Ask your barber to shape your sides and edges to keep your hair looking neat. But if your hair is regularly kept short, stop getting your hair cut for at least 4 to 6 weeks. If your hair naturally grows slowly, it may take longer for it to grow long enough for twists. As your hair grows closer to the 3 in (7.6 cm) mark, avoid the use of conditioner or other hair care products to wash your hair. Just use regular shampoo the week before you plan to twist your hair. Shampoo and rinse your hair thoroughly before starting to twist it. Products that soften hair rob kinky hair of its natural ability to curl, making dreadlock development more difficult. Make sure to dry your hair thoroughly with a blow dryer before proceeding any further. The larger the cluster you select, the thicker your dreadlock will be. Using your thumb and forefinger, you’ll want to twist this cluster from the root to the tip. Twisting in a single direction will make maintenance easier. Repeat this process until all of your hair is in twists. This should take between 3 and 6 hours. It’s difficult but not impossible to do this by yourself. Consider asking a friend to help you, or going to a salon to have it done. Roll them clockwise between your palms every couple of days. Start with the root of each lock between the heels of your palms, then roll clockwise and upward until you reach the tip of the dreadlock. Don’t roll them too tight, which can be painful and lead to hair loss. Roll twists that are fraying individually every day to help them keep their shape, rather than every other day. Avoid using shampoos with conditioner as these products can stop your hair from locking. If your hair is fraying after a month, continue to wash it once a week. If your hair is getting more compact, wash your hair every other day with shampoo and water. After a month, wash your hair every other day. Protect your locks from excess moisture by using a bandana when exercising or going out on hot days. Continue to palm roll and wash your dreadlocks every other day. Palm roll individually fraying locks more frequently. If multiple locks are loosening, reduce your hair washing frequency to once weekly. If your hair continues to fray, schedule an appointment with a stylist who may be able to help you get your locks back on track. By this time, you should have long, beautiful dreadlocks. But don’t stop maintaining them by palm rolling and washing them.

Summary: Let your hair grow at least 3 in (7.6 cm) long. Rinse any product out of your hair. Twist clusters of hair clockwise. Palm roll your dreadlocks every other day. Wash your hair once a week with shampoo and water. Allow your hair to grow for 3 to 4 months.


Grab the eye of an eye pin with pliers and carefully heat the metal over the flame of a candle or gas stove. Only heat the metal for about 5 seconds.  Work carefully to prevent accidental burns. Use an eye pin that is just a little shorter than the width of the resin piece. Grab the resin piece with one hand and carefully poke the straight side of the heated eye pin inside.  Press the pin in until it extends roughly halfway through the resin piece. This will only work if the resin is only partially cured. If you allowed it to cure completely, it will be too hard and unyielding. Once the metal eye pin is cool enough to touch with your bare fingers, slide a small jump ring into the eye. This completes the project and turns your resin piece into a wearable pendant or charm.

Summary: Heat a metal eye pin. Poke the metal into the resin charm. Attach a jump ring to the loop.


When you start only you will know about the blog. Only start promoting your blog after you get about 15 posts or so. If you promote it before people will think your blog isn't good enough. Don't spam your link. There are plenty of ways to promote your blog.  Use different social media platforms. Add tags to your post. That will make your posts show up in search engines like google. Add a link to your site on a forum signature. It will be better if the forum and your blog are the same topic. Make sure you post on the forum though. Exchange links with others sites. Make a blog roll. Don't take a break every other week though.

Summary: Promote your blog. Take a break once in a while.


When you begin having the conversation, phrasing is very important. It's easy to accidentally come off like you're blaming or judging the other person. Proper phrasing can help the conversation go smoother.  Avoid statements that start with "you" as this comes off as you forcing external judgment on the situation. Instead, phrase everything in terms of "I" and tie it back in to how your feelings affect your ability to function in the relationship.  For example, instead of saying "You don't let me spend weekends just with my friends," say something like, "I like to sometimes just go out with friends Friday nights, and if I was able to do that more often I'd be happier when I came home to you."  Avoid harsh language in general. Words like "clingy" or "needy" can come off as judgmental. If you feel your boyfriend wants too much of your time, instead say something like, "I feel like it's hard to meet all your needs all the time, and I don't have energy for myself when we spend all our time together." Be transparent. Talk about what you discovered while reflecting on the relationship and yourself during your talk. Saying you need space can potentially make your boyfriend feel very insecure, so focus on how the issue is about you and your needs and has nothing to do with how you feel about him. A relationship is a two way street. If your boyfriend has different ideas of what constitutes healthy space than you, the two of you need to address this together. You should listen to how he responds to what you're saying.  Your boyfriend's needs and desires are as valuable as your own, so treat them as such. Remember this as you have the conversation. This is not an issue of one party being right and the other being wrong. It's an issue of differing personal boundaries. If you don't understand, ask for clarification. Something like, "Why do you feel that way?" can really help you better understand your partner's needs. At the end of the talk, reinforce your enthusiasm for the relationship so things do not end on a bad note. Say something like, "Even though I need alone time on occasion, I really do love spending time with you and want to be with you." It's a good idea to, throughout the talk, throw in positive statements and sentiments. Like, if you discuss spending more nights at your own place, follow up with something like, "Even though I really do love waking up next to you in the morning." This can help the conversation sting less for your boyfriend.
Summary: Use your language carefully. Listen to your boyfriend's needs as well. Reinforce the positive.