You remember the craze. It was roughly 2013, and suddenly every kid (and let’s be honest, half the adults) had arms covered in neon-colored silicone loops. It was the Rainbow Loom era. While the hype has simmered down from its peak, the actual craft is still incredibly satisfying. There’s something meditative about the rhythmic clicking of the plastic hook against the pegs. But if you’re just staring at a pile of bands and a plastic board wondering where to start, it’s easy to get frustrated.
Making a rubber band bracelet with a loom is basically just controlled cable knitting with tiny elastics. If you can hook a loop and pull it over a peg, you’ve got this. Seriously.
The most common mistake people make? They try to go too fast. They rush the "capping" band or forget which way the arrows on the loom are pointing. Then, snap. The whole thing uncurls like a sad, rubbery snake. We aren't doing that today. We’re going to build a solid Single Link and a Fishtail—the two pillars of the loom world—so you can actually wear your creation instead of sweeping it into the trash.
Getting the Gear Right
Don't buy the cheap, generic looms from the dollar bin unless you like sharp plastic edges that slice your bands. The original Rainbow Loom or a high-quality equivalent like the Wonder Loom actually matters here. The pegs need a specific "C" shape or a deep groove. This groove is where your hook slides in to grab the bottom band. If the peg is too smooth, the band slips. If it’s too rough, the friction snaps the rubber.
You’ll also need C-clips or S-clips. Most enthusiasts prefer the C-clip because it holds more securely, though S-clips are easier for tiny hands to manipulate. And the bands? Get the silicone ones if you can. They don't dry out and crack like the cheap latex ones do after three weeks in the sun.
The Simple Single: Your First How to Make a Rubber Band Bracelet with a Loom Project
The Single Link is the "Hello World" of loom crafting. It’s the foundation.
First, check your loom. See those little red arrows? They must point away from you. This is non-negotiable. If the arrows are pointing toward you while you're placing bands, you're going to have a nightmare of a time trying to loop them later.
👉 See also: Simple Wilted Lettuce Recipe: Why This Depression-Era Classic Still Rules My Kitchen
Placing the Bands
Start at the first middle peg. Stretch your first band diagonally to the first peg on the left. Now, take a second band and go from that left peg back to the second peg in the center row. It should look like a "V" shape. Keep doing this zig-zag pattern all the way down the loom. Left to center, center to right, right back to center. It looks like a lightning bolt. Or a staircase for an ant.
Pro tip: Don't double up yet. Just one band per move. Make sure each band sits on top of the end of the previous one. This overlap is what creates the chain. If they aren't overlapping, you aren't making a bracelet; you're just decorating a piece of plastic.
The Actual Hooking
Now, turn the loom around. The arrows should now point toward you.
Skip the very first peg (the one closest to you). Reach your hook into the second peg, grab the bottom band, and pull it forward to the peg it’s already attached to. You’re basically undoing the stretch you just made, but through the center of the peg. You’ll see a teardrop shape form. That teardrop is the universal sign that you're doing it right. If it looks like a tight, stressed square, you probably grabbed the wrong band.
Repeat this all the way to the end. Reach in, grab the bottom, pull it to the next peg. Reach in, grab the bottom, pull it forward. It’s a rhythm.
Finishing Touches
When you get to the end, slide your C-clip onto the very last band. Carefully pull the whole chain off the loom. It feels like it’s going to break, but silicone is surprisingly resilient. Hook the other end of the C-clip to the first loop you placed. Boom. You've got a bracelet.
Moving Up: The Fishtail Method
Once the single link feels like baby stuff, you move to the Fishtail. This one is thicker, more durable, and honestly looks way more professional. You don't even need the whole loom for this—just two pegs. Any two pegs will do, but most people use the two at the very end.
- The Figure Eight: Take your first band and twist it into an "8" or an infinity symbol. Place the two loops over your two pegs. This is the only band you will ever twist. Every other band stays a regular circle.
- The Stack: Add two more bands on top of the "8," but don't twist them. You should now have three bands on the pegs.
- The Loop: Use your hook to grab the very bottom band (the twisted one) on the outside of the peg. Pull it up, over the top of the peg, and let it go into the center. Do the same for the other side of that bottom band.
- The Cycle: Add one more band to the top. Now you have three again. Grab the bottom-most band, pull it over the top into the center.
Basically, the rule for a Fishtail is: Always have three bands on the pegs before you loop the bottom one. If you accidentally loop when there are only two bands, the bracelet will get skinny and weird. If you have four, it gets bulky. Three is the magic number. You’ll see the bracelet start to grow downward between the pegs. It looks like a square braid. Keep going until it’s long enough to wrap around your wrist. Usually, that’s about 40 to 50 bands for an adult, or 30 for a kid.
Why Your Bracelets Keep Breaking
It sucks when a project snaps. Usually, it's not a "bad" rubber band; it's a technique issue.
Check for "nicks." If your metal hook has a tiny burr on it, it will create micro-tears in the silicone. Over time, or under tension, those tears fail. Also, watch out for "tension fatigue." If you leave a bracelet on a loom overnight without finishing it, the bands are under constant stretch. They lose their elasticity. Finish what you start in one sitting if you can.
Another culprit? Sunscreen and hand sanitizer. The chemicals in many popular lotions actually break down the polymers in the rubber. If you’re at the beach and your "how to make a rubber band bracelet with a loom" masterpiece suddenly disintegrates, blame the SPF 50.
Advanced Patterns: Beyond the Basics
Eventually, you'll want to try the Starburst or the Dragon Scale. These require using all three rows of the loom and often involve "extension" pieces because the loom isn't long enough to go around a human wrist in one go.
The Starburst pattern is particularly tricky because it requires a "capping band." This is just a band wrapped twice around a peg to create a heavy anchor. People forget the capping band, and then the "star" just falls apart when they take it off the loom. Don't be that person. Always double-loop your anchors.
Actionable Steps to Master the Loom
Ready to actually do this? Stop reading and start stretching.
✨ Don't miss: Why Salt Guns for Flies are the Only Bug Gadget Actually Worth Buying
- Organize by color first. Nothing kills the "flow" like digging through a bag of 2,000 mixed bands to find one specific shade of teal. Use a tackle box or an ice cube tray.
- Start with a two-color pattern. It makes it much easier to see which band you need to hook next. If you use all one color for your first try, you will get lost in the layers.
- Watch the tension. When hooking, if the band feels like it’s about to snap, use your finger to ease the pressure on the peg you are pulling toward.
- The "Pencil Test." If you aren't sure if a bracelet is long enough, remember that the bands will shrink slightly once they are off the tension of the loom. Always add two more rows than you think you need.
Find a flat surface with good lighting. Grab your loom, ensure those arrows are pointing away, and start with a simple zig-zag. Once you've mastered the tension of the Single Link, the more complex patterns like the Inverted Fishtail or the Hexafish will become much more intuitive. Clean your loom occasionally with a damp cloth to remove any dust or oils that can cause the bands to slip prematurely. Happy looming.