How To Make A Rubber Band Ball: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make the Coolest Rubber Band Ball Ever PDF download Download Article Plus, super fun rubber band challenges to try Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Amy Guerrero

Last Updated: March 20, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Making a Rubber Band Ball
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  • Rubber Band Ball Challenges
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  • How many rubber bands?
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  • Why do people make rubber band balls?
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  • Video
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  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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This article was reviewed by Amy Guerrero and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,458,769 times.

Who doesn’t love a good rubber band ball? Not only are they super fun, but they’re quite practical! But how do you get started making one? In this article, we’ll take you through the easy process of making a rubber band ball step-by-step. We’ve even thrown in a few challenges to help spice up your rubber band ball making skills.

Instructions to Make a Rubber Band Ball

  1. Create a core out of rubber bands or use a marble or balled up piece of paper.
  2. Wrap and twist small rubber bands snugly around the core.
  3. Turn the ball as you wrap to ensure it stays spherical.
  4. Continue wrapping and twist bands until the core is covered.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Making a Rubber Band Ball

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  1. Step 1 Create a core with a crumpled up piece of paper or rubber bands. 1 Create a core with a crumpled up piece of paper or rubber bands. To start your rubber band ball, you’ll need something to wrap the rubber bands around. If you’re a beginner, try using a golf ball, ping pong ball, marble, a balled-up piece of aluminum foil, a wadded up piece of paper, or a small square piece of cardboard. For a challenge, make the core out of rubber bands following these instructions:[1]
    • Select a short, thick rubber band, such as a band used to secure vegetables.
    • Fold this rubber band in half, then in half again, then a third time (if possible) until you have a flat “stack” of rubber.
    • Pinch the thick band flat and wrap a thinner rubber band around it.
    • Twist the slack of the thinner band and wrap it over the thick one in the other direction.
    • Continue to wrap and twist until there is no more slack in the thin band.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Rubber Band Ball 2 Wrap rubber bands around the core. Place 2 rubber bands in a criss-cross shape over the core. You may have to twist and wrap them around the core a few times to ensure they’re tightly secure.[2]
    • Start with the smallest bands first since they won’t be helpful once your ball passes a certain size.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Rubber Band Ball 3 Add more rubber bands until the ball is smooth. Keep wrapping rubber bands to form a ball. Space the rubber bands evenly so that no one side of the ball is larger than any other.[3]
    • A ball without an object in the core will start out lumpy, but it should become smooth when it reaches the size of a golf ball.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Rubber Band Ball 4 Test the ball. Toss the ball in the air or bounce it against the wall. Your new rubber band ball should have plenty of spring. Enjoy it as is, or keep adding more rubber bands and watch it grow.
    • For the best bounce, keep wrapping rubber bands onto the ball until it’s the size of a tennis ball.
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Section 2 of 4:

Rubber Band Ball Challenges

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  1. Step 1 Make a ball without twisting any rubber bands. 1 Make a ball without twisting any rubber bands. If you don't twist the rubber bands, they lie flat against each other, with no room for air. This makes the densest, bounciest ball. The trick to this is finding each new rubber band exactly the right size, so there’s no slack when you loop it around the ball once.[4]
  2. Step 2 Make a massive rubber band ball. 2 Make a massive rubber band ball. Large rubber bands can be hard to find, which is why making a ginormous ball is one big challenge! The more rubber bands you add, the denser and harder the ball will be to bound. The largest rubber band ball in the world has 700,000 rubber bands and weighs 4,097 kg (9,032 lb).[5]
    • Wear safety goggles once the ball is about the size of a basketball. The rubber bands can snap after this point, and you don't want them hitting your eyes.
    • Rubber bands decay over time. To stop your ball from shrinking or breaking apart, put new bands on the ball regularly.[6]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Rubber Band Ball 3 Cut an old rubber band ball in half. Have an old rubber band ball lying around, or simply want to try an experiment? Take the ball and carefully cut it in half with a box cutter or knife. Only do this with adult supervision.[7] If that description didn't turn you off the hobby forever, get out there and start creating!
  4. Step 4 Find all your rubber bands for free. 4 Find all your rubber bands for free. Since rubber band balls are all about the challenge, why not make it a little harder? Try expanding your ball without paying for any rubber bands. Here are a few places to look for them:
    • Ask friends and neighbors for spares.
    • Ask postal workers, newspaper delivery people, and other door-to-door delivery workers.
    • Look in shoe stores, which may use rubber bands to hold shoe boxes closed.
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Section 3 of 4:

How many rubber bands do you need to make a rubber band ball?

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  1. Typically, it takes about 10 rubber bands to make a ball. Typically, it takes about 10 rubber bands to make a ball. While this number isn’t scientific, many rubber band ball creators say they need at least 10 rubber bands to make a small ball. This number can also change depending on what’s used as the ball’s core. You might need more than 10 rubber to cover a larger core completely.
Section 4 of 4:

Why do people make rubber band balls?

