，不少网友还在线交流技巧。亲手制作的属性赋予作品纪念意义，兼具社交与情感价值，如同早年风靡的十字绣，依靠重复劳动带来掌控感与创造乐趣，且更适配碎片化时间，视觉反馈与传播性也更强。

数据显示，拼豆消费热度持续攀升。截至今年2月，全国手作相关存续企业达1.72万家，2025年新增注册量同比增长28.6%。社交平台上，小红书“我染上了拼豆”话题讨论量超37.4亿次，相关笔记超500万条；抖音“拼豆”话题播放量突破121.3亿次。电商平台表现同样亮眼，2025年拼豆淘宝搜索量同比增长近500%，京东等平台相关商品销售额超7500万元，同比增长近300%。

文 | 记者 廖梦君 实习生 纪婕
翻译 | 黄健新
审校 | 盛嘉