This project uses the fish stitch to make the strands on the jewelry stand. The directions below explain how to make the stitch on a loom. For instructions on a mini-loom, refer to the Octopus or Covered Hoop Earrings instructions, and then return to this page for the rest of the project.
Difficulty level: Easy
You need:
1 loom • hook • 1 c-clip per flower • 1 picture frame • 8 tacks • glue or tape • 26 rubber bands per strand (colors shown for one strand: 10 green, 8 pink, 8 red) • 19 rubber bands per flower (colors shown: 6 pink, 6 red, 7 yellow)
For the Strands Using a Loom:
1. Each strand for the jewelry stand requires one column from a loom. Set up this column with the arrow facing away from you.
2. Attach a green band to the first peg, and connect it to the second peg.
3. Attach a red band to the first peg, and connect it to the third peg.
4. Repeat this process for each peg up the loom, switching between your colors: instead of connecting two pegs with each band, you will be connecting three.
5. Attach a green band to the second to last peg on the loom, and connect it to the last peg.
6. From the second to last peg, take your hook and loop each band back to the peg where it started. Do this for the whole loom.
7. This is the first half of one strand. Securing it with a temporary c-clip, remove this strand from the loom and set it aside to attach to the other half later.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the second half of the strand.
9. Take the loose band from your first strand, and stretch the end of it onto the last two pegs on the loom, as you did with the last band in step 5.
10. Begin looping this set of rubber bands back to the pegs where they started. Do this for the whole loom.
11. Attach a temporary c-clip, pull the project off the peg, and set it aside. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for each additional strand for about four to six strands.
For the Flower:
1. Using a full loom, set the middle column one peg closer to you with the arrow pointing away.
2. Beginning on the second middle peg, lay out a hexagon on your pegs with red rubber bands: start on the middle peg and create the left half of a hexagon, moving clockwise. Return to the middle peg, and place bands down for the right half of the hexagon, going counterclockwise.
3. With your yellow bands, lay out the inner “petals,” starting from the top right peg within the hexagon and moving clockwise around, as shown.
4. Using your pink rubber bands, lay out six outer “petals.” The petals should go from pegs one to two for all three columns and from pegs three to four for all three columns.
5. Double-loop a yellow cap band in the center peg of your flower.
6. Starting with the yellow “petals,” loop the bands with your hook back to the peg where they started in the order in which you placed them on the loom. Start with the band that is closest to the top, below the cap band.
7. Loop each red band back to the peg where it started, working in reverse order of how you placed them on the loom (begin with the top middle and move to the right down to the bottom middle peg, then loop from the top middle peg and move left down to the bottom middle peg). You do not loop the pink outer “petals.”
8. Attach a c-clip to the bottom, and remove the flower from the loom.
9. Repeat these steps for more flowers.
1. Insert eight tacks into the back of a picture frame, spreading them evenly apart, as shown.
2. To attach the strands to the frame, wrap a band from one end of a long strand around a tack. (Any c-clips should be removed.) Wrap the strand across the front of the frame, and wrap the band from the opposite end of the strand around the tack directly across from the first one.
3. Repeat this for each set of strands.
4. Use glue or tape to attach your flowers, placing them along the frame any way you like.
5. Hang jewelry from the strands. For studded earrings, just make sure to insert the pierced parts through the strand and secure them with the earring backs so they don’t fall off the strand.
