How To Turn A Scarf into A Floral Headband | DIY

After my last wash day, I received a number of questions about how I created the look of my scarf. So, I figured I'd do a quick tutorial to show how easy it is! You can do this with any neck scarf. The thicker the scarf, the larger the flower will become so I like to use my thinner spring/summer scarves for this. 

{1} Fold the scarf into thirds or whatever thickness you would like your headband to be. 

{2} Center the scarf on the back of your head and tie it in the front. If you want your flower to be to one side, similar to mine, that is the side you will tie it on. Note you do not have to tie it in a knot, just once to secure it. 


{3} Two-strand twist the length of the scarf. 

{4} Begin to twist the twisted part of the scarf on itself similar to the way you would a bantu knot. The only difference is you want to keep it flat so that the twist takes on the shape of a flower and doesn't go too much upward like a knot would. 

{5} Secure the end of the scarf under the flower. Just tucking it in is enough for me, but you can always use a rubber band or bobby pin if it is not secure enough. 

That's it! Let me know how this works for you if you try it!

12 comments DIY, tutorial

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Thrifted Vanity | DIY

After shopping for a vanity for awhile and not finding what I wanted (within my budget), I decided to make my own. I love thrifting and I love Do-It-Yourself projects! So why not, right?! Before this, I hadn't upgraded my thrift shopping to furniture, however, I'd seen enough golden finds to want to try it out myself. 

I set out on a mission to find a table (with or without drawers) or a desk, and a large mirror. Thrift shopping takes patience for a number of reasons - you never know what the store is actually going to have and you're probably going to have to dig before you find the good stuff - so I didn't expect to find it immediately. But I finally scored a quality Bassett desk for, wait for it... $20!! Please follow the link if you've never heard of Bassett or their $1K-$2K prices for this kind of furniture (yes, desks!) so you can truly understand how great of a deal this was! Needless to say, I was super excited. And when I went back to pick it up, I found a large mirror to go with it for *drumroll please* $5!! Woot woot!! 

Commence project planning! I didn't like the wood color on either one so I decided to refinish them both. The wonderful thing about getting quality wood furniture is that, with a little elbow grease, you can redesign them this way. And when you watch HGTV as much as I do, you feel like you can do anything lol! I went to Lowe's for my supplies: sandpaper, wood & satin finish, sponges, paint brushes, cheese cloth... fun stuff! I borrowed my aunt's hand sander and got started. 

Refinishing wood is a 4-step process: 

1. Remove old finish by sanding the wood (following the wood grain)
2. Thoroughly clean the sand from wood  
3. Apply wood stain
4. Apply wood finish

Sounds simple right? Well it is and it isn't. In that properly sanding wood is no joke! I felt like my arms were gonna fall off! My dad laughed at me cuz he thought I underestimated how much work it would take to get the old finish removed. Yea... he was right, but don't tell him I admitted that. Thanks HGTV. The pic above is when I first started sanding and realized I needed to step my weight up. It took a little while for me to get the hang of it. That was really where the most work was required in this project, which I didn't mind at all. Once I was done with the desk, the mirror was easy peasy. 

When I thought I was done sanding, I learned the hard way how important following the grain of the wood was with my first coat of wood stain. Yep, that top pic is the result of me "getting the hang of it" with the sander. Ha! Basically, if you don't follow the grain the stain will show every wrong direction you chose instead. Fun fact. So I had to re-sand that part to get the smooth finish fro the bottom pic. Thank God that was the only issue I ran into. After staining and putting on the finish, I also switched the drawer handles (pictured below) to complete the vintage-like look I wanted. Very reminiscent of the vanity my grandma would sit at while I watched her hot comb her hair :) 

I really enjoy creating and figuring out how to do things. I think it's kinda therapeutic for me, and when I'm done I get so excited when it turns out well. I love it! One of the best parts is I spent a little over $50 for the desk, mirror, and supplies. That cannot be beat. And if I get tired of the wood grain look, I can just paint over it. The drawers are so deep, it holds my ridiculous product stash, hair accessories, tools, and makeup quite well.  Pretty much exactly what I wanted!

17 comments DIY, thrift shopping

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DIY: Garlic-Infused Oil for Shedding

Garlic to help with hair shedding?! Some of you may have heard of this before, while for others this may be news fresh off the press. In my last wash day post, I mentioned using a homemade garlic-infused oil to help with my shedding issues. I have tried this a couple times before and always find it works wonderfully for me. I was definitely skeptical at first, but I love finding at home remedies that I can try out myself with little to know added cost. Plus, I knew there had to be something to it because there are numerous shampoos and conditioners that contain garlic as a primary ingredient, which are created to help with shedding, hair loss, and hair growth. So, the question is: why? 

Garlic is known to have a ton of health benefits, and it turns out that it has a number of benefits for your hair and scalp as well. Let's take a look at some of the things that make this pungent herb so beneficial. 

