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HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SNAZZY DRED FALLS IN A FEW RELATIVELY EASY STEPS

1.) Find at least two skeins of yarn that you like and will go with your costume/outfit/mood. I recommend a large skein for the base color and a smaller, snazzier skein (like eyelash yarn, that sparkly stuff, something funky and cool) for the accent.

2.) Pick out at least one small (about 1-3 yards)spool of ribbon and a similarly sized spool of of sequin for detailed accents. These can go with the base, the accent, or clash horribly. It's up to you!

3.) If you have hair that you can pull up into pigtails or a ponytail and wrap into at least a small bun, you'll need a packet of sturdy ponytail holders. If your hair is too short for that, you need to get some good sized barrettes, preferably the kind you have to slide shut rather than the snap shut type. You will also need ponytail holders but the thinner kind work for this sort.

4.) Now the tricky part...cutting the yarn so that it's even (mostly anyway!). I use two ladder back chairs but you can use your arm, a leg, whatever. The point is, you want to make one big loop of yarn over and over and over again. If you're using your arm, for example, start at the crook between thumb and forefinger and begin wrapping the yarn around your forearm-crook-elbow-crook, etc. When you've got it all wrapped (whether it's around the posts of the chair, your forearm, or foot-to-knee), you are going to CAREFULLY and I do mean CAREFULLY, slide it off and hold it in the middle so it's like a big bow or figure eight pinched together.

5.) Cut the bundle in half where it touches in the middle and separate them so that you have two halves.

6.) Repeat with the accent yarn.

7.) Repeat with the ribbon and sequins.

8.) Now you should have two stacks of yarn and such. Take one of the ponytail holders and pick up one of the stacks in the middle so that it hangs down like an upside down U. Take the ponytail holder and fold it over the middle point of the bundle, like you're making a taco over it. Slip one side of the ponytail holder under the other so that you've made a slip knot. I'd do this twice, just to make sure it is secure. If you're using the thin rubber bands, do this twice with two rubber bands because you are going to slip it over the barrette to secure it in your hair.

9.) Repeat on the other bundle.

10.) Now for the fluffing... Pick them up and see if they're even. You can trim them so they're flat on bottom or leave them "au naturel" or be raggedy with them. Fluff them so that all the yarn looks mixed and the accents show. You can add beads and bells and whatever you like at this point.

11.) TO SECURE THEM IF YOU HAVE LONG HAIR: Twist your hair up into buns or a bun wherever you want the dred falls to "originate" from. Make sure the bun is secure before looping the ponytail holder from the fall over the bun. You can add some extra security with a hair pin or two if you dance vigorously! My troupe adds flowers to the buns to a.) cover the hair and b.) make it look perky goff. If you are using the barrette method (only recommended for short hair), You will need to experiment with the barrettes to get the "look" right and then make extra sure they are secure before going dancing. You can add flowers to the barrettes to cover them!

Learn more about this author, Meredith Spies.
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