How to Curl Your Hair with a Sock Bun

Reviewed by Jasmin Todd

Last Updated: August 5, 2024

A sock bun is an easy, inexpensive way to beef up the look of your top knot. But it's also an easy, no-heat way to curl your hair. By dampening your hair before you roll it up into the sock bun and leaving it in to dry for several hours, you'll end up with soft, natural-looking curls that will definitely turn heads. Best of all, if you want to go out while you're waiting for your hair to curl, no one will be the wiser with your chic sock top knot.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing and Rolling the Sock

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1
Find a sock with firm elastic. To create the donut to make the bun, you’ll need a clean sock. It’s important to choose one that has tight elastic at the top so it will really hold your hair in place.^{[1]
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- You may want to use a child size sock to ensure that the donut will be tight enough to hold your hair.
- If you plan to wear the sock bun outside, choose a sock that’s similar in color to your hair. That helps camouflage the sock if any of it peeks out amidst your hair.
2
Cut off the toe of the sock and turn inside out. Once you’ve chosen your sock, take a pair of scissors and cut off the toe of the sock to essentially create a long tube. Next, flip the sock inside out to get ready to turn it into a donut.^{[2]
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- You’ll have an easier time cutting the sock if you use a pair of scissors or shears designed for cutting fabric.
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After you’ve cut the sock and turned it inside out, begin rolling it up over itself to form a donut. Make sure to roll it from the toe to the elastic, and continue rolling until all of the fabric is contained in the ring.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making the Bun

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1
Put your hair in a ponytail. When you’re ready to create the sock bun, smooth your hair with a comb or brush to remove any tangles. Next, pull your hair up into a fairly high ponytail. Secure it with an elastic.
- Your hair can be dry or damp when you pull it up into the ponytail. If it’s freshly washed, there’s no need to bother drying it completely.
- If your hair is prone to frizz, don’t use a brush to remove tangles. A wide-tooth comb is a better option because it won’t create frizz.
2
Dampen the ponytail. If your hair isn’t freshly washed, you’ll want to dampen the length of the ponytail before forming the bun. Spritz your hair with water from a spray bottle so it’s just lightly damp.
- You don’t necessarily have to use water. You can dampen your hair with leave-in conditioner or spray gel if you prefer.
- Be careful not to get your hair too wet. It may not all dry by the next morning if you soak it.
3
Push the ponytail through the sock donut. Once your ponytail is lightly dampened, take the end of it and pull it through the hole in the center of the sock donut. Slide it down just 2- to 3-inches (5- to 8-cm) toward the base of the pony.
- Don’t slide the sock donut all the way to the base of your ponytail yet. There should just be a small amount of your hair through the end of the donut.
4
Tuck the ends of the pony under the sock. After you’ve pulled the end of the ponytail through the donut, take those ends of hair and divide them into three or four sections. Next, tuck the ends of the hair underneath the bottom of the sock to secure them.^{[4]
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- If you plan to go out with the sock bun, you don’t have to worry about it looking perfect right now. You can fix it once it’s secured.
5
Roll the sock donut down to your scalp. With the ends of the ponytail stuck under the bottom of the sock, begin rolling the donut toward the base of the ponytail. Continue rolling it all the way to the scalp, and secure the sock around the base of your pony.
- As you roll the sock toward your scalp, you’re actually rolling your hair over the sock at the same time. That’s what helps make the bun appear large and thick even if you have fine hair.
- Once the sock bun is secured, you can play with the placement of the hair around the bun to help make it neater and ensure that the sock is completely covered.
The sock should be tight enough to hold the bun in place on your head. However, if you have very thick, coarse hair or the sock isn’t very tight, stick some bobby pins into the bun to help hold it in place.^{[5]
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7
Let the bun sit overnight. Once the sock bun is secure, you can go to sleep with it in and let it sit overnight to curl your hair. You can also do the sock bun in the morning, wear it all day, and take it out in the evening when you’re ready to go out.
- While you don’t necessarily need to leave the sock bun in overnight to curl your hair, you want to make sure that the hair inside the bun is completely dry before removing it.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Styling the Waves

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When you wake up the next morning, slowly unroll the sock from your hair to remove the bun. Be careful not to pull on your hair too hard or you may wind up pulling out some of the curls.^{[6]
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2
Take out the elastic and shake out the curls. After you’ve removed the sock, carefully pull out the elastic securing the ponytail so all of your hair is loose. Shake your head a little to loosen the curls and help them fall more naturally.^{[7]
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- Don’t brush through your curls or you may wind up pulling them out. Use your fingers to comb through your hair if there are any tangles.
3
Apply hairspray to the curls. While the curls will last most of the day on their own, you may want to give them a little help. Lightly spray your hair with lightweight, flexible hold hairspray to help keep your curls in place throughout the day.
- If curls usually fall out of your hair easily, substitute a texturizing spray for the hairspray. The hairspray may be too heavy for your hair and weigh the curls down so they fall out.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use a scrunchy instead of a sock?

Community Answer

It would work; however, it wouldn't be as big as it would be with a sock. If you use s big scrunchy, it would work better. You could buy a hair doughnut, which does the same job as a sock.

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Tips

The longer that you leave the sock bun in your hair, the more defined your curls will be. If you only leave the bun in for a few hours, you’ll wind up with loose waves instead.

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If your hair doesn’t curl very easily, it’s a good idea to apply mousse to it before you put it in the sock bun.

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Warnings

Applying too much water to your hair when creating your bun may cause you to have a headache. Your hair should be moist, but not soaking or dripping wet.

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