Sulfur: helps strengthen hair at the root - it is a component of many proteins including keratin. It is also great for stimulating blood flow which helps in growth and the removal of toxins in hair follicles. 

Calcium: also provides a structural component for hair

B & C Vitamins: Vitamin B helps in scalp circulation and lack of it is known to be a cause of hair loss. Vitamin C protects hair from breaking and boosts collagen for elasticity. 

Selenium: helps keep cell membranes in tact 

Copper: prevents defective hair growth

Along with these benefits, it tightens the pores to prevent hair loss, and has antiseptic properties. I found a couple studies on the positive effects garlic has on hair loss from issues such as Alopecia, but none specifically on shedding. As with most things in haircare, some people may experience no changes in shedding after using this, but for others (like me!) this might be a godsend. 

There are so many different ways you can do this. The first time I made some, I used the microwave. This time, I thought infusing the oil on the stove might deliver better results. Here's what I did:

1. I took 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced them up
2. Mixed grapeseed, olive, and coconut oils in an old Doo Gro bottle. 
3. Poured the oil into a post and added the garlic
4. Allowed to simmer for 30 mins
5. Poured back into the bottle, leaving the cloves in the pot. 

That is it! So easy. I am sensitive to garlic (the smell gives me a headache) so I didn't want to use very much. I hoped that the small amount would be strong enough to decrease my shedding and it was. Smell didn't even bother me. You can always try adding more garlic to achieve a stronger treatment. You can also add this oil to your conditioner. I like to use it as a pre-poo and pair it with a scalp massage. I have no issues with having my hair smell like garlic after it's been washed either. 

6 comments DIY, hair science, hair tips, homemade hair care, shedding issues

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DIY: 1st Quickweave (wig)

I mentioned in my last wash day post that I was going to do my first quickweave. I wore it for a little over two weeks before letting it go. I used hair I had leftover from the u-part wig I made earlier this year. The terminology of a quickweave seems, to me, to apply to several different styles that all use hair glue. In the first style, your hair is molded to your head, similar to that of a wet wrap, and the weave is then glued to the mold track by track. The next is just like the first except you use a wig cap between your hair and the weave, making it easier to remove, but still glued to your hair. The third, and the method I used, is to glue the hair solely to a wig cap, making it completely removable at any time. When I decided to do this, I began to wonder if the term quickweave refers to the time it takes to complete the style, the length of time the style lasts, or both. Let's discuss the whole experience. 

The only supplies I needed were: hair (of course), a shower cap, hair bonding glue (BSS brand), a wig cap, and a blow dryer. The process of completing this style was surprisingly easy and yes, it was quick. After watching a number of YouTube videos, it took me about 30-45 minutes start to finish. A chunk of that time was spent simply trying to decide how I wanted the hair to lay on top and around my leave out. Here's what I did:

1. Braided my hair straight back, except for a small section in the front. I wasn't concerned about any special braiding pattern since I didn't know how this was all going to work out anyway. 
2. Put on the shower cap then covered it with the wig cap. This step ensures that no glue is applied to your actual hair. 
3. Starting in the back, I began measuring each track against my head before cutting it from the weft. 
4. I applied glue to the backside of the track and immediately put it on the wig cap. 
5. I pressed down on the track for a few seconds and then used the blow dryer to ensure the glue set with the heat. 
6. I repeated steps 3-5 for my entire head, spacing each about an inch or so away from the last.
7. Once I got about eye level, I began curving the tracks upward. This helps the hair to lay in a more natural looking way and keep tracks from making guest appearances :)

After I was done, I removed the shower cap and cut the area I left open for my hair to be left out. I thought about sewing wig clips to it, but with the thinness of the wig cap, it didn't seem like something that would work out well. So, I just secured it to my braids with bobby pins around the perimeter of my head, which kept it very snug.

Overall, I really enjoyed wearing this piece! It was very easy to just pin it on, unbraid my leave out, blend and go every morning. It also made moisturizing and sealing a breeze with the my hair being braided. I felt my hair blended really well and it matched the appearance of my real hair perfectly. Most people thought it was my hair until I told them it wasn't. Score! On one hand, this made me realize I would enjoy wearing wigs as a long-term protective, but on the other, I realized I would have to buy some high quality hair (or a wig) in order to be okay with wearing this kind of style for awhile. This Sensationnel Wet N' Wavy hair just loves to get matted! And that is something I simply cannot do. 

When I got to almost two weeks of wearing this, a track just fell off the back when I was combing it one night! Ha! Sooo, I decided that the term quickweave refers both to the short amount of time it takes to create the style and the limited amount of time the style lasts. I was so glad that did not happen in public, too! I had a lot of fun styling the piece. I loved the big hair look, but also enjoyed pulling it back and twisting it up. Here's a simple side twist I did one day. Can't wait til I can do that with my own hair!

