Hair Wrap Hat From Scraps of Bracelets (Without Using Your Real Hair)

If you have been making Bracelets for as long as I have, You've probably ended up with a lot of Scrap String from the left overs of bracelets. Why not make the most of your materials and look good at the same time!

This crazy idea started about a year ago. I've been told I might look good in Dreadlocks. and since my hair is already damaged enough (don't ask how), I really didn't want to kill my hair any further, I thought of making dreadlocks from Yarn and scrap string of friendship bracelets.

Note this will not be a finish-in-one-siting kind of project (You can easily do this while watching TV, or doing something as equally mindless)

Worsted Weight Yarn

(not Pictured) One snug knitted hat. (if you can't find any hats that fit your head You can easily make your own, just make sure that yarn is the "sock"/ "fingering" type)

Lots of scraps form Friendship bracelets (the material I use to make bracelets is DMC embroidery floss)

Conair Hair Wrapper Machine (this is optional, But it saves so much time and energy. You can find one Here at Amazon.com)

(not Pictured) One ruler/ Yardstick

a clipboard

Scissors

one or two cloths pin (to hold all of your tied pieces of scrap string together and in one place)

(not Pictured) a small crochet hook (No bigger than the size US F/3.75 mm (metric))

(Not Pictured) Candle

(Not Pictures) Matches/lighter

Find your bracelet scraps and cut them so that they are no more than 6 inches and no less than 2 inches

Set up you strings so that they are side by side...

And tie an overhand knot that secures the two strings together.

Continue to tie your strings in this matter, until you have no scraps left. Have fun with the color scheme! You can have a pattern to your colors or just go bananas!

If you don't have any more scraps of string, Go buy some more string, make more bracelets and use those scraps! or just buy the string just for the purpose of cutting up...

With a ruler/yardstick, cut your worsted weight yarn to about 35-44 inches (Or about 90 -111.5 centimeters)

Fold your larger piece of Yarn in half

with another piece yarn, about half the length of the first piece, tie an overhand knot at the mid point

You should have 3 strand of yarn.

Leaving about one inch at the mid point, secure your yarn to your clipboard,

(this is the most critical part, if you don't have a loop, There's no way that you can attach it to the hat)

and braid the 3 strands...

until you have about 3 inches remaining on your "hair"

Tie a "square knot" (or more commonly referred to as the "Cobra Knot") at the base

Keep cutting and braiding until you have about 10 to get you started

(I normally attach the dreads and make them at the same time.... But in case you're wondering, the number to beat is about 500 "Wraps". Yes, this will take a while)

Time for the fun (and loudest) part of the project the actual wrapping!

Look at your Conair Hair wrapper,

If you notice there is a pink little tab right by the edge of the spiral of the machine. This allows you to open up the device without breaking it

You'll also notice, there's a clear bobbin inside, Take it out, and wrap your string around it.

Now place the bobbin into the device with the grooves of the bobbin DOWN. And thread your bobbin through that tiny notch (shown in picture number 4)

there also is a pink wand-like tool on the bottom of the wrapper (picture number 5)

take your wand-like tool out and thread the tool through the device's hole in the middle, leaving the wire part showing (see photo)

Now you can thread the yarn easily through the "eye" of the wand.

And pull through the yarn though the hole!!

Once your core of your Wrap is in place, you can string your Scrap-string into the hole of the machine (see picture 9)

There is a toggle switch that spins the scrap string around you yarn "core" . press it and start wrapping!!

Warning this is very loud, so please don't do this at night when your family/roommate is trying to sleep... Speaking from experience....

If your string gets stuck trying to get through the notch, gingery pull the string until it's out of the notch and continue wrapping

Continue to wrap in this manner, once you reach the bottom of the core, make a knot around your yarn with your sting.

Remember to keep making until you have a good amount to start (my current number is about 500 wraps. and i'm not done yet....)

If you don't have a machine to wrap with, you can always knot (Rather than wrap) the strands around the core.

Nearly everyone who has made a friendship bracelet, knows how to make the Chinese Staircase. (Also known as: Mermaid's Hair, or Happy Sticks)

If you don't remember how to do this particular knot, simply follow the diagram above, (It's easier than you might think)



Start your string by tying an overhand knot.

Then take your wrapped up clothes pin (That has all of your string wrapped around it.) and make an loop tha crosses over the core

Pull your clothes pin through the loop you just made,

continue from #2 until you've completed the whole length of the wrap

Now its time to play with Fire!!!!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEING AROUND YOU WHEN THERE IS A FIRE.

Either that or you are the responsible human.

I know its a candle, but safety first.


if you're doing this inside, open up a few windows first. If you're doing this outside, great!

Light your candle

Snip your end (that is NOT the loop) of your hair wrap to about 1 inch, (about 3.75 cm) from where you ended with your wrapping.

Place your exposed end, directly in the flame of the candle fire

This will make the end ignite into flames, and this is what supposed to happen.

Initially, we're fusing the ends of the floss and the yarn together to create one burnt, crispy, finish. (Essentially, like Para cord making)

Quickly blow out the flame once reached desired "Crispiness' (or where you think the ends won't fray)

Continue to burn then quickly blow out the ends of your hair wraps until you have reached a satisfactory amount.

the first image is a diagram of a knot called the larks head knot. notice that there are two parts, the "bar" and the working string (which is folded in half and tied around the bar).
If you've have dabbled in lach hooking, or rug making, this is very similar technique.
In between the knit stitches are...you guessed it....bars.

take your crochet hook, and insert the hook between a section of sitiches that are two stitches wide and five rows high.

Then take the loop of one of the wraps (the end you didn't burn) and place it onto the crochet hook. and pull the loop through the bars of the knit stitches.

now, find the end of the wrap that is burnt. and feed it through its own loop.
pull the wrap so its secure on the bars.
normally, I space the Wraps about one to two stitches apart, for a more thick and full look. but you have to put the weight of the entire wig into consideration.

therefore, you may want to leave a spot near the back of the neck that will be wrap-free. this is where you will secure a hair clip to you're head, through the wig.

I accompanied the wig ensemble with a sign proclaiming "Witches cursed my froot loops, help needed for revenge"

Needless to say everyone in my school loved it. It was quite a great costume to end your high school education with.
Well I hope you guys enjoyed my tutorial this is my first one actually publishing on this site.
please give me a vote on the fiber arts contest, if you have not already.