![]() “His engineering background, which includes product design, quality control and manufacturing experience, provided a solid foundation for the project, and his brother, Cheong Yeow Ng, an engineer and inventor living in Wichita, Kan., encouraged him to sell the product online,” the New York Times reported in a 2013 profile of Choon. Picture via Rainbow Loom/Facebook)Ī mechanical engineer by trade, Choon was working as a seatbelt technology developer for Nissan in 2010 when he noticed his daughters Teresa and Michelle weaving elastic bands on their fingers to make bracelets.Ĭhoon tried to join in but found his fingers were too big, so he thought that some kind of loom to hold the bands would help, and set about making a prototype using a wooden pegboard and dental hooks.Įncouraged by his family to try to sell the product commercially, Choon found a factory in China to manufacture the parts, which he and his wife assembled in their home in June 2011 (is brother and niece came up with the name Rainbow Loom). Loom Bands and the Rainbow Loom haven’t been around long – they were invented just three years ago by Michigan man Cheong Choon Ng, a Malaysian of Chinese descent who emigrated to the USA in 1991. Picture: Jennifer Ann via Rainbow Loom/Facebook) (A variety of Loom Band patterns with a Halloween theme. Here in Ireland the craze is commonly referred to as ‘Loom Bands’, but elsewhere it may be called ‘Rainbow Loom’, which is the proprietory brand name of the company formed by inventor Cheong Choon Ng (more on him below).īracelet patterns vary from simple chains (that can be made using fingers and hook only) to more intricate designs with names such as ‘fishtail’, ‘inverted fishtail’, ‘dragon scale’, ‘rainbow ladder’ and ‘hexafish’ (more and more designs are emerging over time, as part of the appeal of Loom Bands is the ability to create now patterns and do new things). (Band-making paraphernalia including a Rainbow Loom, a box of Loom Bands and some completed bracelets. While simple Loom Band bracelets etc can be made using just fingers and hands, the more complex designs require the use of a loom - a plastic pegboard that operates on the same principles as a loom that would have been used for weaving fabrics in the 15th century. They are sold in packs of hundreds or thousands, either single-colour or mixed, and usually with other necessary accessories - clips (c- or s-shaped little bits of plastic which are used to connect or close the bracelets) and crochet hooks (essential for the weaving). Loom bands are the small, multi-coloured elastic bands from which the bracelets, necklaces and other items are woven. ![]() ![]() Read on for our detailed guide to Loom Bands and the Rainbow Loom phenomenon: However others bemoan the hundreds of tiny elastic loops now found in every corner and crevice of the house, waiting to be hoovered up, while an animal rights group in the Phillipines even issued a warning about them, saying they could be dangerous to pets if ingested.īut who invented them, what can be done with them and how did they come to be this year’s must-have toy? Many parents love the fact that their children’s imaginations are exercised by something tactile, crafty and creative as opposed to the latest tablet app or Xbox game. So popular are the multi-coloured elastic bands – used to weave jewellery such as bracelets or necklaces or more complex items such as charms, neckties and more – that some Irish schools have felt the need to ban them from the classroom (even Jimmy Kimmel got in on the act with his 'Suit of the Loom'). ![]() Winner of Toy of the Year 2014 from the international Toy Industry Association, Loom Bands and Loom Band-related products represent ALL of the top 25 best-selling toys on .uk right now.
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