The Ultimate Guide to Rag Curls

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Get bouncy, voluminous curls without using heat

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Jasmin Todd

Last Updated: October 30, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Spiral Curls
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• Roll Curls
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• Setting Your Curls
|
• Video
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• Expert Q&A
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• Things You'll Need

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Curling your hair with rags is a super easy way to get voluminous curls without using heat and expensive tools. Before curlers and heated curling irons came onto the market, people traditionally curled their hair with simple items like old fabric strips and even brown paper bags. In this article, we’ll show you how to get spiral-shaped ringlets or bouncy, roll-like curls with rags and style both types of curls for a vintage or modern-day look!

Things You Should Know

• Cut 10-20 strips of fabric from an old t-shirt, pillowcase, or towel. Comb your hair and slightly dampen it with water.
• For springy, spiral-like curls, wrap your hair around a strip of fabric vertically. For bouncy, roll-like curls, wind your hair up the fabric horizontally.
• Tie the ends of the fabric strip together to secure the curl. Leave the curls overnight, or for at least 8 hours, and unwind the fabric when your hair is dry.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Spiral Curls

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1. 1
   Cut 10-20 fabric strips that are twice as long as your hair. Use a soft fabric to make your strips, like an old t-shirt, pillowcase, or towel. Then, take a pair of sharp fabric scissors to cut the fabric into strips that are 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and twice as long as your hair.

   • Cotton or terry cloth are popular materials for making the hair strips. However, any large piece of fabric you have lying around works great.
   • If you want to reuse your fabric strips, sew seams on the sides and ends with your sewing machine. This prevents the rags from fraying and allows you to wash them.
2. 2
   Comb your hair and dampen it with water. To ensure your hair curls evenly, brush through it to remove any tangles and snags. Then, spritz your hair with water until it is slightly damp, but not dripping wet. Slightly damp hair helps set your curls as your hair dries.

   • If your hair is very knotted, spray it lightly with a leave-in conditioner or detangling spray to get the knots out.
   • For extra hold and texture, spray your hair with sea salt spray. Or, apply a dollop of mousse or setting lotion to your hair.
   • If you’re curling your hair after washing it, just ensure your hair is about halfway dry.
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3. 3
   Part your hair in 4 even sections. Take the end of your comb and create a part down the middle of your head, from your forehead down to the nape of your neck. Then, split each section in half, creating a part on each side from the crown of your head to behind your ears.

   • Use a clip or hair tie to keep the sections of hair together and out of your way as you start to curl.
4. 4
   Take a 1 in (2.5 cm) thick section of hair between your fingers. Start curling 1 of the front sections of your hair by grabbing a piece of hair that’s about 1 in (2.5 cm) thick. Feel free to play with the amount of hair you grab, as thinner pieces of hair give you tighter curls while thicker pieces make larger, looser curls.

   • For very large, loose curls, simply grab the entire front section of hair.
   • If your hair feels completely dry, spray it again with water or sea salt spray.
5. 5
   Hold a rag vertically and wrap your section of hair around it. Position a strip of fabric vertically next to your section of hair, extending the strip 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5.1 cm) beyond the top of your head. While holding the fabric, grab the very top of your hair section and twist it around the rag. Just keep wrapping your hair down the fabric strip until you get to the ends of your hair.

   • Use a clip or bobby pin to secure the top of the rag to your head if you’re having trouble holding it while wrapping your hair.
   • If you don’t want to curl the entire length of your hair, start wrapping the section of hair halfway down from the top of your head.
   • Either wrap your hair towards your face so the curls turn into your face, or away from your face so the curls fall back and away from your face.
6. 6
   Twist the rag back around your hair and tie the ends in a knot. Take the end of the fabric strip that’s dangling from your hair and tightly wrap it up and around the hair you just twisted. This completely covers your hair and protects it from unraveling. When you get to the top of your section of hair, simply tie the 2 ends of the rag in a knot to secure your spiral curl in place.

   • Don’t make the knot too tight so it’s difficult to untie, or too loose so the rag unwinds and releases your curl.
   • If you do make your knots too tight, you might have to cut the rag to release your hair. This just means you won’t be able to reuse the rag.
7. 7
   Wrap and tie the rest of your hair in rags. Continue parting the first section of hair into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and twisting them around the fabric strips. Then, repeat with the next 3 sections of hair until all of your hair is curled.

   • For a breezy, beachy look, make some pieces of hair thinner and thicker as you wrap them up to give you a mixture of tight and loose curls.
   • Check that each section of hair is still damp before you twist it. If the section feels dry, apply more water or sea salt spray.
   • If you run out of fabric strips as you’re curling, simply cut more.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Roll Curls

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1. 1
   Cut 10-20 strips of fabric in 2 in × 10 in (5.1 cm × 25.4 cm) pieces. Take a large piece of soft fabric, like old sheets, a pillowcase, a t-shirt, or a towel. Then, use fabric scissors to cut strips about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide and 10 in (25 cm) long.
2. 2
   Brush your hair and wet it slightly with water. Smooth out and get rid of any tangles in your hair by combing through it. Then, spray your hair with water so it is slightly damp, but not soaking or dripping wet. Curling slightly wet hair ensures that your ringlets set and stay all day.

