You probably remember the craze. It was around 2013 when Rainbow Loom exploded, turning every living room floor into a hazard zone of tiny, neon-colored rubber bands. Cheong Choon Ng, a crash-test engineer from Michigan, originally built the wooden prototype to impress his daughters because his fingers were too big to braid the bands himself. It’s a classic "dad-fix" that turned into a global phenomenon. But honestly, even though the trend has leveled off, making bracelets with a loom is still one of the most meditative, satisfying hobbies you can pick up. It’s cheap. It’s tactile. And if we’re being real, it’s a lot harder than the YouTube tutorials make it look if you don't know the tension secrets.
People jump in thinking it’s just hooking loops. Then, halfway through a Fishtail or a Dragon Scale, a band snaps. Or worse, the whole thing unspools because you missed one tiny peg.
How to Make Bracelets With a Loom Without Losing Your Mind
The biggest mistake beginners make is tension. If you pull the bands too tight, the plastic peg—especially on those cheaper knock-off looms—might actually snap or warp. You want just enough "give" so the hook can slide under the band.
First, let’s talk about the gear. You’ve got your loom, which is basically a plastic base with rows of pegs. You’ve got your hook (metal is way better than the plastic ones that come in the starter kits, trust me). And then you have the bands. Quality matters here. If you buy the bulk bags from a random bin, they’re often dry-rotted or have uneven thickness. Brands like Rainbow Loom or Wonder Loom generally use a higher grade of silicone or latex-free rubber that doesn't get brittle after a week in the sun.
To start a basic single-loop bracelet, you’re going to work in a zigzag pattern. You place your first band from the first center peg to the first left peg. Then, a second band goes from that left peg back to the second center peg. It looks like a "V" shape.
Keep going.
Once you reach the end, you flip the loom around. This is the part where people get confused. You aren't "weaving" from the top; you’re reaching inside the peg with your hook, grabbing the bottom band, and pulling it forward to the next peg. It’s all about creating a chain of teardrop shapes. If it doesn't look like a teardrop, you grabbed the wrong band. Seriously, stop and look at it. If it looks like a mess, it's because you didn't clear the "channel" of the peg.
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The Fishtail Technique
Once you master the single loop, you’ll want to try the Fishtail. It's the "cool" one. It looks chunky and professional. You don't even need the whole loom for this; you only need two pegs.
- Cross your first band into a figure-eight (infinity sign) over two pegs. This is the only time you ever cross a band.
- Add two more bands on top, but keep them straight. No crossing.
- Use your hook to pull the bottom-most band (the figure-eight) over the top of the peg and into the center.
- Add another straight band on top. Repeat.
The trick is always having three bands on the pegs before you "loop" the bottom one. If you only have two, it becomes a single chain. If you have four, it gets bulky and weird. It’s a rhythmic process. Pull, add, pull, add. You’ll see the bracelet start to grow downward between the pegs. It’s kinda like magic.
Why Your Loom Bracelets Keep Breaking
It’s frustrating. You spend twenty minutes on a complex Starburst pattern, pull it off the loom, and pop.
Usually, it’s one of three things.
First: The C-clip or S-clip wasn't secured through every loop on the final peg. When you finish a bracelet, all the tension is held by those last two loops. If you only catch one with the clip, the other one will slide back through the design, and the whole thing will unweave like a sweater caught on a nail.
Second: Sunlight. These are rubber. If you leave your loom creations on a sunny windowsill or in a hot car, the UV rays break down the polymers. They get "gummy" and then they snap. If you want them to last, keep them in a cool, dark place when you aren't wearing them.
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Third: Over-stretching during the hooking phase. If you feel like you’re fighting the hook, your bands are too small for the peg spacing.
Advanced Patterns: The Starburst and Beyond
If you’re feeling brave, the Starburst is the gold standard of loom "flexing." It requires a specific setup where you create a perimeter of bands and then "bursts" of six bands radiating from center pegs.
It looks like a series of colorful flowers.
The secret here is the "cap band." A cap band is just a band wrapped around itself twice to create a tight little ring. You place these on the center of each star. Without the cap band, there’s nothing for the "petals" to anchor to, and the whole design just falls apart the second you lift it.
I’ve seen people try to do this with metal wire or embroidery floss too, but a loom is specifically designed for the elasticity of rubber. If you’re trying to use non-stretchy materials on a standard plastic loom, you’re going to have a bad time. The pegs just aren't built for the lateral tension of string.
Real Talk on Loom Quality
There was actually a huge lawsuit years ago regarding patent infringement between Rainbow Loom and various competitors like Cra-Z-Loom. Why does this matter to you? Because the original Rainbow Loom design has rounded edges on the pegs. Cheaper versions often have sharp "seams" from the plastic molds. These tiny sharp edges act like microscopic knives on your rubber bands.
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If you're using a cheap loom and your bands keep snapping, take a look at the pegs. Run your fingernail over them. If you feel a sharp ridge, you can actually sand it down with a nail file. It sounds extra, but it saves so much heartache.
Also, consider the hook. The plastic hooks that come in the $5 kits flex. When you’re trying to pull a band through a peg crowded with four other bands, that flex is your enemy. A 3mm or 3.5mm metal crochet hook is a total game-changer. It’s sturdier, thinner, and slides through the channels way easier.
Making Bracelets With a Loom for "Non-Crafters"
You don’t have to be "artistic" to do this. That’s the beauty of the loom. It’s structural. It’s engineering for your wrists.
If you struggle with fine motor skills or have a bit of anxiety, the repetitive motion is actually recommended by some occupational therapists. It’s a grounding exercise. You focus on the peg, the hook, and the color sequence. Blue, white, blue, white. It shuts the rest of the world out for a minute.
Don't worry about the "correct" way to hold the hook. Some people hold it like a pencil; others hold it like a knife. Just find a grip that doesn't make your hand cramp up after ten minutes.
Actionable Next Steps for Success
Ready to actually make something that doesn't end up in the trash? Here is how you move forward.
- Audit your bands. Grab a few and stretch them to their limit. If they show "stress whiteness" immediately or feel brittle, throw the bag away. It’s not worth the mid-project snap.
- Start with a "Border" design. Before you try complex 3D shapes, learn how to lay a perimeter. It teaches you the "flow" of the loom.
- Use a template. Don't wing the color patterns. Lay your bands out on the table in the order you’ll place them before you ever touch the loom. It prevents "pattern drift" where you realize you missed a color three inches back.
- The "Toothpick" Trick. If you find it hard to get the C-clip on the end, slide a toothpick through the final loops while they are still on the loom. This holds them open and stable so you can click the plastic clip on without fumbling.
- Watch the "Pin" Direction. Most looms have an arrow. The arrow must point away from you when you are placing bands, and toward you when you are hooking them. If you get this backward, the loops won't lock, and you’ll just be pulling bands into thin air.
Making bracelets with a loom is a lesson in patience. You’ll mess up. You’ll drop a loop. But once you get that first perfect Dragon Scale off the pegs, you’ll be hooked. Just keep an eye on your tension and watch those arrows.