Hey everybody!
Sophia here. Today, I’m going to be showing you all a really simple, do-it-yourself way to get curls/waves! This summer, I went to Hawaii, and you can bet that with all that salt water, I was enjoying some waves at the beach and in my hair the whole vacation. Now that I’m back in California though, and summer’s coming to a close, this DIY way of getting those beach-y waves will be what I use.
Tip: If you want to have some dramatic curls, leave the braids in for the day and the night—the braids make a cute hairstyle!
Now, let’s get those waves!
Tools needed: 2 small elastics, hair mousse (optional)
Skill level: easy
1. Part your hair wherever you like. I like to part mine off to the side.
2. This is optional, but I recommend putting some hair mousse in your hair. It really helps the curls/waves last longer.
3. From the crown of your head to the nape of your neck, part hair straight in the middle. Tie one section off to the side, so it won’t be in your way.
4. On the other side, pick up a 1 inch piece of hair, and split in two. You will be making a lace-rope braid.
5. To make a lace-rope braid, you will start by twisting the piece of hair closest to your head forwards, before crossing it backwards over the other strand. Then, you will add some hair to the new strand, before twisting it forwards and crossing it backwards. In essence, the twisting will create a rope. Although this braid seems a tad tricky, it’s actually quite simple once you see it done!
6. Complete the lace-rope braid. Once you run out of hair to add in, just continue twisting the strands and crossing them over. Secure with a small elastic.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 on the other side of your head.
8. And there you have it! Two very cute lace-rope braids. (If you’re wondering why its called ‘lace’, its because you are only gathering from one side of the braid, whereas ‘French’ braids, you gather from both sides.)
9. Leave these braids in overnight. The longer you keep them in, the tighter the curls/waves will be. It differs for every type of hair.
10. In the morning, take out the elastics and uncoil the braids!
11. Style to your liking.
I hope you enjoy this super easy, DIY way to get lovely, effortless curls/waves. This is my favorite way to get some lovely movement in my hair. Its also great since the rope braids can be worn throughout the entire day, so you get a hairstyle and a curls!
See ya later!
-Sophia
Seton Girls' Hairstyles 
wow o’ wow this was a good post, love it Sophia!!! 😀
Thank you so much! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!!
Wow. Sophia, your hair is gorgeous! Awesome post!
So quick question, you did them on dry hair right? ‘Cause I’ve found with my hair type when I try no-heat curls they tend to end up a bit frizzy when I do them on wet-damp hair. 🙂
Aw, thanks Clare!
Yes, I did them on dry hair, but for my hair type at least these work with either dry or damp. I just add some mousse because I’ve found that I get better results either way. 🙂
Wow that looks so good! I’m definitely going to have to try this. I’ve been trying to minimize heat on my hair, thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, I love doing this whenever I want some curl but don’t feel like using heat!
Wow. This is awesome, Sophia! Gotta try this at some point! Also, your hair is so beautiful!!! Terrific post! ❤
I’m so happy you like it Emily! Thank you. 🙂 I really love the way it looks with curls. XD
This looks great! In fact, I do have some Treseme hair mouse (I had to mention it because of the picture) and I’m glad to find a way to use it. Quick question: do you have to make your hair wet?
Thanks! Honestly, it depends on your hair type and texture. For some people, misting it with some water can make a world of a difference, and for others, it won’t. So play around with it. 😉 With my hair, it’s fine doing it dry or slightly damp. In this post though, I did it dry. Hope that helps! 🙂
Yes, it does! Thanks.
Sooo I did this the night before last and it did not turn out well at all. I looked like a 90’s nightmare. I don’t know if I maybe did it too tightly. Thoughts? I did it on wet hair because usually if I do anything to my hair when it’s dry it won’t stay more than 10 minutes. I’m going to try it again later today when my hair is dry just to see what happens.
Aww, I’m so sorry that they did not turn out! I’d definitely try it with your hair dry. Try taking bigger sections, and not making it so tight. The key to any DIY/overnight curls is to play around with it, to suit your hair type. The curls/waves will not look the same for everyone. I have very thick, layered hair, with a slight wave to it. The curls might turn out the same on my sister, since her hair is the same, but not exactly the same for a friend of mine with silky straight hair. So, just play around with it. Try it dry, maybe without mousse. If they come out well like that in the morning, add a little hairspray to make it last. 😉 I hope that helps! I hope the curls turn out well for you!! 🙂
Well, when I did it on dry hair, it turned out pretty much the same. It wasn’t as bad, but still was very far from good. My hair is very fine, but it does curl naturally. I also don’t have a lot of hair on my head (it’s super thin; my sister’s hair is about 3x as thick as mine), so I’m starting to think that that’s why it doesn’t turn out as hoped. I have that problem a lot. Hairstyles just don’t look right on my thin hair. It is a really pretty hairstyle. I’m bummed that it’s not coming out very well for me. I’ll try it once more as loosely as I can without it falling out and see if that works. Do you use/would you suggest using bobby pins to keep the braids in place?
I’m so sorry it hasn’t been working well for you! Not all no heat curls work for everyone. I had to try out different kinds to finally find some that worked with my hair type.
I’d suggest using the bobby pins to keep it in place. 😉 That’s what I do, and personally, they don’t both me. If you’re wearing them to sleep, I know that some people also like to take the braids and wrap them over your head, to keep them out of the way. Just an idea though.
Another idea is to not wear the braids in for quite so long. Maybe do the braids in the morning, and try taking them out later in the afternoon. (Try not to let them stay in as long as you sleep. So if they stay in overnight for 8 hours, try taking them out a few hours earlier.) Just another idea though. 🙂
I did them last night very loosely. It stayed together for the most part, but I didn’t have curls in the morning. It was more like patches of twisted hair. I’ll keep trying different ways and see if I can get them to work. Thank you for all of your ideas and suggestions!
I tried doing this on my little sis(she’s got longer hair than me, lol) for Church, and her hair looked gorgeous! It didn’t turn out the absoulte best, but her hair is very thin…so, I kinda expected that to happen. 😉 But, either way, it did come out a lot better than I was thinking! Simply lovely. ❤
Just have to say: what else is //awesome// about this DIY curl/wave, is that it works on short hair! Definitely gonna be my go-to when I don't have the motivation to get up early and heat-curl my hair. 😛
I’m so glad to hear that Emily! Yes, I love how they work for short hair, too! 😀 I did them when my hair was on the shorter side. 😉
Really great post! Will definitely try next time I need to curl my hair☺
Thank you!! 🙂 I’m glad you liked it.
Hi Sophia 🙂
I have tried this hairstyle out a few times and i love it so much. It is fairly quick and easy to do and it works so well!
Thanks for this great hairstyle:)
Hey there! Thanks for the lovely comment! 🙂 I’m so glad that you have been enjoying the hairstyle. I’m sure your hair look gorgeous : D