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Wool Dread Falls

How to make your own wool dread falls

Pretty quick and easy, I used multiple tutorials online, so I thought I'd make my own!
I was actually re-rolling some dreads, but it looks basically the same.

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Gather your materials!
Cut your wool roving into "strips", a little shorter than you want the dreads to end up. If you don't have scissors, just pull it apart. Don't make them too thick!

Now take a strip of wool, and submerge it completely in the soapy water. Let it soak for a minute or so. (Don't worry, it will still be in a strip when you pull it out, and it shouldn't clump together too much.
Now pull out one end of the strip, and squeeze some of the water out. Roll it fast between your palms to make a tapered end, and then make a gentle fist around it, pulling the strip up and through your hands, squeezing the water out gently.

Place the strip on your towel, and roll with both palms on top of the wool. Don't press too hard, and if you get a split, pull at it a little, and try rolling again. Roll until you get to the other end, and then roll that end between your palms to make the second tapered end. It should be sturdy enough that it stays a bit straight. Fold it in half, and lay it to the side.
Repeat the previous steps for your other strips of wool.
Take your folded dreads, and tie them together on a ribbon, or string, whatever you can get your hands on. Hang them to dry in a safe place. (If you live with other people, and you decide to hang them in the bathroom like I did, warn the others so they don't try to beat your poor dreads. They do look a bit odd at first glance, especially natural colored ones.)
Let your dreads dry overnight. When they are completely dry, untie your ribbon and put them together how you wish. Take a hairtie, and place it underneath the dreads. It needs to be thin, and have a lot of stretch to it. Pull both sides around the dread, so you have two loops. Put one loop through the other, and pull it tight so that it stays on when you let it go.
Tie your hair up into one bun, or two, depending on if you made a pair of dread falls or just one. Bend over a bit, with your head down. Grab your fall(s). Make sure they are hanging down like your hair would if it were loose, and place the hairtie around your bun, making sure it's a bit tight. Flip your head back up and voila! Wool dreads. Do whatever you like with them. Get creative, add beads or even some fancy yarn if you want! It's an easy project, a teensy bit time consuming, and a little messy. Make sure you do it in an area where nothing will get ruined by the soapy water! (I managed to knock my cup over a couple of times, so my towel doubled as..well a towel, and a place to roll my dreads).

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skettio's

May 1st, 2008 19:58

thats awsome *goes to get wool*

Crafty Minou

May 1st, 2008 22:10

I make mine differently but those are nice :)

Pixii

May 2nd, 2008 05:01

Yep, I make them as falls rather than extensions because I'm lazy. ^^

Crafty Minou

May 3rd, 2008 19:20

Yeah they do take fairly long to put in! Much longer than falls :P

Maraluce M.

May 5th, 2008 14:53

I've been wondering how to make my own wool dreads. Thanks!

Rockin'Reptile

May 23rd, 2008 23:17

is there some way you can get rid of the..wool-smell? :p

I did a felt-workshop some time ago, and they told me to wash the stuff in cold water with vinegar first ( this will remove the smell AND prevent the dreads from being destroyed by the soap cause this will happen sooner or later. Soap is very aggressive to wool! ), and in pure water afterwards. This should help.

Rockin'Reptile

May 26th, 2008 14:26

thanks! i'm plannng on making a few dreads to just clip on.. so i can just buy oridinary wool from the craft store,right?

Pixii

June 5th, 2008 22:13

If they happen to sell actual wool roving at your craft store...I'm jealous. Soooo jealous. And..mine smell less like wool, and more like sweat and beer. Wore them to a Mindless Self Indulgence show. Not a good idea. Place was packed FULL, and there's two floors...so I got beer thrown on me.