Wool Roving Dreadlocks

Dreadlocks are a fun way to cure a bad hair day without making it a permanent situation! Use your imagination for this hair craft and try making these Wool Roving Dreadlocks from Maria Nerius out of all kinds of wool roving!

Find this project and more in our free eBook, How to Make Bows, Hair Pins and More: 33 DIY Hair Accessories. 

Materials:

• Wool roving
• Liquid soap (do not use antibacterial soaps)
• Hot water
• Sink with running water
• Hair findings of your choice (ponytail bands, bobby pins, etc)
• Ruler
• Scissor
• Towel

Instructions:

1. Decide on your hair finding. You are going to create the dreadlock on the item, then you’ll have an easy way to attach it to your hair. You can do a single dreadlock on a bobby pin or multiply dreadlocks on a pony or pigtail band. You’ll attach with a larks head knot before felting.
    
2. Decide on long you want the dreadlock to be. Pull, measure, and cute roving to length (the roving will probably lengthen as you work it so cut this measurement a little short of your goal length. And remember if you are going to be folding the length at center onto the hair finding (larks head knot) you should do this now.
    
3. Add liquid soap to hot water. Add around 2 T per gallon of water. Place the length of roving into the hot water to soak, you do want it saturated. Once completely wet, pick up one end of the roving and start to rub and agitate the wool roving into a tip. If you’ve attached to a hair finding you’ll do one end at a time.
    
4. Place the roving onto your towel. Keep rolling, rubbing, and making the fibers move and bond. Once the dreadlock is shaped and firm as you like, rinse in clean water. Allow to dry.
    
5. Attach dreadlock to your choice of hair finding.

Note: Wool roving comes in two ways. One is very clean and smooth. The other is a little rougher and with more texture. The second will give you more depth and interest, but the smooth carded roving is also great for this project.