Make Curly Doll Hair with Wool

The technique for making curly doll hair is one I learned from a Living Felt needle felting tutorial. With this technique you twirl a thin strip of wool around a wooden dowel or toothpick, dip it in water, then let it dry. It works great but I am not a patient creature. Waiting for wool to dry is one of the reasons why I don't love wet felting.

One day while working on a doll I had a flash of an idea - why not use a hair straightener?! I gave it a try and it worked wonders. This method allows you to bypass the wetting and drying stage. You can watch this quick demonstration in the video I made below. (You can also click the Settings gear icon on the video then click Speed to slow it down if needed.)

First you want to take a thin piece of wool - I like to use merino wool for hair and beards - and twirl it around a wooden dowel or toothpick. Since a toothpick is thinner it will allow for a tighter curl. When twirling the wool around the stick don't simply wrap it around the stick. Notice in the video how I twirl it around in a way that builds bulk, meaning the wool isn't laying flat against the wood. (If you have a hard time seeing what I mean, check out the linked Living Felt video at the top and fast forward to minute 19 where Marie demonstrates.)

Once you have the wool twirled around the stick this is where the hair straightener comes in. Make sure the hair straightener is on the lowest setting. Gently run the hair straightener along the wool. Make a couple of passes, keeping it moving so you don't burn the wool.

Put your hair straightener aside and then gently push the curl off of the stick. Now you have a piece of curly doll hair! Use a felting needle to attach it to your doll's head. Repeat this process until you have the desired amount for your doll.

It's easy to make curly doll hair for a needle felted doll or any other creations!