2 comments 10 weeks post, 3/4 wig, DIY, protective styles, quickweave, u-part wig

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DIY: Turn Any Scarf Into A Cute Headband/Wrap

I am a pretty crafty gal and, sometimes, I enjoy just kind of "making things up" when it comes to my clothing and accessories. I have maybe two actual headbands, but I have so many scarves of all kinds (got a gift bag full at a gift exchange one year). Since I love the look of headbands and they rarely fit my head well, I try to make due with what I have. Recently, I've had a few ladies asking about my scarves and headbands so I decided to do a quick how to. It's really quite simple to give any scarf a little cute extra with a bow. It doesn't matter what shape it is either. These are the two I've done most recently, with rectangle and square scarves. 

For a rectangle scarf:

1. Lay the scarf flat then fold it in half.

2. Put the middle in the back of your head and tie the ends together twice to make a knot

3. Tuck each end just under the edge of the scarf on both sides of the knot. Fluff and spread to get the perfect bow look. 

I love this to jazz up buns and textured updos. Especially when my edges are misbehaving. If you're like me and headbands slowly slide up your head during the day, you may want to secure the scarf with a couple bobby pins to prevent this.

For a square scarf:

1. First take the scarf, lay it flat and then fold it diagonally into a triangle.

2. Put the middle of the triangle at the back of your head and tie the ends together twice to make a knot. 

3. Pull the tip of the triangle tight and tuck it under the knot. 

 4. Take each end and tuck it under the edge of the scarf. Fluff out to give the perfect bow look. 

You can do this with your edges out or even a front swoop of hair. Works great for an old twist or braid out. I love to do it when I'm deep conditioning on the go, too.





Easy right? You can change the look of a boring bun or turn a bad hair day into a cute wrap in just a few short minutes!

3 comments DIY, scarf styles

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1st DIY: 3/4 Part Wig

So, I made my first 3/4 (or u-part) wig. I have never attempted to do anything like this before and previously, I probably would have just laughed at the suggestion of wearing a wig. However, the more I have witnessed these part wigs in action, the more my interest has been piqued. They can look so natural and seemed pretty easy to make. So, after watching only God knows how many tutorials/tips and tricks about u-part wig videos, I went for it!

I went to one of my few choice beauty supply stores to get everything I needed. This particular store always has their hair buy one get one free. The selection is huge and a bit overwhelming if, like me, you are not a weave connoisseur. Luckily for me, there was a really nice sales girl that walked around the store with me for awhile, listening to what I wanted and making awesome suggestions. I ended up going with the Silhouette brand of Wet n' Wavy human hair. Right out the pack it looked just like my texture of hair. I figured even if I didn't go for the wavy look it has after you wet it, it would match my hair anyway. I got a 10" pack in #1 (black) and a 12" pack in #2 (brown) in an attempt to match the highlights in my hair. 

I also needed a weaving cap, hair thread, a weaving needle, wig clips, and a styrofoam head. I thought that was it, but once I started sewing the hair onto the cap, I quickly figured out I needed some straight pins to secure the cap to the head and the tracks in place as I sewed them on. I bought the weaving cap with the adjustable straps. It was nice, but for how I was styling my hair, I don't think I will get that one the next time I make one. I felt like I kept having to tuck and hide pieces of it that would creep out on the sides. Of course, it could've just been the way I made the wig and have nothing to do with the cap.

At first, I thought it would be better to sew the longer hair on the bottom and the shorter on the top, but I did not like the way that looked. So I weaved them in together, alternating layers of each, about an inch apart. It took a little more work to do it this way though since my goal was not to cut the wefts (tracks of hair). But I inevitably ended up having to cut them because each pack of hair was one weft and I only used half of each. Once I got as close to the top of the cap (a little of that black line in the bottom left pic above) as I wanted, I cut a u-shaped section of the cap off and sewed wigs clips onto each side. 

I left about a handful of hair out on the top and some on each side in the front. I put the rest of my hair in 4-5 braids and pinned them together. I LOVED the way this hair looked with mine. My own hair blended perfectly with it, colors and all! People couldn't tell if or when I had it in, including my own mother. Score!!


I didn't actually wear the hair all out at all. I kept telling myself to do it, but not going through with it. Probably because it's new for me and all I could think when it was all out was: Melanie, you know you do not have this much hair! lol! So, I protective styled my protective style! It made styles I normally do look so full and thick! Can you tell how much I enjoy wearing this thing?! Eventually, I think I'll get over the whole I-know-I-have-on-hair-I-didn't-grow-so-I-think-everyone-else-knows-too issue I was having and wear it out. 

The only complaint I have about this experience was with the hair. Keeping up with the wet n' wavy look the way it's suggested to do was too much for me. As in, continuing to re-wet it daily. But if you start and then don't keep it up, it gets matted looking! Gross! I did find that if I wet it and braided it up like I would my hair for a braid out, I wouldn't have that problem. So, it wasn't the biggest deal to me. It was very convenient and I'm sure I'll be making more in the future.  

1 comment 3/4 wig, DIY, protective styles, u-part wig

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