Alex Toys Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit

by Alex Toys

• It's a Friend-zy
• Makes 22 Friendship Bracelets
• 4 looms help you make 2 styles and 8 patterns of friendship bracelets
• Includes 22 colors of floss, beads, beading needle and more
• Colorful, convenient suitcase for keeping it all together

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 8.2 x 9.2 inches ; 12 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: China
• ASIN: B001OXRTX8
• Item model number: 737WX
• Our recommended age: 8 - 12 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 - 6 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #3 in Toys & Games > Arts & Crafts > Craft Kits > Jewelry
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (190 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com

Make colorful friendship bracelets the easy way with Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit from ALEX. Designed for crafty kids ages eight and up, this kit includes the friendship wheel, a handy tool that simplifies the weaving process so you can make as many bracelets as you have friends. The kit contains 22 different colors of string, beads, needle, and color-coded looms that can be used again and again with other string. Everything comes in a take-me-anywhere suitcase so you can make bracelets on the bus, in the car, at your friend's, and more.

Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit

At a Glance:

• Includes 4 color-coded looms, 22 colors of floss, beads, and beading needle
• Friendship wheel makes weaving easy and fun
• Comes in a convenient portable suitcase
• Clear instructions with ruler help guide you
• Age Requirements:
  Eight years and up

Specially designed friendship wheel makes it fun and easy to weave.
View larger.

Create multiple bracelets to express your friendship. View larger.

Fun and Easy to Make

Friendship bracelets are a fun way to accessorize an outfit or show your besties how much you care. This kit includes a specially designed loom called a friendship wheel--an easy-to-use tool that makes it a snap to weave a bracelet in a specific pattern.

Friendship Wheel Simplifies Weaving

Using the friendship wheel is easy. Each wheel features two different pattern rings in the middle of the wheel that show you the two patterns you can make with that wheel. The four wheels in the kit make a total of eight different patterns, including hearts, stripes, diamonds and flowers.

Petals around the edge of the wheel show you which color string to use, but you can also choose your own color combination. The two notches in each petal show you exactly where to hook the string.

Clear Instruction Guide with Ruler

The clear instructions not only show you exactly how much string to hook through each notch, but also supply a printed ruler for easy measuring. The only other thing you'll need to get started is a pencil around which you'll tie your string. All the patterns are strung in the same way, so once you have the method down, it's easy to repeat the next time.

Stringing the wheel is simple and straightforward, and the weaving process involves simply unhooking the strings and then re-hooking them according to the pattern. After you've done a little knotting and trimming, you'll be ready to share your original creation with your friends.

Explore Your Creative Side

This kit lets your creativity shine by giving you plenty of options. Add beads or weave in gold and silver thread for more color and shine. When you're done, just pack everything up in the included carrying case.

What's in the Box

Four color-coded looms, string, beads, beading needle, instruction book, and carrying case.

Product Description

Alex Toys Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit

See all Product Description

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

222 of 228 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughters LOVE this!!! September 30, 2009

By Connie Baker

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I have 3 daughters ages 9, 10, and 12. They have tried making bracelets before and got bored very fast. Not the case with this item. They have had it for over a month now and are still creating bracelets. I have had to purchase more string for them but the foam discs have held up very well. They have also learned different patterns and made their own. This is a great rainy day activity even though my girls have sat on the porch on nice days and weaved away. Easy to learn, hard to put down.

112 of 113 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great hobby starter set; keeps hands busy! March 25, 2010

By Ben C. Taylor

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

We bought this for our 7 year old daughter for her birthday hoping to interest her in a new hobby that would encourage her creativity (and keep her hands busy). The manufacturer suggests this product for 8-12 year olds and I would generally agree (based on dexterity and attention span). However, some younger children, especially those that have the attention span and can repeat a pattern with their hands fairly reliably, will be able to master this activity. Our 5 1/2 year old daughter has given it a try but needs help every once in a while when she gets off the pattern.

We've noticed that the girls don't have as much problem with the circular looms. However, they've had difficulty getting the bracelets from the square looms to come out uniformly. It seems to be a matter of learning how to keep uniform tension on the floss and weave consistently. Not difficult; it just takes a little attention and practice.

The "suitcase" contains four foam looms (2 square and 2 round); 22 skiens of floss; 2 small containers of beads (clear, and multicolored); a beading needle; and instructions.
* Each loom has two patterns (one on each side) for a total of 8 patterns. The finished pattern design is printed around the center hole of the loom, and the notches are painted with the suggested colors used to create the pattern. It's easy to substitute out colors to create your own color schemes. After several months, we've noticed the paint start to rub off the notches on the foam looms (bound to happen over time). Repainting with nail polish may help though we haven't tried that yet.
* The skiens of floss can get used up pretty quickly (only 22). We've found that the local sewing/craft store sells a pack of 50 skiens for around $10.
* We haven't used the beading needle, so I can't comment there. The beads, however, are the right size for the floss and the kids fingers (bigger than seed beeds, smaller than pony beads). My girls haven't shown much interest in incorporating the beads into their projects. They seem to get caught up in the rhythm of the weaving and forget to use them. I would caution that the container lids don't secure down - they slip right off. I would suggest finding another container with a snug lid or taping the lids down to prevent spilled beads.
* The instructions are fairly easy to follow. As has been mentioned by others, the YouTube videos are helpful, especially for those that learn best by watching others. A ruler for measuring out floss has been printed on the fold-out instructions, so all you really need is a pair of scissors for cutting the floss and a pen/pencil (for creating the first loop).
* We still keep the materials, looms, and supplies in the "suitcase" which has proven to be durable.

As our girls have used the product, we've found that they favor the round looms and bracelets over the square. I think this is largely because (1) the weaving rhythm is more continous on the circular looms, (2) it's easier to keep constant tension on the circular looms, (3) the consistent tension yields a more uniform and finished looking product, (4) the round bracelets are usually faster to complete (our experience has been 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the round bracelets compared to 3 for the flat bracelets), and (5) the girls favor the heart and flower designs produced by the circular looms.

Our girls have had a fun time creating bracelets for friends (boys and girls) and themselves. They seem to enjoy planning out the colors and trying to invent new patterns. I would agree with the reviewers who would have liked to see additional patterns. We've also used the floss to create our own knotted/braided/woven bracelets using patterns we've found elsewhere on the web.

Overall, a fun product that was worth the $17.50 we paid for it!

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great hobby! July 15, 2009

By A. Medina

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is so great for all ages! I bought it for my 8 year old girl. I thought it was hard at the beginning, but once you get it, it was a piece of cake! I ended up making bracelets too!! I really reccomend this!