Please explain Rainbow Looms and Perler Beads to me.

[Ms B]

The Biscuit has learned to Rainbow Loom at school. He is obsessed with making bracelets; apparently there is some way to do them just with the bands and without the loom itself.

He also has made a lot of Perler Bead "creations".

I have zero crafting ability, but I want to be able to occupy The Biscuit if we end up at home a lot. What do I need to know? What are the essentials to purchase? Best places to shop (on line or B&M)? Preferred brands/tips and tricks?

TIA!

[PunkyBoo]

Michael's should have everything. My DS2 still pulls out the rainbow loom now and then. The loom is not very big so shouldn't be a big deal to buy one, and a few bags of various colored bands. We found a bunch of random you tube videos to learn various styles, that was easier than trying to decipher the 2D instruction page.
Perler beads require an iron and ironing board. DS2 likes to design the beads then I have to do the ironing. We actually did a cool math project learning matrices with beads.

Both are fun crafts, but be prepared for little beads and little rubber bands to be everywhere.

[ang79]

Perler beads need a clothes iron to melt the beads together. You can buy huge containers of multi-colored beads and a few square or shaped trays to make your own designs on, or you can buy kits that come with the exact beads needed to make a certain shape or picture. The beads should come with a paper to lay over the beads when you iron them so they don't stick to your iron. My girls prefer the make your own designs. There are templates you can find online to make certain shapes (involves counting how many of each color per row and following the design). My girl scout cadette troop (6th,7th,8th graders) still enjoy making stuff with Perler Beads! You may want to buy some magnetic discs to hot glue on the back, or the sticky magnetic tape. We have a ton of seasonal and holiday magnets that they like to switch out on my fridge.

There are also lots of youtube tutorials on Rainbow Loom creations. My girls started with just using their fingers or the hand tool, then they evolved into using the actual loom. 11 yr. old DD2 still likes to make rainbow loom keychains to give as gifts to aunts and uncles. We bought key rings at the craft store to put the chains on. You can buy the bands by individual colors at the craft store or a bulk kit with lots of colors (she recently got a bulk kit at Hobby Lobby for not very much money). Some bands are scented or glow-in-the-dark too, or have special patterns like tie-dye or stripes on them. Also a good way to use up time.

Just beware, both the beads and bands can be a pain to pick up! If you're buying supplies I suggest getting some kind of organizer box with a lid, helps to sort by color and to contain!

[mikala]

For Rainbow loom my kids watched a lot of Youtube tutorials. Made by Mommy was one youtuber, trying to think of the names of others. Michael's had some bands but we also bought a lot through the official Rainbow Loom site for more color options and relatively fast shipping. We also bought key rings and had some pony beads on hand for decorations. They stored the bands in a compartment box from the hardware store and worked on a cookie sheet to reduce clean up hassle.

The box was similar to this: https://www.zoro.com/stanley-compartment-box-25-compartments-014725r/i/G3225284/feature-product?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qzzBRDnARIsAECmrypXHzpFp0Ol F7A3hcUaQe0H99f-s2FzKbROI8GuJNNom14BaCkbrl8aArxkEALw_wcB

[Kestrel]

No experience with loom, but DS loved Perler beads. Get extra of the sheets to use with your iron; they're cheap and needed! We organized in fishing tackle boxes - they we similar and much cheaper that those designed for crafts. BE aware they escape are go everywhere! What worked best for us was working on a tray with a lip that was meant to be a breakfast in bed tray.

[doberbrat]

we also use the tray with a lip for containment. I have no idea how rainbow loom works - there is a super loom that I recently got for dd2. And boxes of 1000x bands or so are fairly cheap. Pearler beads go EVERYWHERE. I melted one of the trays to the beads when ironing the thing so now I'm not in charge of ironing. PERFECT!!!

[mom2binsd]

Pm me, I have thousands of each of these! Maybe I could mail some to you!

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[jbbhb]

Am I the only one that find perler beads extremely relaxing? [emoji23]


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[georgiegirl]

Am I the only one that find perler beads extremely relaxing? [emoji23]


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Sometimes. It can be fun to create cool patterns.

My kids all love perler beads. Especially my 6 year old with anxiety and OCD. Neighborhood kids aged 5-14 will all do them.

Biggest nightmare would be the billion bead container spilling all over the floor