How to curl your hair with Rags

Have you ever wanted to know how to curl your hair with rags? Did you even know that was a possibility?

Something about little girls with rags in their hair is ridiculously adorable.  They can pull the look off effortlessly.  Little kids could walk into a mall with a head full of rags while their curls set and everyone would think they looked so cute.

Me, on the other hand.  I put a bunch of rags in my hair and I look like I should be walking around in a bathrobe surrounded by 99 cats.

It isn’t fair, I tell ya.

Nonetheless, I will say that after we did my daughter’s hair in rag curls, I wanted to try it myself.  So I did put the rags in my hair.  I also committed to not leaving my house until said rags were removed from my head.

Also, am I the only one who thinks about Shirley Temple when I think of little girls and their curls?  It’s enough to make you want to watch a Shirley Temple classic and sing along as she sings “on the good ship, lollipop…”

Anyways, when you are done singing, if you want to learn how to curl your hair with Rags, follow along as I give you some step-by-step details.

How to curl your hair with Rags

First you want to find an old piece of fabric and cut it into pieces, about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long.  I used a combination of fabrics we had lying around and I found the flannel material was easier to work with.  The other material felt like a cotton polyester blend.

As you can see, my cutting skills are seriously lacking.  A 5 year old could have cut these better than me.  Next time I will delegate this job to one of my children.

Once you have your fabric, it’s time to get your “client.”  Dampen the hair before you add the rags, or have your child take a bath or shower beforehand.

Brush out the hair to make sure it is free of tangles.

Divide the hair into sections.  I wanted to start adding the rags to the bottom layer of hair, so I just put half her hair up.  You can divide the hair however is easiest for you.

Take a small section of hair, and get your rag ready.  Put it at the end of the hair.

Wrap the section of hair around the rag a couple of times, and then start rolling up the rag slowly towards the head. My daughter’s hair is 897 miles long so patience is important at this step! It doesn’t matter if you start with the hair under or over the rag.  I like to do a variety of both so the curls go both ways.

Once you get close to the head, tie the rag curl.  The first tie I did tightly, and then I added a double knot loosely because my daughter rolls around a lot in her sleep.

Continue doing that for the whole head.

Leave it in overnight.  In the morning, untie the rags and roll them out in the reverse way than when you put them in.  I start with the bottom of the head and work my way up.  Do this for the whole head.

At this point I like to spray some hair spray because my daughter and I both have thin hair that doesn’t hold a curl very well.  I then run my hands through her hair to loosen up the curls a little bit.

And there you have it! A nice, curly head of hair, which is perfect for those of us who have pin straight hair and just want to rock some curls.  The rag curls are great for kids and adults alike, but I find for kids especially it is comfortable to sleep in.  I used to use this method when my daughter was as young as 4 and she never complained when they were in.

You could also put the rags in your hair and instead of sleeping on them, blow dry until completely dry.  This will give a looser curl.  Either way, you now have a simple way to have beautiful curls, no expense required!