How to Make IamHigherEd Wristbands

This is a short instructable on how we were able to make thousands on red wristbands on the cheap.

These style of wristbands are worn to show resistance to the massive budget cuts facing higher education in the United States. In Colorado, we now rank 50th in the nation for higher ed funding and are expecting the budget to be cut in half again in the next couple of years.  State lawmakers are discussing privatizing colleges and raising tuition 40-50% or closing down smaller colleges to save money.

A group of students in Colorado is working on campuses on every public university in Colorado to organize students against these cuts.

Step 1: Getting the Materials

1. To find material for the wristbands, we went to most of the local thrift stores. Red cotton T-shirts can be found for 50 cents to 1 dollar each. Men's T-shirts seem to be the most economical in terms of cost. The least printing on this shirts the better. We also were able to find a few red women's cotton dress. The best material has a bit of synthetic material in it and gives the shirt some elasticity.

We also asked our friends for any old red T-shirts and were suprised by how many people had that they were willing to get rid of.

Step 2: Supplies

The only thing you need to make the wristbands is the red shirt and a pair of scissors.

Step 3: Making the Cut

You want to start off by cutting a square of material out of the shirt.

Cut from the bottom of the T-shirt up to the top of the shoulder.

Step 4: Continue the Cut

Make the same cut on the other side of the T-shirt.

Step 5: Cut at the Collar

Cut along the top at the collar and you should be left with a flat piece of material. You will also want to cut off the bottom hem.

You can repeat the process to cut out the other side of the shirt out.

Step 6: Cutting Out the Bands

Now that we have a flat piece of material, you're going to want to cut along the bottom of the shirt a strip about 3/4 of an inch to an inch in length.

Step 7: Keep Cutting

Keep cutting the same type of strips moving up the T-Shirt.

Step 8: Stretching Out the Bands

In order to turn the strips into wristbands, grab both ends and stretch the strip out. This should could cause the strip to turn into a cord.

Step 9: Stretch

When you stretch out the strips, the weave of the shirt should cause the outside of the strips to roll inside. The strip should now resemble a circular cord.

Step 10: Square Knot

Depending on the size of the shirt, you may need to cut the cords in half. There are many different styles of wearing these wristbands.

Square knot: A square knot works well to hold the band together. You probably need to wrap the band twice around your wrist to get it to fit. A square knot allows you to cut off the ends as well.

Step 11: Wrapping

The simplest option is to wrap the band around your wrist and braid the cord under itself until the wristbands holds.

Step 12: Fisherman's Knot

A fisherman's or a double fisherman's knot is a more complicated tie but it allows the band to be readjusted to fit any wrist.

Step 13: Distribution

Wristbands are a great way to get people involved with the cause of higher education in Colorado and beyond. Organizers can wear multiple bands at a time and when they talk to an individual student, they can take one off their own arm and give it to the student.
Giving a student a wristband is a great way to get their contact info for organizing purposes because people are likely to reciprocate when they are given a gift.