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How to Do Banana Curls on Synthetic Doll Hair

Banana curls are seen mostly on little girls as they prepare for a dance recital. This super-spiral curl is springy and stands in place--and most certainly, is not brushed out of the hair. However, if you want to get that look on a doll's hair, the traditional hot rollers, sponge curlers and curling iron will not work on synthetic hair. Instead, you'll have to use a more less-than-traditional way to get your doll's hair into banana curls, and all it takes is some water and straws.

Things You'll Need

Shampoo
Doll brush
Detangling spray
Cocktail straws
Scissors
Bobby pins
4 cups water
Small pot
2 cups cold water
1 cup ice cubes
Bud vase

Instructions

- 1
  Wash the doll's hair to get rid of any dirt or grime. Soak the hair under cool water. Apply a dime-sized amount of shampoo to the doll's hair. Do not massage the shampoo in, this can cause tangles. Instead, brush the shampoo through the hair.
- 2
  Spray some detangling spray into the hair to get it silky smooth. Brush through it again with a doll brush.
- 3
  Cut your cocktail straws into 3/4-inch pieces using a pair of scissors. How many pieces you'll need depends on the size of the doll. For a regular Barbie doll, you'll need about 20 pieces.
- 4
  Section of a tiny piece of hair. Hold the hair out horizontally. Place the straw "roller" vertically at the very end of the hair. Roll the straw--still vertically--into the head. Slide a bobby pin through the middle of the straw, over the hair, to secure it in place. Do this until all of the hair is rolled into a straw roller.
- 5
  Pour 4 cups of water into a small pot. Set it on the stove on "high" heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to "low" to let the water simmer.
- 6
  Pour 2 cups of cold water into a bowl. Fill the bowl with 1 cup of ice cubes.
- 7
  Hold onto the doll's legs over a sink. Carefully, pour the simmering water over the doll's head. Rotate the doll slowly to ensure all of her hair gets saturated. Immediately after pouring the hot water over her hair, pour the ice water over her hair, as well.
- 8
  Place the doll into a bud vase so she is standing upright. Allow 10 to 15 hours for her hair to dry.
- 9
  Remove the first bobby pin from a roller. Carefully, grab hold of the bottom of the roller, and slide it down and out of the curl. This will help keep the banana curl shape in the hair--pull the rollers out haphazardly can make the curls fall.
- 10
  Repeat with the rest of the bobby pins and rollers to get that perfect banana curl look.

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