The 'Sweat' Loom

It was bound to happen.....

The Rainbow Loom has landed in our home.

The three-strand pronged weaving machine is the latest fad to hit the elementary schools.

For the last week, Tyler has been begging for one - it took me that long to figure out what it was. I finally caved this past weekend.

Basically, I call it an expansion on his last fad, the silly bands. Only these seem to have an actual purpose {where those are now collecting dust in a Ziploc baggie in a closet - this, I'm sure, will someday join them}.

The Rainbow Loom is a lot like the hot pad holders of my youth. We would use fabric "rubberbands" and a loom to weave hot pad holders for our parents and family - our friends weren't really into them, of course. If you were really good, you could weave headbands and bracelets {I made a ton of headbands and I'm sporting them in all of my childhood photos - along with my mis-matched outfits - until middle school}.

The problem with the loom is that you use itty bitty rubber bands. The same rubber bands I use in Ashlee's hair - or the same rubber bands that people use on their braces, I've heard some people say {I never wore braces so I don't know if that's true}.

They sell these bags of rubber bands like they're gold - $3.99 PER bag, PER color - and this is AFTER you buy the $16.99 + tax loom.

And the bands are so tiny, they fly of the loom constantly, making the bracelets nearly impossible for a 6-year-old....so guess who makes the bracelets?

MOM!

Tyler has turned me into a sweat shop. I churn out the bracelets, and he gives me 20 minute breaks every so often....or until daddy yells at him to give me a real break and that he doesn't need any more bracelets until he actually starts giving them away.

We've had some issues with giving the bracelets away. He doesn't understand they are friendship bracelets - to be shared among friends. He thinks he should give them away only to those who offer up candy for a bracelet {smart kid, but not the point}.

After a few days of bracelet making - and I'm sure lots of classroom begging - he gave in and gave all of his bracelets away and even traded with a few kids {I'm proud to say we've figured out the sharing - and production is back in full swing!}.

As a craft-a-holic, I do enjoy making the bands, but at my own pace. My favorite are the wide rainbow bands. My least favorite are the single simple bands. We've recently expanded to rings - and if we had a second loom, we could make necklaces and headbands.

Oh fads, how I love thee....what do you think will be the next one?