Introduction: DIY Synthetic Dreads: Making Solid Single Ended Dreads

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About: ***I am currently functioning out of my Etsy site ALONE for sales!!! I will take any dreads questions/orders at this website!!! www.marchoftheblacksheep.etsy.com PLEASE CONTACT ME THROUGH THAT SHOP I have too …

Hi!
This is my first tutorial...

This instructable will teach you one method of making solid single ended dreads, starting with the materials you will need and explaining how to set up and backcomb your way to a solid single ended dread.

Step 1: Materials

To start off and through the step of backcombing, all you will need is a comb. You can use a regular comb like the green one, or an actual dread comb like the metal one.

Obviously, the only other thing you will need is your bag of synthetic hair. The best kind for making dreads is the Kanekalon fiber hair. You can find it on many different internet stores

Step 2: Hook Up

You will need something to wrap the synthetic hair around in order to keep it stable while you work. What I like to do is put a hanger through the back of a chair and use the hanger hook. Otherwise you can just hold the hanger with your foot and use the hook that way.

Step 3: Sectioning and Length

Time to get started.
Take a section off of the synthetic hair that you will be working with.
How much you need to take all depends on how thick you want the resulting dread to be. For this tutorial, I'll be making a pencil thick long purple dread, so I won't need that much.

It's hard to estimate exactly how many you can get per bag, but here's a generalization
(all single ended and all are my experience, these aren't exact statistics. It varies greatly person to person)

Length
Long dreads - Leave the section the way it is
Shoulder length dreads - Cut the section in half
Short dreads - Cut the section in half, then in half again

Size
*FYI: The sections I use can tend to run smaller than others use*
Pencil:
Long - 10-12
Medium - about 20
Short - between 30-40

Marker:
Long - 6-8
Medium - about 14
Short - about 20-30

*Please keep in mind that the amount of dreads you can get per bag truely does vary person to person. I like to make mine a bit thinner, so therefore I can get more out of a single bag.*

Step 4: Secure

Very simple.
This is when you hook the synthetic hair around the hanger which is just as it sounds.

Wrap the hair around the hanger hook and make the ends even with each other.

Then, simply tie the hair around the hook. (picture 2)
Not too tight though, by doing this you are making the loop that your hair will go through.

Step 5: Backcomb, Backcomb, Backcomb!

Now the fun starts!
Backcombing is THE most important part of making dreads. A poorly backcombed dread will fall apart and not work. When it comes to this part just remember... The more you pack it, the better!

So, starting at the top, take your comb and begin brushing the hair backwards. First time through, you don't have to pack it very tight, like in the first picture it can just be a loose ratting. The hair should begin to look snarly and ratted.

After you have it loosely ratted, you can begin to pack the hair starting at the top again (pictures 2&3.) Pack it up to the very top where you have tied the knot and then just gradually work your way down the hair ratting it tighter.

When you get to the end, continue backcombing all the way through the tail end of the dread. Some hair WILL come out at the end, that IS normal. You can just throw that away.

*If you can hold the dread straight out on its side and it sticks straight out, you've done more than a great job :)*

Step 6: Done!

Congratulations!
It should look consistently packed all the way through (picture 2.)
Now your dread is finished. Slide it off the hook and everything is done.

Now you know all there is to know about backcombing and getting dreads started. Look to my next tutorial to see how to seal synthetic dreads and get them ready for wearing.
Thanks and hope it helped!


***I ALSO SELL THESE DREADS AND ALL OTHER DREADS FEATURED ON MY INSTRUCTABLES. IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE THEM, MESSAGE ME! I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR ORDERS, AND I KEEP MY PRICES VERY MANAGEABLE! IF YOU WOULD RATHER NOT MAKE THEM YOURSELF I WILL GLADLY MAKE THEM FOR YOU.***