Do you envy those who have naturally curly hair? Is your hair wavy or pin straight? Even if you have very straight hair, you can create curls. They won’t last as long, but with the right processing and preparation, you could get curls that last at least most of the day. If your hair is wavy, curls will hold longer throughout the day.

Follow the steps below to curl your own hair.

1. Don’t wash your hair before you start. Freshly washed hair won’t hold the curls as well. If you’re preparing the curls in the morning, wash them the morning of the day before or the night before. When you do wash your hair, don’t add anything, if possible. Leave out hairspray, gel, leave-in conditioner, etc.

2. To get the best curls, you will need curlers. If you don’t have any or don’t want to buy any, use 2 by 5 inch pieces of fabric. Cut the strips from scraps of fabric or old clothes. The smaller the curlers, the tighter the curls will be. Tighter curls will last longer, although they will loosen some throughout the day.

3. Take a one inch section of hair and comb it from root to tip. To prepare your hair, spray it lightly with a bottle of 3 parts water to 1 part hair gel mixed together thoroughly. Use strong hold gel. If you have dry hair, you can also add a little bit of conditioner to the mixture to help keep your hair moisturized. Comb the gel mixture through the section of hair.

4. Take the curler or rag and hold it to the bottom tip of your hair. Wrap it up to your scalp. Wrap the hair in toward your scalp and pin it. If you’re using rag pieces, wrap the hair somewhat loosely. Tie the two ends together to secure it. Continue doing this for all parts of your hair.

5. If you have thick hair, you might want to section off your hair into 3 to 5 sections. Keep each section clipped or secured with a hair tie until you’re ready to use it.

6. Ask someone to help you if possible. It can make your arms ache holding them up in the air for such a long period of time. Take breaks in between if you need to. If you have a patient friend, you can work on the hair together to save more time.

7. Once you’ve finished putting all your hair in curlers, take a break and rest your arms. The next step is optional, but it will help the curls stay in longer. You can accomplish it one of two ways. Get a hair dryer and set it to low heat. Dry your hair on low for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also use a bonnet extension that attaches to your blow dryer. You wear the bonnet over your how head and turn on the dryer. It works similar to the dryers at salons. Follow the instructions and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes.

8. The next step is to let your hair sit for as long as possible. Leave the curlers in for at least an hour. The hair should be dry and cool. If you can leave it in curlers for 3 to 5 hours, you will get good results. If you don’t mind sleeping in curlers, setting your hair the night before will give you the best results with the strongest hold.

9. Once you’re ready, before removing the curlers, spray your head lightly with strong hold hair spray. Let it dry for a couple minutes then remove each curler or rag. Once every curler is out, shake your head lightly and spray with more hairspray.

If you like the look, leave it as-is. You can shake your head some more for a tousled look. Run your fingers through it lightly to loosen the curls if the locks are too tight. Add clips or pins and adjust pieces to get the right look. Now your curls are ready to show off. If you need to use hairspray then check out my review of best hairspray for curly hair.