Give away: "My Friendship Bracelet Maker"

I and my daughters where asked if we would test out the new "My friendship bracelet maker"

http://www.myfbm.com/

All three of my daughters and myself have made bracelets on it.  Here are the results from youngest to oldest.

Just so you know the company is giving one of these away to one lucky reader of this blog.  Just leave your comment at the end of this post.  Leave me a way to get a hold of you so I can contact you at the end of the give away.  If I can't get a hold of the winner the prize will be given to another person in the list of comments.

You will not win the one we tested the girls get to keep that one.  You will get a new one sent straight from the manufacture to you.

For those who read this in other feeds such as facebook and bloglines and such you have to leave the comment on my blog for it to be eligible to win.  My oldest daughter will draw the name at the end of this so I will have no say in who the winner is.  The winner will be drawn on Wednesday of next week May 26, 2010.

Here are some basic statistics on this item
cost : $19.99
size :14 x 8 x 3
sliding drawer to store threads, instructions
comes with: instructions
comes with: 56 threads that are 60 inches long

My 8 year old 

who made her first bracelet on this

Pro's

1. You don't have to hold all the strings in your hands.
2. You don't have to pin it to your clothes and make holes in your clothes.
3. It helps to keep things straight.

Con's

1. Did not like that it (the thread) could pop out of the butterfly clip (10 times).

Youngest daughter has never made a friendship bracelets before.  She tends to pull harder than she has to thus her con probably isn't a con with a little practice as she won't pull so hard once she gets better at it.  She pulled real hard to hard in fact and broke a few of her threads.  So I don't think it was the tools fault.  I watched her to see how she would do as it was her first time.

My 10 year old 

who has made a few bracelets before

Pro's

1. Kept all the threads nice and neat on top.
2. I also liked that you could pull on it as hard as you wanted and the threads would not pop out of the butterfly clip.
3. These are the fastest bracelets I have ever made because I didn't have to stop and untangle.
4. I also like how it stores the threads nice and neat and the finished bracelet too inside in the drawer.

Con's
She said there was nothing she didn't like about it.

My 12 year old daughter 

who has made tons of bracelets before

Pro's

1.  It kept everything nice and neat.
2. I could tell which thread I had to pick up next with out having to try and find it.
3. The backs of my bracelets are now much neater.
4. It kept everything nice and flat and it didn't curl up on it self.

Con's

1.  It could use rubber pads on the bottom so it doesn't slid around as easy

Me 

I have made bracelets or about 25 years 

in lots of different styles

Pro's.

1. It makes a nice travel item for in the car as the supplies are all ready to go
2.  Comes with 56 already cut threads so depending on how many threads you use from 2 to 6 you can make from a minimum 10 to a maximum of 28 bracelets with out having to cut new thread. 
3. It can do up to 1-6 strands folded over so 2-12 threads in the bracelet area that is a nice range to work from( there is a mistake in the instructions that leads you to believe that it can only do up to 10 threads because there are 10 slots but once you get past the first row of knots you can have a thread hang off of each side and not get tangles because all the rest are kept secure.
4. It has an adjustment to move the butterfly away from you as the bracelet gets longer (which is nice as I use to pin theses to jeans and wear holes in my jeans or safety pin them to an ankle friendship bracelet which meant sitting funny to get it farther away from me)
5. Can store unfinished bracelet inside in the compartments
6. Has nice clear instruction on how to form the number 4 knot (forward knot as it is known to most people that make bracelets) that even little children can understand
7. Explains how to make your first bracelet (great beginner instructions)
8. Nice to be able to sit at a table instead of on the floor which is what you sort of have to do if it is tied to your ankle bracelet
9. Fits easily in a backpack to do during recess at school
10. Cutter than using a clip board I have seen some people use especially for  little girls
11. Don't have to carry scissors when you first get it as the threads are all ready cut.  But you will have to cut the thread when done.  So there is a compartment in the box big enough for a small pair of scissors.
12. You can go to their website for more patterns by joining their email list
13. Explains one other type of knot on their website

Con's

1. Only explains a "(number 4 knot) forward knot" and doesn't call it a forward knot there are also "backwards knot"s and "forward backwards knot" and a"backwards forward knot" which are needed for advanced  bracelets
2. Only explains how to do one type of bracelet with the inclosed instructions
3. It could use some rubber pads on the bottom so it doesn't slide so easy on a table  they are easy to find and buy and fix that any hardware store 
4. Should come in a boy version as I have seen boys make these too.  Very girlie. ( I have been told it will come in a boy version in the future so this con will go away soon)

In all, all four of us liked it very much and would buy it to give to friends as birthday gifts and things of that sort.


Don't forget to leave a comment , and a way for me to get back with you if you are the winner, for a chance to win one.