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Make heatless curls with a soft curling ribbon

Choose a soft curling ribbon when your loose hair is long enough to wrap down both sides of one padded form. It creates a temporary curl or wave setting pattern without a heated barrel.

Step by step

  1. A woman with damp long loose hair centers a padded curling ribbon across her crown and holds its top clip with both hands.
    STEP 1 OF 5

    Center the ribbon

    • Blot detangled hair with a towel until it is damp, not dripping; soaked hair can't dry inside a wrap.
    • Part it into left and right sides.
    • Place the ribbon across the crown and use its top clip to keep both ends even.
  2. A woman wraps damp hair from one side around a padded curling ribbon while the other ribbon end hangs free.
    STEP 2 OF 5

    Make the first wrap

    • Take a thin front piece and pass it over and around the ribbon.
    • Keep each piece thin: thin wraps dry all the way through, while a thick one stays damp in the middle.
  3. A woman adds a neighboring piece of hair to a section already wrapped around a soft curling ribbon.
    STEP 3 OF 5

    Add the next piece and continue wrapping

    • Add the next thin piece of hair to the same wrap, then pass the combined section around the ribbon.
    • Continue downward with both hands in front of your shoulder, keeping the turns smooth and comfortable.
  4. A woman secures the wrapped end of a curling ribbon near her shoulder while the opposite side is also wrapped.
    STEP 4 OF 5

    Secure both sides

    • Fasten the first end with the ribbon’s smooth tie, then repeat the same direction on the other side.
    • Skip tight elastics: hair keeps any dent it dries in.
    • Check that the crown and roots do not pull; remove the top clip after both wrapped ends hold securely.
    • Check that every intended length is wrapped and both end fasteners feel comfortable.
  5. A woman unwinds one fully dry side from a soft curling ribbon while supporting the curl with her other hand.
    STEP 5 OF 5

    Dry and unwrap

    • Press a fingertip into the middle of each wrap. If it feels cool, the hair inside is still damp, so wait longer.
    • Remove the end fasteners, unwind each side from the bottom upward, then lift the ribbon away.
    • Separate the curls lightly with your fingers rather than a brush, which pulls curls apart into frizz.
    • Collect the ribbon, its fasteners and any sectioning clips.

    Why wait until it's dry? Water breaks the weak bonds that hold hair's shape. They form again as the hair dries, holding the shape it was wrapped in. Unwrapped while damp, the hair relaxes and the curl drops.

About 5–15 min hands-on for parting, wrapping both sides of a soft ribbon, securing and later unwrapping them. Start with damp, detangled hair. Add complete air-drying and optional overnight wear.

Practical editorial estimate, not measured. Two broad wraps are quicker than a full roller set; first attempts and long hair can take longer.

You’re done when…

The ribbon, clip and both fasteners are out, each wrap was fully dry before release, and no section was pulled or snagged.