14-year-old Liv gave Vingegaard a portrait made of 26,390 beads

When Jonas Vingegaard was celebrated in Glyngøre, 14-year-old Liv was ready with a very special gift: a portrait of the cycling star made of 26,390 beads — three weeks of work.

Many wanted to celebrate Jonas Vingegaard when PostNord Danmark Rundt rolled out from Glyngøre this week, and the cycling star was honored on stage for his historic Giro d'Italia victory. But one gift stood out.

14-year-old Liv Bendix Hansen had traveled all the way from Haderslev to Glyngøre with her mother and little brother — and under her arm, she had a portrait of Jonas Vingegaard made of 26,390 beads.

Three weeks of work

According to TV MIDTVEST, which covered the celebration, Liv spent three weeks making the bead plate. And she didn't take any chances on the day: already an hour and a half before Vingegaard showed up, she was ready by the stage.

— I think Jonas is really inspiring. He is a great idol, Liv told TV MIDTVEST.

Vingegaard was presented with the portrait before he left the stage, and after the celebration, Liv got to meet her great idol and get an autograph. The meeting made such a big impression that she couldn't hold back her tears.

26,390 beads — how big is that really?

To put the number into perspective: a classic bead plate contains 841 beads (29×29). Liv's portrait corresponds to more than 31 full plates combined into one large motif. It's the kind of project where you need to keep track of color codes, sort beads into bowls, and iron plate by plate — and where three weeks of work suddenly sounds quite fast.

Bead portraits from photos are some of the most challenging projects you can tackle with fuse beads. Skin tones require many shades, and the motif must strike a balance between detail and recognizability. Liv's portrait shows how beautiful it can turn out when you dare to go all in.

Do you want to try it yourself?

You don't need to draw the pattern by hand, as was done in the old days. With Perleland's free tool, you can upload a photo and have it transformed into a bead pattern instantly — complete with color codes, a shopping list, and a PDF that you can print and place next to the plate.

A few tips if you dream of a large portrait like Liv's:

  • Start with a sharp photo with good contrast — faces work best when the light comes from the side.
  • Use the cropping tool to zoom in on the face so that the beads are used on the motif and not the background.
  • Increase the size gradually. Try 58×58 first, and expand when you have mastered the technique.
  • Sort the beads by color code before you start — that's where most large projects fall apart.

Big congratulations to Liv on an impressive piece of bead art — and to Jonas for a gift that will surely be displayed prominently.

Photo: TV MIDTVEST. The story is covered by TV MIDTVEST from the celebration of Jonas Vingegaard in Glyngøre — read their full report here.

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