Follow This Chart To Size Your Bracelet

Welcome to the final post in the 3-part Rubber Rainbow series. Do check out the previous posts on Rubber Barrel weave and Half Persian 3-in-1. Using the same size rings, you can also create European 4-in-1. See below for sizing and color tips for Euro 4-in-1 bracelets.

If you’d like to make your own rubbermaille piece, check out the rubber rainbow kits and the European 4-in-1 (Mesh) tutorial in the B3 Etsy shop. Each rainbow pack is enough for 2-3 bracelets, depending upon size and weave.

European 4-in-1 Measurements

In the images and chart below, 1 unit of Euro 4-1 consists of 1 metal ring + 2 rubber rings of the same color.

Ring size is L16 – 16 SWG (1.6 mm) 1/4″ (6.4 mm) AR approx 4.2

For a very small bracelet, you’ll need 24 units. One option is to use 8 colors and repeat each color 3 times:

For a medium size bracelet, you’ll need 30 units. One option is to use 5 colors, and repeat each color 6 times. (See color tip below the image)

Color Tip

The medium bracelet above uses 5 colors, and honestly, it isn’t very rainbow-y. I feel as though a minimum of 6 colors are needed in order to achieve the best rainbow look. If just using 6 colors, I recommend yellow/chartruese, orange, pink (or red), purple, turquoise (or blue) and green.

If you’re not looking to create a rainbow and instead want to cycle through a series of colors, you can still use the chart for color planning purposes. If you have 3 colors, and would like to create a medium size bracelet, your top choices are 27 or 30 units. Let’s say you choose 30 units. Divide the total number of units by 3 in order to determine how many “reps” of each color you need. In this example: 30 ÷ 3 = 10 reps. This means you’ll need 10×1 metal rings + 10×2 rubber rings in each color. In other words, 10 metal rings and 20 rubber rings in each of 3 colors, for a grand total of 30 metal rings and 60 rubber rings.

Below is a complete chart for bracelets from a very small size (5″) all the way up to a very large size (10.5″).

Remember that rubber stretches. If you’re trying to fit a 7.5″ wrist, you can opt for 30 units for a snug fit, or 32—or more!—units for a looser fit.

If you’d like to create an “in between” size not detailed on the chart below, refer to the Rainbow Barrel blog post Sizing Tip, as it also applies to European 4-in-1.

The Rubber Rainbow kits in the B3 Etsy shop have 8 colors of coordinating rubber and anodized aluminum jump rings, allowing you to create any of the rainbow patterns outlined in the chart above.

Be sure to check out the other posts in this series, all of which use the same ring size:
Rubber Half Persian 3-in-1
Rubber Barrel

Questions? Leave a comment below to get a response from yours truly. 😊
Happy weaving!

Create A Seamless Rainbow

Using the same rings as in the previous post on Rubber Barrel weave, you can make Half Persian 3-in-1. See below for sizing and color placement tips.

If you’d like to tackle this project, check out the rubber rainbow kits and the Half Persian 3-in-1 tutorial in the B3 Etsy shop. Each rainbow pack is enough for 2-3 bracelets, depending upon size and weave.

Half Persian 3-1 Measurements

In the images and chart below, 1 unit of HP3-1 consists of 1 metal ring + 1 rubber ring of the same color.

Ring size is L16 – 16 SWG (1.6 mm) 1/4″ (6.4 mm) AR approx 4.2

For a small bracelet, you’ll need 32 units. One option is to use 8 colors and repeat each color 4 times:

For a large size bracelet, you’ll need 42 units. One option is to use 7 colors, and repeat each color 6 times.

Color Placement Tip

There are 2 main ways to position the color: each unit can contain the same color, or you can stagger the color so that a single unit contains 2 adjacent colors. This is a very minor adjustment and not noticeable to most people. I know some crafters are very particular about placement (y’all are my peeps!) so in case that’s you, I hope you find this info helpful!

If you’d like each unit to contain the same color:

As you weave step 3 of the tutorial, the open ring matches the final rubber ring on your piece, and the “closed” rubber ring is the next color. Repeat that orientation throughout. (The “size small” bracelet in the PDF chart uses this color placement.)

Or, if you’d like each unit to contain staggered colors:

As you weave and repeat step 3 of the tutorial, the open and closed ring are the same color. (The “size large” bracelet in the PDF chart uses a staggered color placement.)

Below is a complete chart for bracelets from a very small size (5.25″) all the way up to a very large size (9.25″).

Remember that rubber stretches. If you’re trying to fit a 7.5″ wrist, you can opt for 36 units for a snug fit, or 40—or more!—units for a loose fit.

Refer to the Rainbow Barrel blog post for a Sizing Tip that also applies to Half Persian 3-1.

The Rubber Rainbow kits in the B3 Etsy shop have 8 colors of coordinating rubber and anodized aluminum jump rings, allowing you to create any of the rainbow patterns outlined in the chart above.

Be sure to check out the other posts in this series, all of which use the same ring size:
Rubber Barrel
Rubber European 4-in-1

Drop any questions for me in the comments section. Happy weaving!

I Did The Work So You Don’t Have To

I recently sent a care package to a friend and wanted to include something for her 4-year-old daughter. Upon discovering that she likes “all the colors” I was like, heck yeah, I can do ALL the colors! I decided to go with the Rubber Barrel weave because I didn’t want the piece to use a clasp, and I wanted there to be a little wiggle room size-wise since I didn’t know her exact wrist length. Stretchy rubber would be perfect.

Once I made the piece, I decided to do some calculations that might be useful for other weavers looking to create a seamless rainbow bracelet.

If you’re keen to tackle your own rubber barrel, you can purchase rubber rainbow kits and the Rubber Barrel tutorial in the B3 Etsy shop (each kit is enough for 2-3 bracelets).

Rainbow Barrel Measurements

In the images and chart below, 1 unit of Rainbow Barrel consists of 3 metal rings + 2 rubber rings of the same color. Additionally, there is 1 connector ring (in grey) per unit.

Ring size is L16 – 16 SWG (1.6 mm) 1/4″ (6.4 mm) AR approx 4.2

For a super small bracelet, you’ll need 12 units. One option is to use 6 colors and repeat each color twice:

For a small size bracelet, you’ll need 16 units. One option is to use 8 colors, and repeat each color twice.

Here is a complete chart for bracelets from toddler size (4.5″) all the way up to an anklet (10″). The chart includes units that are divisible by at least 2.

Remember that rubber stretches. If you’re trying to fit a 6″ wrist, you can opt for 15 units for a snug fit, or 16—or more!—units for a loose fit.

SIZING TIP: If you determine that the perfect number of units is not on this chart, feel free to adjust the number of colors to create your own pattern. For example, if you’d like 17 units, you could repeat 6 colors twice, and then omit one of those colors on the final rep (6 + 6+ 5 = 17). Or you could use 8 colors followed by 9 colors (8 + 9 = 17). Both of those options will give you 17 units while still maintaining the rainbow illusion—trust me, most people will not notice the missing color in the one rep, especially since when the bracelet is worn, only half of the piece is visible, and the other half is typically “hidden” on the other side of your wrist.

The Rubber Rainbow kits in the B3 Etsy shop have 8 colors of coordinating rubber and anodized aluminum jump rings, allowing you to create any of the rainbow patterns outlined in the chart above.

Be sure to check out the other posts in this series, all of which use the same ring size:
Rubber Half Persian 3-in-1
Rubber European 4-in-1

Happy weaving!