Rainbowloom Patterns

Beginner Rainbow Loom Patterns are straightforward and a great way to introduce the looming concept. Featuring easy-to-follow steps, the best part of the beginner series of patterns is the fact that they are relatively easy to create, only require a handful of rubber bands and are not time consuming. The best way for younger children to learn about looming is to just focus on the basic patterns, until they get older.

Intermediate Rainbow Loom Patterns require a bit more patience, introduce a few new techniques with the crochet hook and take longer to complete. More rubber bands will be required to finish these beauties, but if your child has the crafting bug, it's a small price to pay.

Expert Rainbow Loom Patterns are not for the faint of heart. These patterns can take a few weeks to complete and eat up a lot of rubber bands. I would not recommend trying these more advanced patterns, until your child can demonstrate their mastery of the Intermediate stages. Older tweens and teens enjoy these challenging patterns and strive to create new designs that meet the criterion to be called an "expert" pattern.

We've seen the Tickle Me Elmo craze. You've read about the Cabbage Patch Stampedes in the 1980s. It's now time for the Rainbow Loom epidemic to sweep America. The hottest toy or Christmas Gift for 2013 will be rainbow looms.

What is a rainbow loom? Simply stated, a rainbow loom is a 2 x 8 inch piece of plastic that has a series of notches, formed in the shape of a grid. Colored rubber bands are affixed to these notches with a crochet hook. Because of the fact that these are rubber bands, twists and angles come into play, during the creation process.

As the popularity of this new artform takes shape, hundreds of fresh designs are being promoted on places like Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest. Young people have amazing creativity and seeing these new designs come to life has been a treat.

The number one problem that businesses typically face are in their pipeline. Getting their supplies and product to the retail marketplace is a daunting task. Rainbow Loom demand has exploded, as kids and parents search in every conceivable store for more rubber bands and parts.

The popularity of Rainbow Looms can be dissected to several factors. Parents are excited about this product because it gets their kids away from the video games and tapping into their creativity. They might not know it, but learning is happening, when they work on their skills.

Kids love Rainbow Looms because they get to show off their jewelry creations to their peers and get a basic sense of pride, at a job that is well done.

Finally, rainbow loom patterns have created a life of their own, as hundreds of new designs have emerged, thanks to the creativity of children across the country. As more people begin to participate in this new artform, even more designs will emerge.

An entire generation of children were glued to their Xbox or PlayStation consoles and would rarely venture outside to play with their friends or get exercise. As a result, this lack of physical activity has been a culprit in the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the United States.

Rainbow Looming is enjoyed by both girls and boys and might not cause physical exertion, but it sure beats a Cabbage Patch or Tickle Me Elmo doll. Parents are excited about this craze because, whether the kids know it or not, looming is actually helping them learn critical skills and patterns that will prove to be necessary in outside-the-box thinking and creativity

After doing a round of basic research, I was amazed at the hundreds of videos online that are made by kids, some as young as 8, showcasing how to put together different rainbow loom patterns.

Believe it or not, some of these tutorial videos have received over 4 million views on YouTube alone. Children really like being taught new patterns by kids their own age and the videos are helpful because it helps speed up their learning.

The downside to this Rainbow Loom phenomenon is that the lack of supplies and slowdown of the assembly line will cause long lines and panic at the retail level. We've read the articles and watched the newscasts about deaths happening on Black Friday. Expect aggressive parents to be fighting over remaining rubber band kits and looming essentials.

The upside is that non-traditional retail outlets are carrying the products, which will create more locations that have it available. Not only will stores like Toys R Us carry these products, but so will scrapbook locations, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and more. The big question I'm asking is : Will Rainbow Loom have enough product out in the retail sector to satiate the demand during the holiday season this year?