Loombandjes zijn heel kleine elastiekjes in alle kleuren. Met behulp van deze elastiekjes kun je de mooiste sieraden maken in de vorm van armbandjes, horlogebandjes, haarbandjes of zelfs figuurtjes. In Nederland zijn ze groot geworden onder de naam Rainbow Loom en in 2012 was het een enorme rage. Ze lagen echt in alle winkels en soms zelfs, je gelooft het niet, bij de bakker. Iedereen moest en zou loomen, het werkwoord voor loombandjes maken.

De basis van deze hobby is enerzijds de loomkit, het raamwerk, waarop de bandjes gespannen worden, de haaknaald en natuurlijk de elastiekjes. Dan maakten we natuurlijk gebruik van het internet en maakten we de mooiste bandjes na op basis van hele handige instructievideo’s. Er waren en zijn er duizenden van. Ook hebben we de veel gemaakte modellen in boeken beschreven. Zoals gezegd, je gebruikt voor het loomen een zogenaamd loombord die bestaat uit drie lange rijen met elk 12 pinnetjes. Later kwam daar ook de Fingerloom bij en de Monstertail maar wist je dat je ook heel goed loombandjes kunt maken met behulp van je vingers of gewoon spulletjes die je in huis hebt.

Wil jij loombandjes maken zonder loombord?

Dan ben je hier aan het goede adres. De teksten moeten nog vertaald worden maar ik zet ze er alvast bij.

Loom bands are the hottest new craze! Everyone’s wearing accessories made from these colorful little rubber bands. They might be called loom bands, but you don’t actually need a loom to create fun crafts. You’ll find several loom bands designs here that you can make just with your fingers or household objects. Get yourself some loom bands and get crafty!

Making a Basic Loom Bands Bracelet

1
Gather your materials. Count out the number of bands you’ll need for your bracelet. You will probably need around 20 for a child’s bracelet and around 30 for an adult’s bracelet. You will also need one C-clip, which you can usually find in the same craft store aisle as the loom bands. Sometimes the clips will be included when you purchase the loom bands. Double-check to make sure you have everything you need. You can make a striped bracelet by alternating between two colors, or a fun rainbow pattern by using a mix of colors.

2
Twist one band into a figure “8” and fold it over so it forms a circle. Slide this circle inside the C-clip. This is the beginning of your bracelet. We’ll call this band #1.

Pinch one band between your fingers. Slide this band (#2) halfway through the circle you made in Step 2. Pull the ends up and hold them together.

4
Pinch another band and slide it through the loops formed by band #2. Make sure you keep holding the ends of band #2 together while you do this or the chain will come undone! Now band #2 is securely part of the chain, and band #3 looks just like band #2 in the previous step.

5
Repeat the pinch and slide until bracelet is long enough. Slip one loop of the final band through the other loop and pull tightly. Slide the last band’s remaining loop into the C-clip from Step 2
If you aren’t sure whether your bracelet is long enough, wrap it around your other wrist. Make sure it’s not too tight! Wearing a bracelet that’s too tight might disturb blood circulation or cause swelling.[1]

Making a Fishtail Loom Bands Bracelet

1
Gather your materials. Count out the number of bands you’ll need for your bracelet. This bracelet is a little thicker than the basic bracelet, so you’ll probably need around 30 bands for a child’s bracelet and around 40 for an adult’s bracelet. You will also need one C-clip or S-clip.
If you don’t want to work on your fingers, you can use unsharpened pencils, knitting needles, or even chopsticks to hold the bands.The process is the same no matter what you use.[2] Just hold the pencils in your non-dominant hand and work with your dominant hand.
Using two (or more!) colors of bands will bring out the fishtail design better than using only one.

2
Wrap one loom band around your index and middle fingers. Twist it in the middle to form an “infinity” or “8” shape. Be careful not to stretch the bands too much. They might snap if overstretched.

3
Wrap two more loom bands around your index and middle fingers. Don’t twist these bands; just place them on top of the first one. You won’t twist any more of the bands from here on out.
If you’re using two or more colors, make sure to alternate the colors of the bands as you wrap them.

4
Pull the bottom loom band on your middle finger over the top band. Bring it to the middle of the bands (halfway between your fingers) and release. Next, pull the bottom loom band on your index finger over the top band. Bring it to the middle and release.

5
Slide the band that is now in the middle into the clip. This will help keep your bracelet from coming undone as you work.

6
Wrap another loom band around your fingers. Repeat Step 4. Keep adding bands and repeating Step 4 until you have made the size you want.

7
Slide the last band into the other side of the plastic clip. This will complete the loop. Now you have a beautiful fishtail bracelet!
You can modify this method to make a ring or a necklace — just weave fewer or more bands until it’s the length you want and then connect the ends with the plastic clip.

Bekijk deze handleiding: Loombandjes Maken in het Engels met behulp van handige trucjes via deze website MET handige instructievideo’s