Out of the many 2010 to 2016 crazes, Rainbow Loom was my personal favorite. I’d spend hours creating bracelets, rings, necklaces, and even figurines.

In sixth grade, which was when I started looming, I spent over ten hours making a Despicable Me minion that was about nine inches in length and five in width. 

I watched a ridiculous amount of tutorials that probably accumulated to around 500 hours, potentially more. Sometimes I’d get so bored that I’d make rubber band chain links as long as a jump rope, and I’d use it as a jump rope. Not only did I do this for my own satisfaction, but it was also my way of showing affection to my family and friends. For example, if my best friend obscurely told me that her favorite animal was a penguin, I’d most likely make her one for her birthday. 

During quarantine, the boredom eventually took over me and led me to retrieve my box of rubber bands out of the very back of my closet. Before March, I had not revisited this hobby since the seventh grade. I still had over $100 worth of tools and rubber bands, and I felt it would only be fair to try and pick this skill up again.

I started with elementary crafts like easy bracelets to warm up my skills. In July, I found this four-hour tutorial on how to make a giraffe that closely resembled a stuffed animal I had when I was younger, so I decided to make it. Granted it took me much longer than four hours, but I eventually got it done a few days later.

Returning to looming brought me back to quite a few happy memories, and it almost seemed like things were back to normal: a feeling many of us constantly crave.