DreadFalls Construction

       I honestly have been searching for years to find how to make these, their like a heavily guarded secret, more guarded than the Kebler Elves.. and even more than the KFC Recipe, yeah I know...chicken is good but not as good as a great dreadfall piece :) So let me just tell you if your looking for premade pieces they range in size from 'Mini' short pig tails (usually 6" long) to 'Regular' at 22" long to waist length ( some are 36" but most shorter) and quite afew in between. Most falls are made of Kanekalon synthetic hair usually  with some type of relace, beads, wire, foam, tubing, or ribbon. Others are made of wool or yarn, both are lighter than most falls with synthetic dreads.. think about it, your doubling each light dread and adding about 30 more that are also doubled, it gets REAL heavy pretty quick! The longer and the more dreads there are the heavier the weight and the price!

Most are formed on either a strip of stretchy fabric, a hair elastic, or a hair clip. Then there are the ones that are double ended which originally are made for being weaved into your hair to be permenent, now I see them being placed half way through an elastic and tying around a ponytail.. for a more temporary option. Typically there also cheaper as double ended dreads, I guess because it's easier for others but not me. Typically in America and Canada we use 'Dread Falls' but in Europe and other regions they use 'Dreadfalls', it's just about region and it has no bearing on type or color or anything! 

Dread falls using synthetic hair can be made in solids, swirls(twists), flame(where it fade from color to color for a neat look), braids and anything the designer can think of. Wool dreads can be dyed any color and looks best if dreaded not braided because they felt and thats just not really the look is it.. velcro head? I don't think so!

As far as actual forming the dreads from synthetic hair (which I can only account for) it's relatively easy but backcomb to hard to heavy handed and your dread with be 2" long or be lumpy. Because it's not steady backcombing it creates funky uneaven texture, and it's best to find someone(a seller whose work you completely love, not to copy mind you, no no!) who sells them to give you a finetooth lesson on how to make 1, then you can work on it for 30 more! It takes practice and is best to use a metal flea comb from like Wal-mart or the Dollar Store, just make sure it has fine teeth. Most are about 2$-5$ depending on where ya go. Next you need some hair, no not yours silly, a packet of Kanekalon because it's inexpensive and for now it"ll give good results, some of the best acutually. Now get a scrunchie or lace or whatever you wish to use and secure it to something weighted like a chair rung(back bars) with books on it so it doesn't scoot all over. Now take a pencil sized piece of hair and pull it away from the puff mass and grasp it in the middle and let it fall equally on both sizes and now you have a loop. Place the loop behind a piece of scrunchie and pull the rest of your pencil size weft through your loop and pull *gently* and I recommend getting a .99 cent bag of small rubber bands and secure it at the top. Now put in a loooong movie or watch Elimi-Date reruns and backcomb, remember pace yourself! Every inch or so try backcombing a little upward so it stays real taught. Now you have a very puffed dread, no don't do a jig yet.. you want it to look neat so you have two main options: Steam or blowdry. Now steamed dreads are a bit smoother and lighter but not very easy.. you can use a steam machine like a shark steamer or scuuci steamer or pour boiling hot water down it while it's tied to your faucet but if it's laying down any it will set that way! Now Blowdrying melts and molds it pretty, but scratchy and still that can be fixed by boiling also. It softens the fibers for a nicer look. Either way I recommend boiling them for asthetic purposes and so you'll get more compliements!

Now I everyone who looks on the web usually comes across the angrycaninelovesitck.org site (they don't update much anymore, but it's worth the look!) and it's the only through and well written one I've found, I'm sure if you really look you'd find another or two. But honestly people don't want their secret out, especially because for some thats all they do. Now I accept no liability from your actions after reading this guide, if your electrocuted or burned please don't blame me, I'm just the messanger.

*Soon we'll have advice from the best dread falls creators on eBay*

Pictures are being accepted and some of my own are coming, if you'd like to know more or see pictures if I can't load after making this, my eBay user name is posted with this and feel free to ask questions and sens pics!

Best of luck & Experiment.. it's the only fun way to learn!

                   Signed: Daytrippess024