Creative Afternoon - Loom Bands in Technicolour

I first saw rainbow loom bracelets in my Facebook account a few months ago and I wondered why people would be interested in these bracelets. 

I saw them as friendship bracelets we used to do back in high school and I never knew I will be interested in trinkets like these again... until now.

Last weekend, I chanced upon the Instagram account of my cousin, Cayt, and I found some awesome rainbow loom bracelet designs I haven't seen before. 

I fell in love with a rose chain design and I then knew, I wanted to know how this was made. Both my cousins, Chy and Cayt, invited me to join them in rainbow loom bracelet making last Sunday and it got me absolutely stoked! 

Cayt's creations

Cayt's Looms

Cayt has been rainbow looming for quite a while now. Before we started, she showed me the many designs she has created in the past months. 

I am nothing but overwhelmed since I never knew that a simple rainbow loom maker could make numerous designs and can create so much more than just bracelets. 

Her bracelets are now being sold at prices around Php 20.00 - Php 80.00 depending on the intricacy of the designs and the band quality. Her designs were so awesome, I bought 5 bracelets immediately!

Disney Princesses made from the Rainbow Loom

Princess Belle without her skirt

Princess Belle with her skirt on

Me and my Rainbow loom bracelets from Cayt

An up close look at the designs I love

Crafting my Watermelon bracelet

For my first attempt at using the original rainbow loom (approximately Php 700-800), Chy decided to teach me how to create her original take on the Watermelon rainbow loom bracelet. 

She has been getting quite a handful of orders for these bracelets which sell for Php 50 a piece. She usually creates this in a span of 20 minutes but for my first try, it took me 2 whole hours! 

Now, I feel like Php 50 is way cheap for the amount of time and energy spent in making one watermelon bracelet. It truly is a labor of love for their clientele.

Me (left) and my cousin Chy, sinking our teeth into band weaving

My attempt to troubleshoot mistakes.

The finished product: Watermelon Rainbow Loom bracelet

After making the watermelon bracelet, Cayt also taught me the basic fishtail method and the reverse fishtail method. I was able to create a reverse fishtail bracelet for like 30 minutes - a far cry from the previous 2 hours. Cayt also gave me my finished output for FREE.

My first rainbow loom tutorial was just awesome because I got to shop for awesome looms, support a budding kid entrepreneur, and learned how to make some of the designs! 'Til next Sunday Cayt and Chy!

Here is a summary of the costs of raw materials:

Original rainbow loom - approx Php 700-800 (Toys R Us and Rustans)
Class A rainbow loom at Divisoria - approx Php 250
Original loom bands - Php 180 for a pack of 600 bands
Class A loom bands at Divisoria- Php 20-25 for a pack of 200

Glow in the Dark bands

Dual colored bands

Samples of some of the colors she has

Add on trinkets/pendants

With my pretty cousins Cayt (left) and Eka, showing off our accomplishment for the day. :)

If you're too busy to make one but would love to have some, contact Cayt via her Instagram account @caytguerrero today! She takes orders especially for children's parties. :) Enjoy! 

xoxo,

Jacq