a simple tip :: surviving the rainbow loom craze

This will be great! She can get creative and it will keep her busy during these Winter days when it’s too cold to go outside! Genius! {pats myself on the back}

I had that encouraging conversation with myself just over a month ago when I decided it would be a super idea to get my daughter a Rainbow Loom for her birthday. Honestly, she never really mentioned wanting one until three days before her birthday when, apparently, her best friend was going on and on and on about how much she wanted one. Of course, that meant Abbi just needed one, too.

Since then my back patting has turned into pulling my hair out! Don’t get me wrong, the Rainbow Look is an adorable and very creative idea. It just doesn’t jive with my daughter’s personality…that personality being one that loves the idea of doing these cool bracelets but when she realizes she might need to make the bracelet three or four times before it actually turns out, she just gets frustrated and the loom ends up sitting in my lap. Because I have nothing better to do than loom.

So, whether you are already knee deep in looming bands or are considering taking the plunge, here are my  Five Tips for Surviving the Rainbow Loom Craze ::

Tip 1 :: YouTube, it’s your friend!

Inevitably your child will come home from school telling you how they just have to make some crazy double starburst rainbow chain double axle half pike rotating bracelet* that their friend told them about. Super. Go for it! Oh, wait…they have no idea to make such bracelet.

This is where YouTube will come into play. There are hundreds and hundreds of video tutorials on making all these bracelets! They can watch how to do it step by step. And then you can watch it, step by step, when they beg you to help. Also, most of these videos will give you a heads up as to what level the bracelet is. Just a  heads up, when they tell you the bracelet is advanced, believe them. Those things are like NASA engineered bracelets!

(*No, that’s not really a name of a bracelet. Or at least I don’t think it is. But it’s not too far off.)

Tip 2 :: Crochet hooks double as loom hooks.

Two days into the looming world, my daughter lost the little hook that came with her Rainbow Loom. Insert drama. Then I realized that the hook tool is much like a crochet hook. Crisis averted! Let me just go ahead and recommend you purchase a multi-pack of crochet needles if you don’t have any them lying around your house. Chances are they’ll go through a few of them and then you’ll find them stuffed between the couch cushions.

Also, there are a few bracelets you can even create just using fingers and forgoing the hook. Great option for younger loomers!

Tip 3 :: Storage, get on that ASAP!

Find a storage option that works for you and your looming child. Between the loom, hooks, bands, c-clips, and finished projects, your house can quickly become a looming headquarters. Keep things organized will save your sanity in the end. You don’t have to get all crazy fancy. Just a simple tupperware box and some little zip locks work great!

Tip 4 :: Bargaining rights.

Speaking of saving your sanity, you should concede to the fact now that, despite your best efforts with organizing, you will find bands and clips all over your house. My daughter is pretty good at keeping her looming to just one or two locations in the house and I still find those bands in the most random places.

In an effort to hold my daughter responsible to her looming materials, we have a rule in our house — If I find find bands and clips lying around the house, they are mine. I’ll keep them tucked away, safe and sound (ziplock bag in my desk drawer). If she would like to “buy” them back from me, we will decide on a chore price. For example, twenty bands for taking the trash out. Otherwise, she can save her money and purchase a new bag of bands or clips herself. Not that she minds really doing the extra chores, but it’s amazing how that mindset has made her become more aware of bands she leaves around the house.

Tip 5 :: Expect to become a Rainbow Loom Engineer.

I’m coming close to adding this title to my resume. It’s one thing to create a Rainbow Loom bracelet, key chain, necklace, etc. It’s another to troubleshoot the creation when your child comes to you with a bracelet where a band in the middle has snapped or they just didn’t do a step right. This is where you will prove how awesome you really are! Because you’ll figure it out. You’ll discover how to replace that band or backtrack to where they made their mistake. Or you’ll explain to them that it isn’t salvageable and, when they are sobbing because they’ve put so much effort into making that bracelet, you’ll offer to redo it for them. Because you are the super awesome Looming Mom!

That’s it, my friends. Those are my words of wisdom. From one looming mom to another. You can do this! One zippy chain bracelet at a time, you can do it!

And if not, don’t worry! It can’t last forever and it will be replaced with some other craze. After all, our parents survived the Friendship Bracelets and Friendship Pins crazes we went through!

*img sources: littlestlearners and notonthehighstreet