Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the fabric and your hair
• Part 2 of 3: Rolling your hair
• Part 3 of 3: Creating your curls overnight
• Necessities

Before curlers and curling irons hit the market, people curled their hair using a few simple things: strips of fabric, a comb, and water. You need to make some strips of fabric and prep your hair, then roll up your hair and sleep with the strips of fabric in your hair at night to create these classic curls.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the fabric and your hair

1. Cut 10-20 strips of fabric measuring 5 by 20 cm. Start with a large rag, such as an old pillowcase or towel. Use fabric scissors to cut strips about 5 cm wide by 20 cm long.
   • If you don't have an old pillowcase or towel, a large piece of cloth will do. People usually use cotton or terry cloth for the material, but you can use any fabric you have. Old T-shirts are suitable for this purpose.
2. Sew seams in the fabric if you want to reuse them. If you think you will want to reuse the strips of fabric, sew seams in them on the sides and ends, using your sewing machine. This can prevent the cloths from fraying and you can wash them.
3. Comb or brush tangles from your hair. To make sure your hair curls evenly, you will need to remove any tangles. Use your regular comb or brush to remove any tangles.
   • If your hair can't come through, lightly spray some leave-in conditioner or anti-tangle remover to get all the tangles out.
4. Dampen your hair with a sea salt spray. Sea salt gives your hair some extra texture and will hold curls better. Simply coat your hair with enough spray until it is damp. Do not roll up your hair while it is still soaking wet.
   • If you don't have a sea salt spray, you can use plain water instead. Sea salt helps to strengthen the curls, but your hair should be damp before you start rolling, no matter what you use.
   • Alternatively, you can use a little mousse or fixing lotion to make your curls firmer.

Part 2 of 3: Rolling your hair

1. Divide your hair into four equal strands. Take the end of your comb and part in the middle from your forehead to your neck. Comb the strands again. Then make two more strands from the crown of your head to behind your ears.
   • If you want, you can clip the strands of hair that you are not going to curl right away to keep them out of the way while you curl one strand at a time.
2. Take one inch of hair between your fingers. Grab one of the front strands between your fingers. It can be about an inch thick, which will create a fairly tight curl, or thicker for a bigger, looser curl.
   • For very large, loose curls, don't create any more strands. Just take the entire front section of one side of your hair to roll up.
   • Make sure the strand of hair is still damp before rolling it up. When the strand is dry, apply more sea salt spray or water.
3. Roll this section of your hair around one of the fabric strips, starting at the bottom. Start at the very end of the chosen hair section. Place a horizontal strip of fabric there and spread it out to its full width of 5 cm. Roll your strand of hair up as far as you want the curls to come out.
   • To curl only the bottom of your hair, stop rolling about halfway down the length of your hair.
   • For curls that go all the way up, roll your hair around the fabric up to your scalp.
4. Tie the fabric around your coiled hair in a tight knot. When you get to the point where you want the curl to stop, tie the ends of the fabric around your hair to make it firmer. You can use a simple square knot to tie it up.
   • Do not make the knot so tight that it will be difficult to untie it in the morning. However, your button should be tight enough so that it doesn't come loose and the strip of fabric unwinds.
   • If you do tie the knot too tight, you may have to cut the fabric to loosen your hair. This means that you can no longer use the strip of fabric.
5. Roll and tie all your hair into strands. Repeat the rolling steps until you have rolled up all of your hair into your strips of fabric. For even curls, make each section about the same thickness as the first.
   • If you don't mind a combination of tight and loose curls, you can make some areas of the hair thinner and others thicker when you roll them up.
   • Make sure each section of the hair is still damp before rolling it up. Once the section has dried, apply more sea salt spray or water before rolling it up.

Part 3 of 3: Creating your curls overnight

1. Wrap your hair in a silk scarf. Once all of your hair is knotted into the strips of fabric, wrap it in a silk scarf. This will help you sleep more comfortably and keep the fabric strips from loosening and falling out.
   • You can buy silk scarves at beauty stores, department stores and online.
   • This step is optional for the greatest comfort and best results. If you don't have a silk scarf, you can still go to sleep with your strips of fabric rolls in it without wearing one.
   • A silk pillowcase also works to reduce friction between your curls and the pillow. If you already sleep on a silk pillowcase, you don't have to wrap your hair in a scarf.
   • Regardless of the pillowcase you have, a scarf can also help reduce frizz and tangles if you tend to toss and turn at night.
2. Sleep with the fabric strips in at night and untie them in the morning. Go to sleep with your fabric rolls tied in place. The strips of fabric may feel unusual or uncomfortable if you are not used to sleeping with something in your hair, but you will get used to them. The next morning, untie each and watch the curls unfold.
   • If a particular curl is extremely uncomfortable or hurts when you lie down, the strip may be tied a little too tightly. You can then loosen it by loosening the knot and then tying it loosely.
   • Make sure your hair is completely dry before loosening the strips of fabric or your curls won't stay in place. If your hair is still a little damp when you get up, you can leave the strips of fabric on a little longer or speed up the drying process with a hairdryer.
3. Loosen your hair with your fingers and spray hairspray over it. Don't brush or comb your curls, especially if your hair doesn't curl easily. Simply run your fingers gently through your hair to spread out the curls. Spray a light coat of hairspray over your curls to strengthen them.
   • Fortify your curls with a volumizing hairspray for best results.
   • If your hair is very fine, don't use too much hairspray so you don't weigh down the curls and make them hang limp. A light coat of hairspray on all of your curls will be enough to strengthen them.

Necessities

• Dust
• Scissors
• Sea salt spray or a spray bottle with water
• Hair clips
• Comb
• Silk scarf
• Hairspray