How to Curl Long Hair on Dolls

Brush or comb the doll's hair until it is smooth and tangle free. Be sure to choose a brush or comb that works well with the particular texture of the doll's hair.

Decide how loose or tight you want the doll's curls to be, and choose your curlers accordingly. For smaller dolls (like Barbies), bobby pins work well. For larger dolls, small or medium sized foam curlers are an ideal choice. Do not use heated curlers on dolls with synthetic hair.

Starting at the forehead, begin sectioning and rolling the doll's hair onto the chosen curlers. Separate a center section no wider than the curler from the rest of the hair and brush it smooth, dampen it with a spritz of water, then wrap the end around the curler and roll it away from you, toward the back of the doll's head. Secure the curler. The more hair you put on each curler, the looser the curl will be.

Continue sectioning and rolling the center section of the doll's hair, leaving the sides until the center is completely rolled. When the center is finished, separate the side pieces into manageable sections and roll. If desired, you can strategically place a few smaller curlers in the side sections to create a few more tightly curled pieces.

Leave the curlers in the doll's hair at least until dry. Some doll hair may require as much as 48 hours in curlers to hold curl properly. Check the fastness of the curl by removing one curler. Remove the curlers gently and style as desired, but be careful not to brush the doll's hair as this may result in loss of curl or frizziness.