I love the look of naturally curly hair! My sweet friend,
Katie, told me about rag rolling. It's a quick and simple way to get natural looking curls without using a curling iron! I asked her to share her method here on A Beautiful Mess because I knew you'd be itching to learn like I was! Enjoy...
You'll need some cut fabric strips, a comb and some water. All things you probably already have laying around the house (yay!)

How to rag roll your hair- First, dampen the bottom of your hair (the part you plan to roll) using a spray bottle. Next, separate a section of hair and twist it around one strip of fabric. Then, tie the fabric strip in place and repeat until the entire bottom section of your hair is rolled. After that, all you have to do is sleep on your rag rolls and remove them in the morning for pretty curls! You can feel great because this method won't damage your hair the way a curling iron can. Thank you,
Katie, for sharing your pretty how-to!
Have fun styling! xo. elsie
Beautiful! I'm totally going to try this. Katie's such a good model :)
Posted by: Lara | July 13, 2011 at 09:59 AM
i need to try this ASAP!!
Katie is so beautiful..i have hair envy. <333
Posted by: gee | July 13, 2011 at 10:10 AM
This is wonderful! I've tried the premade "sleep in them" soft curlers and even with out clips and such they were super uncomfortable to sleep in. I will totally be trying this asap!
Question though-can you describe the twisting the section of hair step in more detail, how do you twist it, to what point, and then what's the best way to tie it off? Thanks mucho mucho much! XOXO Lori
Posted by: Lori | July 13, 2011 at 10:11 AM
wow omg, i think i'm off to the bathroom to try this technique... like right now!
thanks for sharing <3
Posted by: Mademoiselle Marie | July 13, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Sooooo cute! Katie is a-dorable!
thanks for the tips!
xo
http://www.hourglass-fashion.blogspot.com
Posted by: Jackie | July 13, 2011 at 10:15 AM
The 3rd photo of Katie is so cute. Her makeup looks so pretty and fresh. =)
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Posted by: Closet Cravings | July 13, 2011 at 10:19 AM
I remember my mother doing this when I was little! I need to start doing it again, so cute!
Posted by: MG | July 13, 2011 at 10:23 AM
the sleeping picture is the best part. She's a great actress! hehe
I will definitely need to try this!
Posted by: jacquelyn | lark + linen | July 13, 2011 at 10:25 AM
I discovered this way of curling several months ago, and I use it at least once a week! It's so convenient- it takes me about 30 minutes at night to roll my hair after washing it, but there's virtually nothing to do in the morning but take out the fabric scraps! :) I just need to find a silk scarf to sleep in because my hair is already naturally frizzy, and sleeping on it makes it worse (I don't use much hair product).
It took me a while to get the hang of twisting it, as it's kind of hard to explain that step. I roll mine up and out (not under), and I roll it up to just above eye level. But since I roll mine so high, it is sort of uncomfortable to sleep in sometimes. :)
Posted by: Kristin | July 13, 2011 at 10:26 AM
my mom used to do this to my hair when i was little! definitely better for your hair than a curling iron!
http://www.style-extraordinaire.com/
Posted by: libby | July 13, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Ohhh I just love this!! Pinning it for sure! Thanks for a fabulous tutorial!
Posted by: Lindsay @ Delighted Momma | July 13, 2011 at 10:36 AM
this is so simple and cute! can't wait to try!
Posted by: Danielle | July 13, 2011 at 10:40 AM
That hair looks amazing! Will definitely have to try it out! I'm always looking for new ways to do my hair! and I LOVE the curly look.
XO
Posted by: Twenty's Girl | July 13, 2011 at 10:42 AM
this looks lovely and so natural! (: if i hadn't cut my hair short a week ago, i'd definitely give this a try... so easy, too.
Posted by: laura | July 13, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Katie is adorable and I love the curls!! I'm so glad my hair is long enough to do this now - can't wait to try! Thank you for sharing. :)
Posted by: Natalie | July 13, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Wow this is so fun! What a cute idea. I'm excited to try this! :]
Posted by: Mandy @ Miss Indie | July 13, 2011 at 10:46 AM
I never curl my hair because I have real thin hair that just fries in the curling iron. I will have to give this a go. Thanks for the idea!
Posted by: Maggie | July 13, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Thanks for the cute diy! It's so funny, my mom used to have ringlets put in her hair every night by her mom (she hated having them done!!), and when I was little I got my gran to do mine for me a few times (always easier when you have someone else to do them for you!) which I really loved (having polka-straight hair back then!!)... Another way to get waves more than curls is of course to plait your hair overnight... Fun!
Posted by: Beka | July 13, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Q: Question though-can you describe the twisting the section of hair step in more detail, how do you twist it, to what point, and then what's the best way to tie it off? Thanks mucho mucho much! XOXO Lori
A: The twisting part is similar to rolling the bottom of your hair into a curling iron. You just roll it up several inches. Where ever you tie it off is where the curls will stop. Practice makes perfect! I would definitely experiment a few times to find the perfect amount of curl for your hair!
XO, elsie
Posted by: elsie | July 13, 2011 at 10:57 AM
Aw this reminds me of my early cheerleading days. Of course my hair already has a natural curl, so this just makes me look like little Annie. Cute idea with the fabric.
Posted by: Courtney | July 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM