Before you head off to your favorite EDM festival make sure you have enough rave kandi to trade by throwing a kandi-making pre-party.

Festival season is the best time of the year, when you get to wear a raver costume and dance to the EDM with your friends. But it is over so quickly. You could throw a kandi-making party before the big event to make sure everyone has a large quantity of cute kandi to trade with their fellow ravers. Then you not only have the festival and the after party, but also a pre-party to look forward to each year. You will need crafting supplies, refreshments and your smartphones.

Check the Festival Rules

Before you have an epic kandi-making party make sure that rave kandi is allowed at your EDM festival. Most Insomniac Events encourage PLUR stuff like kandi trading and rave totems. Others like Mad Decent and HARD Events have been known to ban rave kandi, because there is this theory that people are sneaking drugs in their kandi jewelry. On that note do not attempt to smuggle dope in your rave kandi. It’s not safe and they already know about that hiding place.

Have Beads & Supplies on Hand

You can get five pounds of assorted rainbow beads at Joann Fabric and Craft Stores for about $14.99. They also sell the elastic pony bead lacing in assorted colors. But this is your chance to express some creativity. You could also get metallic pony beads, glow-in-the-dark pony beads, transparent pony beads, glitter pony beads, neon pony beads, and star shaped pony beads. If you are going to Coachella maybe wood pony beads and hemp lacing might be better. If it is the holidays you may want red, white, green and metallic pony beads. You could use faux pearls and rhinestones to add some bling to your rave kandi. If you want to spell out a message on your kandi like “rave queen” or “PLUR life” or “fangirl” then you need alphabet beads.

Arrange the kandi-making supplies on a tablescape where they are easily accessible to all your guests. You could use attractive containers to organize them on the table. For example at the top Pasquale Rotella stores his kandi collection in ornamental candy jars.

Look for Unique Bead Patterns

The easiest type of rave kandi to make is the single strand bracelet or necklace. Anyone can put beads on a string and then tie the ends together. Cuffs are also fairly simple. But they do require a large needle to push the elastic through the bead holes, and a little patience.

Perler beads are a good way to design a charm to add to rave kandi, such as a smiley face or an alien. The process involves place the perler beads in a pattern and then holding an iron on top of them to seal them together. Afterwards attach it to the necklace of bracelet,

If you and your friends are crafty, then you may have time to build a more complicated piece such as a face mask, rave bra, rave thong, man harness, 3D cuffs or hand cuffs.

There are a lot of free kandi patterns available at Crumpet’s Kandi Patterns. They also have software available as a free download that helps you design your own patterns.

There are a lot of different themes for kandi jewelry. These include classic rainbow, neon, geeky cartoon characters, pastel, goth, trap, your favorite DJ, 420, animals and food.

Make Sure There Is Food

Kandi making is hard work so make sure there are snacks on hand. If you’re the healthy type extend the rainbow theme with fruit kabobs, raw veggies and colorful chips and salsa.

If you want junk food then what about unicorn cupcakes and donuts?

A rainbow pizza fits into both categories depending on the recipe you use.

Ideas for Kandi Beverages

The beverages are more tricky. If your guests get too heavily inebriated right away, it will be really hard for them to put a string through a bead. So don’t binge drink or invite your alcoholic friends.

Jello shots and vodka gummi bears are one idea. But sometimes all that sugar and alcohol makes people vomit. And no one wants to stay at a puking party. That’s just gross.

Another idea is a rum punch or sangria with a lot of colorful fruit floating in it.

There is always wine and beer, which goes with the pizza and chips.

If you don’t drink alcohol then there is soda, juice, coffee, tea and of course water.

Don’t Forget to Take Pictures

Part of the ultimate kandi-making experience involves donning the freshly minted rave kandi and then taking photos of it. Then you share those images on your various social media accounts so everyone knows you are getting ready to go to an EDM festival with your friends. This is a good chance to try on different festival outfits and get other peoples’ opinion on what you should wear. Take advantage of the other guests by asking them to photograph you in your slutty raver costume. Get groups shots so your followers know what great friends you are.

Oftentimes getting ready for the music festival at the pre-party can be more fun than the event itself. Or it could be a different type of fun in a more intimate gathering where you can hear each other speak. It is also a chance to listen to EDM mixes to get ready for hearing the same music played live and in person. If all of this sounds like a lot of work, you can always buy custom rave kandi on Etsy. Either way you will have something to trade at the festival.

Cover image via Insomnia Events.