   • Use sea salt spray to give your curls more texture and hold. Or, apply mousse or setting lotion.
   • If you just washed your hair, make sure it is halfway dry before curling your hair.
3. 3
   Divide your hair into 4 even sections. Use a comb to part your hair down the middle of your head, starting at your forehead and moving to the nape of your neck. Then, create another part on each side of your head from your crown to behind your ears.

   • Keep each section together by clipping your hair or tying it with a hair tie.
4. 4
   Roll a 1 in (2.5 cm) section of hair around a rag, starting at the bottom. Take a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick piece of hair from 1 of the front sections. Then, hold a fabric strip horizontally and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the ends of your hair. Center your hair in the middle of the rag and wrap the end of your hair around it. Just roll the rag up the piece of hair until you reach the top of your head.

   • For tighter curls, make your piece of hair less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. If you want looser curls, grab a thicker piece of hair.
   • If you don’t want to curl your entire strand of hair, roll your hair around the rag as far up as you want the curl to go. For instance, roll the rag halfway up your hair if you want your curls to start halfway down your hair.
   • Roll your hair under if you want curls that curl away from your face. Or, roll your hair over the rag if you want curls that face towards your face.
5. 5
   Tie the ends of the rag together to secure your curl. When you reach the top of your head, take the ends of the rag and tie them into a knot. Just make the knot tight enough to keep the roll in place, but not so tight that the rag is difficult to untie.
6. 6
   Roll up and tie the rest of your hair using the fabric strips. Repeat the rolling and tying process for the rest of your hair in the first section. Then, continue winding up your hair in the remaining 3 sections.

   • For even curls, make each piece of hair about the same thickness as your first one.
   • If you want a mixture of tight and loose curls, make some pieces of hair thinner and others thicker as you roll them up.
   • If your hair feels dry, give it a quick spritz of water or sea salt spray before you roll it up.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Setting Your Curls

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1. 1
   Leave your rags in for at least 8 hours. For bouncy curls that stay all day, sleep in your rag curls overnight. Or, leave them in for at least 8 hours if you’re curling your hair in the morning. This gives your hair time to dry and set in a curl around the strips of fabric.

   • If a curl feels uncomfortable, you might have tied the rag too tight. Just undo the knot and re-tie it looser.
2. 2
   Cover your hair with a silk scarf or bonnet. To protect your curls from unraveling, frizzing, or getting tangled, wrap your hair in a silk hair scarf or bonnet. If you’re sleeping in your curls overnight, this can also make you more comfortable as you rest.

   • This step is completely optional. If you don’t have a silk scarf, you can still go to sleep or about your day with your rag curls in.
   • A silk pillowcase also helps to reduce friction and frizz if you’re sleeping in your curls. If you have a silk pillowcase, you don’t need to cover your hair with a scarf.
3. 3
   Untie the rags and separate the curls with your fingers. Carefully untie and unwind each fabric strip from your hair when it is completely dry. Use your finger to curl each piece in the same direction you wrapped it to prevent it from falling. Then, run your fingers through your hair to gently spread out your curls for a more natural look.

   • If your hair still feels damp, wait a few more hours for it to dry so your curls set properly. Or, blow dry your hair with a hair dryer.
   • If you like the look of your curls when they’re freshly unwrapped, don’t brush through them with your fingers.
   • If you want more of a wavy look instead of ringlets, use a brush to comb through your curls.
   • Spray your curls with a volumizing hairspray to hold them all day.
   • If your hair is very fine, spritz your hair lightly with hairspray so you don’t weigh the curls down and cause them to fall.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  Will it stay without setting spray? And for how long?

  

  Ashley Adams
  Professional Hair Stylist

  Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

  

  Ashley Adams

  Professional Hair Stylist

  Expert Answer

  Yes, because your curls were set overnight, they should last at least a day if you don’t use any setting spray. However, this is widely dependent upon your hair texture. If your hair is fine and doesn’t hold curls well, your curls may not last for a full day.

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  Yes No

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• Question

  Can I curl my hair right up to my scalp?

  

  Community Answer

  You can, if you want a tighter curl.

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• Question

  How long do I need to leave the curls in?

  

  Community Answer

  Usually quite a few hours. For best results, leave them curled overnight.

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Things You’ll Need

Spiral Curls

• Fabric
• Fabric scissors
• Comb or brush
• Spray bottle with water
• Sea salt spray, mousse, or setting lotion, optional
• Hair clips or bobby pins

Roll Curls

• Fabric
• Fabric scissors
• Comb or brush
• Spray bottle with water
• Sea salt spray, mousse, or setting lotion, optional
• Hair clips or bobby pins

Setting Your Curls

• Silk scarf or bonnet, optional
• Volumizing hairspray
• Brush or comb