We are officially part of the crazed masses that are making rubber band bracelets.
I bought a loom over a year ago. We all tried to make a bracelet and thought it was too hard. We got frustrated and put it away.
That loom sat in a box in the garage. I almost gave it away.
For some reason, my son pulled the loom out a few weeks ago and he is a bracelet making fanatic. You name it. He makes it.
When you leave a child alone, they exhibit the greatest creativity.
I sat down with him ONE TIME to help him make a single chain bracelet (to really learn the technique with the hook) and from there he was HOOKED (no pun intended).
What I absolutely LOVE is that now my whole family is making bracelets. We are making them for Operation Christmas Child boxes, for friends to take on mission trips, and for summer lunches that we deliver to children in need. My mom, who just finished treatments for breast cancer, made pink and white bracelets to pass out to everyone she met.
These bracelets are spreading joy and love all over the place!
To be fair, we are a little late to the party. My son has some friends (here's a shout out to Joe, Emmett, and Addison) who have been making these bracelets for months. They make some amazing creations!
If your child wants to learn to make these bracelets, here's how my son would suggest you start (yes, he consulted on this post!):
*Disclaimer: We realize there are so many bracelet making posts and videos out there.. this is just our experience in our little corner of the world! Affiliate links are included in this post.
Benefits of Making Rubber Band Bracelets
- great for hand-eye coordination
- practice with reading/following directions
- builds patience
- fosters creativity
- you always have something to give someone
Drawbacks of Bracelet Making
- rubber bands ALL OVER the house! {wink}
Supplies
- Rainbow Loom
- Organizer
- Lots of Rubber Bands (we buy ours from Amazon -- much cheaper!)
- Rainbow Loom videos/website
- Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry
Designs
The Fishtail is easy to make (and if you don't have a loom, you can make it using 2 pens and rubber bands).
The Starburst is another favorite.
I love The Zipper - very clever!
This one looks just like its name - the Back and Forth.
Check out this cool Hand Accessory:
I'm looking forward to watching Grant's bracelet making progress this summer.
For now, I'm so thankful for these little friendship bracelets. They're making our summer fun and productive.
Do your kids make bracelets?? Tell me about it!