Hum - Rev-o-loom-tion: a modern kids guide to rocking rubber bands

At first, people used simple hand looms to hold vertical threads (called warp) in place while they weaved a separate thread (called a weft) horizontally, through them. As weaving became more popular, Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom to keep up with the growing demand for textiles and woven items. During the Industrial Revolution (when we first began using factories and machines to produce goods), women used to work for long hours in front of huge, deafeningly-loud looms. They would have to wear handkerchiefs over their noses because all the dust caused lung problems. The machines were very dangerous and injured many weavers. Girls around the age of 14 would get special slips to get out of school early and apprentice with the older women.

Can you imagine having to work in a factory from afternoon until dinnertime? These days, looming is done in cleaner, safer factories by skilled laborers who work about 40-48 hours a week. The use of cheaper labor, synthetic materials, and robotic machinery is causing a decline in looming jobs. This means fewer and fewer people will ever learn how to weave, so it is important to keep this knowledge alive. Arts and crafts is a fun way to do that! Weaving rugs and clothing and baskets by hand is still practiced by Native Americans and indigenous people in South and Central America, Africa, and throughout Asia. Some artists travel to these places to learn the skill from master artisans. When you use a hand loom, you learn how two threads lace together to make something stronger.

It improves your manual dexterity (your hand speed) and your concentration, and it has a calming effect. Once you get the hang of it, you can rely on yourself to make something your way, instead of buying something that isnt quite what you wanted. So, when you start rocking these rubber band bracelets, remember, youre not just making super-cool accessories and one-of-a-kind jewelry. You are learning a very old and vital skill that you can build upon to make almost anything you set your mind to! Did You Know? The inventor of the Rainbow Loom is a man named Choon Ng, who came up with the idea for the tool because his fingers were too big to make the simple rubber band bracelets his daughters were weaving by hand. Before You Begin... So, you just opened your new rubber band loom and want to rock n roll.

Not so fast! Before you start setting and looping, you must keep these things in mind: First, you need to organize your rubber bands by color. You can get a divided utility box from your local craft store for this exact purpose. It will take you FOREVER to pick out colors for a pattern if they arent neatly separated. (Keep one divider of rainbow-colored bands, too, just in case you feel spontaneous.) 2. It is very important to have a clean workspace. A good idea would be a clean desk or table where other people cant bump into you or spill anything on your project.

You dont want to wear or give a bracelet with crumbs and strands of hair stuck in it. Thats just gross. (Tip: tie your hair back, too.) 3. Each design in this book is labeled according to its level of difficulty. The three levels are: Easy-Peasy, for those just learning how to loom, Rockin Rainbows, for those who are ready for more complicated patterns, and LOOM-a-tic, for the pros. It is best to accomplish each design in order, as one builds upon the next.

Look for our Pro Tips pages at the end of each level for cool ideas to take your designs to the next level! Some extra embellishments to have on hand would be: charms, pendants, clasps, earring wires, ribbon, and beads. 5. Each design follows the same principles. First you SET the rubber bands (the red arrow will point away) in a specific, overlapping pattern. Then, you place a CAP BAND (a rubber band doubled over on itself) on a certain peg or pegs to keep your bands from falling apart. 6. 6.

Look at the pegs on your loom and look at your hook. When you are SETTING, the pegs will be closed. When you are LOOPING, there is an open channel in each peg. If you point your hook into that open space, it will be easier to hook the right rubber band. 7. It can be very frustrating when you realize you forgot one loop and your whole design falls apart when you try to take it off of the loom.

It happens to all of us at one point or another. Sometimes a rubber band snaps after you spent hours weaving. It can make you want to scream! But remember, take a deep breath, a small break, and start over. You will be surprised at how much better you are each time you try! Single The Single is the simplest loop design. Conquer this first to get the hang of the basics. Level: Easy-Peasy 1.

Lay the loom in front of you, with the red arrow pointing away from you. Stretch a rubber band from the very first peg in the middle to the first side peg, as shown. 2. Stretch another rubber band from the first side peg to the second middle peg. 3. 4. 4.

Turn the loom around so the red arrow is pointing towards you. 5. Guide your hook into the peg, so that the hook end points into the peg, and pick the second rubber band from underneath the first. Pull to release it from the peg.