Fix a Sweater Snag

1Push or pull the snag through the sweater

Using a sewing needle, push the scraggly bit of the snag through to the inside of the sweater. If the snag’s too big to grab this way, turn the sweater inside out and use a crochet hook to tug the strands to the inside.

Tip: Don’t cut the snag’s strands; you might create a hole.

2Knot the snag

Keep the snag at bay by tying it in a knot. Dabbing the knot with clear nail polish will stop it from unraveling, but make sure the knit is thick enough to prevent any polish from bleeding through to the sweater’s front.

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French Braid Hair

1Brush hair

Before braiding, brush hair to smooth out any knots or tangles.

2Gather hair at top of head; divide into three sections

Starting at the hairline, gather enough hair from top of head to start a regular braid. Divide hair into three equal sections. Hold right section in right hand, left section in left hand, and middle section between thumb and another finger of either hand.

3Cross the sections

To begin braid, cross right section over middle section, then repeat this move with left section, smoothing hair down as you go. Pull sections fairly tight; you don’t want the braid to be loose and come undone.

4Add hair to the section

Before repeating your cross-over motion with the right section, gather a little bit of additional hair from the head’s right side, and add it to this section; now cross this larger portion of hair over the middle section of the braid. 

Tip: Make sure that the sections of hair you’re adding are roughly equal or the braid will look lopsided.

5Add hair to the section on the other side

Gather a small section (of equal size to the one you just gathered) of the remaining hair on the left side of your head up and into the left section and cross that over the middle section.

Tip: Slightly dirty hair has less “slip,” making it easier to braid.

6Repeat adding hair and crossing sections

Repeat steps 4 and 5, adding hair until you’ve gathered in all additional hair strands. Finish at the bottom with a regular braid.

7Secure the braid at the end with a band

Once you reach the bottom of the braid, secure the end with a hair band, wrapping it tightly around the hair.

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Do a Fancy Ponytail

1Gather the hair into a low ponytail

Smoothing hair, gather it all back into a low ponytail near nape of neck. Fix with hair band, tying more loosely than you would with a standard ponytail. 

Tip: Use a band that matches your hair color.

2Create a hole above the band

Using a couple of fingers, create a space in the hair just above the hair band. Twist the hair in the ponytail to make it easier to thread through in the next step.

3Thread hair through the hole

Thread the twisted ponytail through the hole at the front, pulling it out the bottom. Slide up the hair band to tighten for a strong hold.

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Curl Hair

1Make sure hair is dry

Curling wet hair can cause breakage and burning, so start with dry hair. Heat a curling iron with a short, spring-loaded clamp. A larger iron (such as one with a three-quarter-inch barrel) is the most versatile, allowing you to create everything from loose waves to tighter curls.

2Comb and detangle hair

Run a comb through your hair, removing any knots and tangles. You’ll have an easier time with the curling iron if your hair is tangle-free.

3Take a section of hair and spritz with protectant spray

Use your fingers to separate a small section of hair from the rest. It should be almost as wide as the barrel of your curling iron. Holding the section of hair near the ends with one hand, smooth it with the other, combing it again if you like. Then spritz it with a heat-protectant spray to prevent damage and help set the curl.

Tip: If your hair is coarse or particularly porous, set the curling iron to high, which will help set the curl. For finer hair, a lower temperature will work.

4Wrap your hair in the iron

Still holding the section of hair, grasp the handle of the curling iron in the other hand. Open the barrel, insert the section of hair, then close the barrel around the hair several inches above your hand. Slide the iron down the section of hair until it’s almost at the ends, then release the hair from your hand. Twirl the iron under, so that you’re wrapping the section of hair around the barrel several times, steadying and guiding the iron at the tip (make sure that it’s heat-proof first) with your other hand. How many times you wrap the hair around the barrel will depend on its length. As you roll the curling iron up, keep it more or less horizontal. When the iron is as high as you want the curl to go, stop rolling and release the clamp slightly. Count to five, then angle the iron so that the tip is pointing up and the handle is angling down, and release the curl entirely by reducing all pressure on the clamp while bringing the iron down and away from the hair.

5Continue to wrap and release sections of hair

Work through the rest of your hair, repeating Steps 3 and 4 with each section.

6Lightly comb hair

When finished, lightly comb through the curls and shape them with your fingers to arrange them just the way you want them.

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Braid Hair

1Brush and gather hair

Brush through hair to eliminate bumps and tangles. Then gather it at the nape, securing it into a ponytail with an elastic band.

2Divide hair into three sections

Divide the ponytail into three equal parts, making sure each right section your right hand, close to the palm, and the middle section between two fingers of your right hand.

3Weave hair into the middle

Cross the left section over the middle section (the left section now becomes the new middle section), switching it from your left to your right hand, then cross the right section over the new middle section, switching it from your right to your left hand, and so on.

Tip: Pull sections fairly tight, so the braid won’t be too loose and fall out, and smooth hair as you go.

4Secure with rubber band

Repeat Step 3 until you’ve braided the entire length of the ponytail. When you reach the end, secure the bottom of the braid with a hair band, wrapping it snugly around the hair.

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Clean a Hairbrush

1Perform daily maintenance

Remove hair from your brush every time you use it. Hold the brush in one hand while grasping a comb in the other. If the comb has a pointed handle, hold the teeth (not the handle) and run the point of the handle through the bristles a few times to dislodge and remove any hair. Alternately, you can use the teeth of the comb to remove hair, raking them through the bristles and lifting the hair up and out. Discard the hair.

2Shampoo your brush

Once a month or so, shampoo your hairbrush to remove dirt, oil, and any built-up hair products. Holding the handle, swirl the head of the brush around in a bowl of warm water. Next, put a few drops of gentle shampoo on the bristles of a toothbrush and use the toothbrush to scrub the bristles and base of the hairbrush. Rinse the brush by swirling it around in the bowl of clean water. 

Tip: Don’t soak your hairbrush in water, as that could harm its cushion and any wooden parts.

3Dry hairbrush overnight

Place the clean, wet brush on a dry towel with the bristles facing down to dry overnight.

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