Looking for the best rubber bands for a rubber band ball?
If you’re interested in learning how to make a rubber band ball, you’ve definitely come to the right place! As the only manufacturer of rubber bands in the United States, we know a thing or two about rubber bands.
Whether it’s the skinny blue rubber band around the bunch of green onions you bring home from the market or the thick crepe-colored rubber band around the stack of envelopes in your mailbox (that has been reused at least 100 times by the post office), if it’s an American made rubber band – it is made by Alliance Rubber Co.
Our rubber bands don’t just stay in the U.S. either, our products are distributed to more than 61 countries around the world. From parachute bands that are used by the U.S. Military to the brightly colored bands around the claws of lobsters that are used by fishermen around the world – our rubber bands have been “Holding Your World Together Since 1923.”
Want to skip the details and
jump straight to the step-by-step instructions?
What is the purpose of your rubber band ball?
The first step in determining the best rubber bands for your rubber band ball is to figure out the ultimate goal. Check out this infographic for some quick tips and ideas:
The best rubber bands for a rubber band ball at home:
Rubber bands are a great tool to have at home. Storing them in a rubber band ball is an excellent method when you want to keep your toolbox or desk drawers organized. This keeps them bundled together and easily accessible for future use.
If this is your ultimate goal, then Size #32 Advantage Rubber Bands in a large half-pound bag or Size #117 Advantage File Bands (in a bright color assortment) are the best choices! Even better, you can find these on the shelf at most national retail stores. So, next time you order groceries online or go to the market for your weekly trip, make a stop in the stationery aisle to pick up a bag (or two)!
The best rubber bands for a rubber band ball group craft project:
If you are planning a group project, then what could be more fun than creating a rubber band ball? You could use the project to promote team building or to spark creativity within youth groups (think of all the ways you can inspire dreams and goals by comparing one single rubber band to the world’s largest rubber band ball)!
If building a rubber band ball is on the lesson plan for your school project or scheduled for the next team meeting at the office, we recommend using Non-Latex Rubber Bands. Why Non-Latex? While latex allergy only affects 3-5% of the world’s population, latex-free elastics are recommended for use in schools, workplaces, government facilities, and medical settings to protect those who may have this allergy. Also, they’re available in bright colors: orange and cyan.
PRO TIP: Because rubber bands are readily available in the produce aisle, challenge the group to “repurpose” these bands to promote “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” messages during Earth Month.
The best rubber bands for a rubber band ball to break the world record:
If your ultimate goal is to create a rubber band ball to break the current world record – you will need to start with smaller rubber bands, which are very easy to find. However, the real challenge is to find rubber bands large enough to wrap around as the rubber band ball starts to grow. Once you start getting closer to that world record you will not find standard rubber bands big enough to fit around the circumference of your rubber band ball. At this point, you will need to connect bands end-to-end (in a chain) to fully wrap around the entire rubber band ball.
For this phase, we specifically recommend two products in the Oversized Bands category. (You can check out our complete line of Oversized Bands here)
Our first recommendation for making a world record-breaking rubber band ball is SuperSize Bands. These rubber bands are the largest-sized rubber bands offered in a retail pack and are widely available online. You can purchase them in a variety pack or packaged separately in 12″ Red or 17″ Blue packs.
Secondly, X-Treme EPDM Bands are a strong contender for your record-breaking rubber band ball. Why EPDM Bands? That’s because they are resilient to UV, heat, ozone, weather, and age. That means your hard work will stand the test of time – even when you have to move your project to the garage!
How to Make a Rubber Band Ball
First, take about ten rubber bands and wad them into a ball. Second, wrap the wad of rubber bands together with another rubber band, so that they’re all together.
Third, start wrapping other rubber bands around your wad of bands. This will help to start forming the rubber band ball. (Tip: Use smaller rubber bands at first.)
Fourth, continue to wrap the rubber band wad with other bands in different directions until it starts to look like a rubber band ball.
Finally, as your rubber band ball gets bigger, use bigger rubber bands. Be sure to check out our suggestions (above) when attempting to break the world record rubber band ball.
