How to Take off a Festival Wristband without Cutting It

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: October 15, 2024 References

The music festival may be over, but you aren’t quite ready to ruin your wristband by cutting it off with scissors. Although music festivals purposely make their bands difficult to loosen and remove, it definitely isn’t impossible—especially if you have the right supplies lying around. Read on for 3 simple methods that will get your band loosened and off your wrist in no time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Twist Method

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Twist the tail ends of the wristband into a super tight coil. Try to make the coil as thin and tight as you can—the thinner the twist, the easier it will be to adjust the fastener.^{[1]
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Research source} Wristband fasteners have tiny “teeth” that lock the plastic in place on the fabric; by making the fabric smaller and thinner, you basically “unlock” the fastener and make it possible to move around.^{[2]
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- Ask a friend to help you out with this, if you can. Doing this by yourself can be a little tricky!
- This method only works with plastic fasteners.
Using your free hand, place the coiled band's tail end against your palm. Hold it in place with your pinky and ring fingers. Then, use your free fingers (your pointer, middle, and thumb) to grip the bracelet's fastener.^{[3]
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Slide the fastener along the coil until the wristband is completely loosened. Tug on the fastener in a firm, quick motion. If you’ve twisted your wristband tightly enough, the plastic fastener will slide right off.^{[4]
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- Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t work on the first try. If your fastener refuses to budge, try twisting your wristband a little more tightly.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Plastic Bag Method

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Slide the handles of a plastic bag through the open part of your wristband. Grab a basic plastic bag (like the kind you’d get at the grocery store) and slip 1 of the looped handles through the gap between your wrist and the wristband. Then, slide the other handle (and the rest of plastic) through the perimeter of your wristband. The bag should fit around your hand like a glove, with the wristband sitting on top of the plastic.
- This method works for both plastic and metal wristband fasteners.
Push your fist down to the very end of the plastic bag and make sure the whole bag is threaded through your wristband. Then, tug on the handles and other sections of plastic to make the bag really snug and taut around your fist.^{[5]
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Invert the handles and bottom sections of plastic that are peeking out beneath your wristband, creating a cone of plastic over your wristband and fist. Then, pull down on the inverted sections of plastic—the momentum will help loosen the wristband and force it off of your wrist.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Straw Method

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Snip off a small segment of a plastic straw. Cut off about 1 to 1 ¹⁄₂ in (2.5 to 3.8 cm) from the end of the straw. This small staw piece is all you need to get the job done!^{[7]
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- This method only works with plastic fasteners.
Snip all the way from the top to the bottom of your small staw piece—so your cut will be 1 to 1 ¹⁄₂ in (2.5 to 3.8 cm) long. Now your straw piece should have an opening and 2 flaps.^{[8]
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Twist from the tail end of your wristband so it creates a tight coil. Keep twisting until the bands are as thin and narrow as possible.^{[9]
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- Ask a friend to help you twist the wristband if you’re having some trouble doing it on your own.
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Line up the straw so it sits on the band just below the plastic fastener. Open up the straw piece and lay the straw flaps over both sides of the bracelet's tail. Nudge it down the band until the straw piece is completely flush with the end of the plastic fastener.^{[10]
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- You can also wrap a long section of clear tape around the wristband instead of using a straw—it’ll have the same effect.
As you do this, inspect the fastener to make sure that the teeth are pressing onto the straw, not the bracelet's fabric. You might need to wiggle the fastener back and forth to get it completely on top of the straw piece.^{[11]
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Grip the fastener with your fingers and slide it down the tail end of your wristband. If the fastener is firmly attached to the straw piece, it'll move down easily.^{[12]
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Tips

While you’re at the festival, try setting your wristband to a loose, comfortable setting instead of automatically tightening it. That way, you can easily slide it on and off your wrist later on.

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Some festival-goers suggest using a flat-head screwdriver or some pliers to open up a metal fastener. This makes it easy to loosen and remove the festival wristband.

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