We have been using the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker from Spinmaster Toys to design our own friendship bracelets. The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker is designed for children aged 8+ and with Evie turning 8 in just a few weeks I thought this would be something she would love. You always need a few rainy day activities and toys during the school holidays too and today being quite grey and stormy gave us the perfect chance to set it up and have a play.
Whats In The Box?
The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker Kit has enough products to make up to ten bracelets. It includes blue, pink, magenta and purple thread spools, the twisty friendship maker, clasps, end stickers and a bracelet measuring guide so that you can make your bracelets. It also comes with a handy design booklet, instructions and a leaflet pointing you to www.coolmaker.com which has a series of helpful videos helping you set you the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker. We found these really helpful alongside the instructions booklet which has a helpful checklist on making sure you are setting up the machine to prevent any jams.
Setting Up The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker
With the video and instruction checklist we found setting up the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker quote simple. Threading through the spools was a little bit fiddly but it didn’t take us very long at all. We followed the video instructing is to make the “Dream Beam” bracelet which features pink, magenta and blue threads. You first need to line up the two blue spools which remain empty and then follow the colours in the design booklet instructions. You bring the thread up and through the clear spool, through the small blue clip at the top and then into the white clip that holds it in place. Turning the spool will tighten the thread that you want just below the white arm.
When everything is threaded through you tighten it all up, check the checklist and that everything is in order to prevent any jams and then you begin turning the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker at a steady pace which starts braiding the bracelet for you. You keep turning until the three red lines are aligned and the white arm has flipped back.
Putting Your Friendship Bracelet Together
Firstly, tightly wrap a sticker around the top of the bracelet and then measure the wrist of the person the bracelet is for. Line this up with the braid and tightly wrap another sticker just underneath the right number. This will show you where to cut the thread and attach the clasps. The next step is removing the braid which is simple to do. You hold the braid in place and gently remove each thread from the remaining spool and pull through. You then cut the loose threads and attach the clasp for your finished bracelet.
What does Evie think?
Evie gives the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker two thumbs up. She really likes it and is looking forward to making her next set of bracelets. Most of the action she could do herself but having an adult nearby to help her was essential and to remind her of the next steps. She enjoyed twisting the bracelet into place but struggled attaching the clasps so I helped her with that.
Anything Else?
The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker retails at £ and is available to buy
You can also buy top up bracelt booster packs which make a further 12 bracelets for £ which gives you so many more designs to try and make with the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker
Disclaimer: We received a Kumi Kreator Cool Maker in exchange for this feature. All opinions remain my own.
Can you take the empty bobbins and put more threads on the empty bobbins
I am not sure, but there are refill packs available to buy as the thread isn’t the same as regular thread that you’d buy for sewing.
I’m also wondering this and can’t find anyone online who’s trying it….I would think that embroidery floss would work for this. I measured one of their full bobbins and they only use 20” of thread per bobbin. We bought one of our daughters one for Christmas and a refill pack and in 1 day she has almost used all of them! This is going to be a very expensive toy long term if you have to buy their refill packs. We’ve saved all the used bobbins and plan to do a cost analysis of buying their refills vs. refilling th yourself with embroidery floss. Old school friendship bracelets were always done with embroidery floss so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I was just really surprised that no one is trying it yet and posting online about it.
My daughter and I just tried this and it does work however when you put the string through the circle and attach it to the top to begin spinning you have to tie a knot it it so it will not come out as when you press the lever it will not hold onto the string. The embroidery floss i bought has 8.7 yards of string, which using 20 inches will give you 15 spools from the empty spools. i skein of embroidery thread is .56 cents. A refill pack for 12 bracelets is 9.99 and you get 96 spools of thread so it would be 10.4 cents per spool. Using embroidery floss to make 96 spools you would need 6.4 skeins of thread and would only be 3.36 for 6 skeins. making 96 would be 3.5 cents a piece to make it yourself. that is a 6 cent difference per spool. 3.36 for 6 skeins of embroidery floss versus 9.99 for 96 skeins of the Kumi brand. I wish i could post a picture on here as it came out great. The only problem is it is time consuming to reload the spools. I hope this helps
What did you use for the little blue end caps?
I have started knotting the ends regardless as the blue caps were not holding as well as we wanted.