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  1. People make rubber band balls to organize rubber bands or just for fun. People make rubber band balls to organize rubber bands or just for fun. Maybe you have a lot of rubber bands filling up your junk drawer or simply want to do a quick craft. Either way, you don’t need a specific reason to make a rubber band ball! Do what makes you happy.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question How long does it usually take to make a rubber band ball? Community Answer Community Answer The time it takes depends on the size you want and whether you plan to keep adding to it. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to much longer. The larger the ball, the more time you'll need. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 76 Helpful 172
  • Question What type of rubber bands can I use to make the bounciest ball? How large can I make it? Community Answer Community Answer You could use loom bands to make it bouncier, and you can make it as big or small as you like it. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 59 Helpful 132
  • Question What if I don't have a ball? Community Answer Community Answer Wadding up a bit of paper and wrapping the rubber bands around that works just as well. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 78 Helpful 145
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Video

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Reader Videos

Tips

  • When the ball gets too large to fit your rubber bands around, cut 2 bands in half, tie the ends together, and tie that around the ball. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2
  • For a neat gift idea, use a piece of paper with a secret message as the core. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
  • Colorful rubber bands can make the ball look more exciting and different, but the colors will fade with time. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • You can start by tying a knot in one rubber band then keep on wrapping rubber bands around it. If you do use loom bands, they will eventually cover the rubber band knot.
  • I would recommend using a pool table ball as the core because it's smaller than a golf ball but bigger than a marble.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Rubber melts naturally over time in a process called vulcanization.[8] Heat and UV light can speed this up, so keep the ball away from warm areas and sunlight. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/kXeZLL0I5gU?t=23
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/kXeZLL0I5gU?t=115
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXeZLL0I5gU
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RxG9NqW5Vk
  5. ↑ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-rubber-band-ball/
  6. ↑ http://www.utne.com/arts/banderama.aspx?PageId=1
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=42&v=n2sJadTbuxo
  8. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/vulcanization

About This Article

Amy Guerrero Reviewed by: Amy Guerrero Arts & Crafts Specialist This article was reviewed by Amy Guerrero and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. This article has been viewed 1,458,769 times. 16 votes - 93% Co-authors: 188 Updated: March 20, 2025 Views: 1,458,769 Categories: Featured Articles | Fastening Tools Article SummaryX

To make an easy rubber band ball, start with a core object, like a marble or a golf ball. You’ll build your ball by wrapping the rubber bands around the core. However, if you’re a rubber band ball purist, simply start by taking an extra thick rubber band and folding it in half several times to make the core. Whichever way you do it, start the ball by taking a thin rubber band and wrapping it around the core. Grab the slack and twist it to create a loop, then wrap that loop around the core again. Repeat this process until there’s no slack left in the rubber band. Next, grab another rubber band and wrap it around the core perpendicular to the first band, making a criss-cross shape. Keep looping and wrapping the second rubber band around the core until it fits tightly, with no slack. Add more rubber bands to the ball, making sure to place them at different angles relative to the first two bands so that they cover the core evenly. Keep going until you have a smooth, spherical ball of rubber bands. Once the ball is as big as you like, have fun bouncing it and playing with it. You can also keep adding new bands and see how big it can get. Just be careful as the ball starts to get really big, since a band could snap and hit you in the face if you try to stretch it too far. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes if you’re worried a band might snap. When your ball is finished, you can reuse the rubber bands for other things, keep the ball as a toy or decoration, or even cut it in half to see what your creation looks like inside. If you want to learn how to start your rubber band ball with a core, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Chelsea Lennox

    Chelsea Lennox

    Jan 15, 2019

    "I had to buy rubber bands for a science project, and I didn't know what to do with the extras. After reading..." more Rated this article:
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Amy Guerrero Reviewed by: Amy Guerrero Arts & Crafts Specialist Co-authors: 188 Updated: March 20, 2025 Views: 1,458,769 93% of readers found this article helpful. 16 votes - 93% Click a star to add your vote Chelsea Lennox

Chelsea Lennox

Jan 15, 2019

"I had to buy rubber bands for a science project, and I didn't know what to do with the extras. After reading..." more Rated this article: John N

John N

Mar 15, 2022

"I made a ball to replace my old one, my old one had gotten old and didn't bounce like it should. So I did what..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Mar 10, 2024

"I've always wanted to make a rubber band ball, but I never knew how. I read this article and I got so excited...." more Tony

Tony

Sep 4, 2017

"If you don't know how to make a rubber band ball, you're sub-human. Thanks to this article, I'm a..." more Eleanor Tan

Eleanor Tan

Nov 29, 2016

"I couldn't make a core, so I bought a rubber band ball from a stationery store and added to it." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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