How to make a rainbow loom band bracelet - without a loom!
What you need:
4 rubber bands in each of the following colours: white, yellow, orange, pink, red, apple green, grass green, turquoise, medium blue, dark blue, dark lilac and pale lilac (48 rubber bands in total)
1 loom band clip
2 pencils
Instructions:
1. Wind a white band around two pencils in a figure of eight, keeping the pencils close together.
2. Now push two more bands (we used a yellow one followed by an orange one) over the pencils without twisting them.
3. Take hold of the bottom loop (the white one here) on the right pencil with your finger (or you can use a hook) and pull it to the side...
4. ...and then lift it over the end of the right pencil into the middle.
5. Then take hold of the bottom loop on the left pencil (the white one here)and pull it to the side...
6. ...and then lift it over the end of the left pencil into the middle between the two pencils.
7. Push the two bands still on on the pencils down a little and pull another band (the pink one here) over the pencil ends. Make sure that you keep the bands in the colour sequence as given in the list of materials, and don't mix up the sequence of the three bands on the pencils.
8. Now pull the two loops of the bottom band (the yellow one here) over the pencils as described in steps 3–6. Then put another band (a red one) over the two pencils as described in step 7. Keep repeating steps 3–7, making sure that you first put a third band over the two pencils before you lift the two bottom loops over the pencil ends and position the band between them.
9. Repeat the colour sequence four times until all the bands are used up. Lift the bottom loops off the pencils...
10. ...until only one loop is left on each pencil.
11. Put one side of the clip through the loop on the right pencil...
12. ...and then through the band on the left pencil and slide out both of the pencils.
13. Lastly put the two loops of the first band (the white one here) into the other side of the clip. You now have a fabulous rainbow-coloured fishtail bracelet!
Try this!
This fishtail bracelet also looks great if you make it in two colours! Keep alternating red and white rubber bands, for example; your bracelet will then be made up of very thin rings of colour. If you want the strips of colour to be thicker, use three (or more) rubber bands of the same colour in succession, and then change to a different colour.
TOP TIP!
You can make this bracelet as long as you like. If you use double the number of rubber bands, you can either wrap it around your wrist twice or wear it as a necklace around your neck. You can also make fishtail bracelets on the Rainbow Loom®. Instead of the pencils, simply use two neighbouring pegs on the Rainbow Loom® and follow the given instructions here.
For more designs check out Loom Bands! And Loom Bands! Charms! by Heike Roland & Stefanie Thomas (Quadrille, £4.99 each)
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