Strand Bands Designer Set review

There's something about teens and tweens and bracelets. Just over the last few years, the Madhouse girls (and even Pierre) have gone crazy spending their pocket money on loom bands, zip bands, silly bands, shamballas ... When I was growing up it was silicon wristbands and Brazilian friendship bracelets. Well, there's a new bracelet kit in town and it's called Strand Bands !

When we unpacked the kit, the girls oohed and aahed at the pretty colours and the enticing bag of charms but my first thought was that they looked just like scoubidou threads. 

They are in fact very similar but the big difference is that they are peelable and stretchable which makes them much nicer to work with. You get over 180 feet of strands which is enough to make about 15 bracelets, depending on how much you stretch them and the thickness of strands that you choose to work with. (It's up to you whether you peel off one strand or leave several stuck together.)

The stretchiness means that the Strand Styler frame in the box is really easy to use for looming and braiding because you make the threads taut so they won't ping off..

 You get a variety of different charms and beads to embellish your creations and the girls agonised over which combinations of colours and charms to use to get their desired designs. So far they've been happy making bracelets but I think you could also use scoubidou techniques to make funky bag charms, key chains and even pens (a technique that Sophie mastered with scoubidous, wrapping the braids around the inside of a biro).

It's great fun and is simple to pick up, although younger children will need some help. (The packaging says it is suitable for children aged 6+.) It's bound to be a big hit with any fashion-conscious or crafty teen/tween girls and the add-on possibilities (with extra strands and charms available) will make it great as a stocking filler/Christmas present idea. (The kids will be back at school soon so it's time to start thinking about Christmas !)

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £19.99

for more information : http://www.flairplc.co.uk/Product/strandbandsdesignerset/

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.