How to Make Rag Curls on the Prairie

If you’re planning a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, learning how pioneers styled their hair is a simple and meaningful way to bring history to life. One charming and practical skill to explore is rag curls, a heat-free curling method used long before electric curling irons existed.

In this post, you’ll learn how to make rag curls, explore the historical context behind them, and discover hands-on activities and reflection questions perfect for homeschooling families.

Catch Up! If you haven’t read all about our first week on the prairie, I would encourage you to go and read my Little House in the Big woods post. This covers everything we did from making nightdresses, to prairie cooking and making button strings. It also gives you a good idea of everything we achieved with our own little house on the prairie renovations!

Why Study Rag Curls in Your Homeschool?

When we teach history through daily life skills, children begin to understand that the past was lived by real people solving real problems.

On the prairie:

• There was no electricity.
• Personal grooming required creativity.
• Supplies were limited.
• Resourcefulness was essential.

Learning about rag curls connects children to pioneer ingenuity and everyday life during westward expansion.

Check out week two! Last week we focused on Farmer Boy. This is the second book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did lots of prairie cooking (hasty pudding, making a sour dough starter and some prairie bread) and also made some button lamps, a prairie ladder, and some peg hooks. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

Hair Care on the Prairie

In pioneer times, families packed only what they could carry in a wagon. Personal items were minimal, and tools had to serve multiple purposes. Curling irons were heated in fireplaces or on cast iron stoves, but they were not always practical, or safe.

Instead, women and girls often used strips of fabric to curl their hair overnight. This method required:

• No heat
• No special equipment
• Only scrap cloth

It was simple, economical, and effective, everything prairie living demanded.

Check out week three! We focused on The Little House on the Prairie. This is the third book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did some of prairie cooking (soda biscuits) and also made some curtains, hay sticks and a hammock net. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

How to Make Rag Curls (Step-by-Step)

This is a wonderful practical activity for your Little House on the Prairie Unit Study.

Supplies:

• Clean strips of cotton fabric (about 1 inch wide and 6–8 inches long)
• Slightly damp hair
• Comb

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Rags
   Cut fabric into strips. Pioneer families often reused worn-out clothing for this purpose.
2. Dampen the Hair
   Hair should be slightly damp, not dripping wet.
3. Section the Hair
   Divide hair into small sections. Smaller sections create tighter curls.
4. Wrap the Hair
   Place the end of a hair section in the middle of a fabric strip. Roll the hair upward toward the scalp.
5. Tie the Rag
   Tie the ends of the fabric strip in a secure knot.
6. Leave Overnight
   Sleep carefully! In the morning, untie the rags gently.
7. Style with Fingers
   Separate curls using fingers rather than a brush for best results.

This method produces soft, natural-looking curls, just like pioneer girls might have worn to church or special gatherings.

Week four we focused on ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’ and the children learnt about herbal medicine, stained a rocking chair for the corner of the house, made some baskets and began a productive Little House vegetable garden. And lastly, we made some home-made yogurt and a blueberry pie.

Life Skills Hidden in Rag Curls

Teaching children how to make rag curls isn’t just about hair, it’s about character formation.

You can discuss:

• Patience (waiting overnight for results)
• Resourcefulness (using what you have)
• Stewardship (reusing fabric scraps)
• Simplicity (living without modern conveniences)

These are powerful lessons wrapped inside a simple activity.

During week five, we focused on By the Shores of the Silver Lake. We made signs for over the front door and inside the cottage, wove our own baskets, Thomas began building a stove for the cottage, made some molasses popcorn balls and a very tasty prairie chicken with home grown green beans.

Connecting Rag Curls to Your Little House on the Prairie Unit Study

To deepen the lesson, tie rag curls into:

• Reading chapters describing daily routines
• Comparing pioneer grooming tools to modern ones
• Discussing hygiene practices of the 1800s
• Exploring the role of appearance in community events

You might ask:

• Why would neat hair matter on the prairie?
• What did grooming communicate about a family?
• How did limited resources affect daily routines?

During week six our focus was on The Long Winter. We made a tea towel and dish cloth, did some prairie cooking and made butter, bread, and jam. Thomas also completed the Little House stove and Lillie made a table cloth.

Reflection Questions for Your Homeschool

Use these for journaling, discussion, or copywork.

1. Why do you think pioneers used rag curls instead of hot curling irons?
2. What does this tell us about life without electricity?
3. How would you feel waiting overnight to see the results?
4. What modern tools do we rely on that pioneers did not have?
5. How can we practice resourcefulness in our own home?

Encourage older students to write a diary entry from the perspective of a prairie child preparing for Sunday service.

In week seven, during our time with The Little Town on the Prairie, we focused on prairie dress up for all five children, we made some cod balls, fresh lemonade and prairie biscuits and held a prairie party. Thomas made a sink unit to go in our own little house whilst Charlotte made a tea towel and dish cloth to go with it.

Hands-On Extension Activities

Here are some engaging ways to expand your lesson:

1. Fabric Recycling Project

Let children cut old clothing into usable strips. Discuss how pioneers reused materials.

2. Compare and Contrast Chart

Create a Venn diagram comparing:

• Modern curling irons
• Rag curls
• Braiding

3. Science Connection

Discuss:

• Why does damp hair hold shape?
• What happens as it dries?
• How does heat change hair structure?

4. Pioneer Morning Routine Simulation

Have a “prairie morning”:

• No electricity
• Simple breakfast
• Handwashing with a basin
• Removing rag curls and styling hair

5. Creative Writing

Prompt:
“It is Sunday morning on the prairie. My curls are finally ready…”

Last week was week eight, and we were reading ‘These Happy Golden Years’. During this week we focused on how laundry was done on the prairie. We made ourselves a laundry bag and matching peg bag. We used our new play stove to ‘boil’ the water and after we used our very new and exciting purchase of a wash board, completing out laundry day by pegging out everything on our washing line!

The Beauty of Simple Living

One of the greatest gifts of a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study is showing children that joy does not require modern convenience. Simple skills, like rag curls, demonstrate creativity, patience, and resilience.

When children participate in historical practices, they move beyond textbook learning into lived understanding.

And sometimes, the smallest activities leave the deepest impressions.

Final Encouragement for Homeschool Parents

You don’t need elaborate supplies to create meaningful history lessons. Sometimes all it takes is:

• A few scraps of fabric
• A willing child
• A story from the past

Teaching your children how to make rag curls may seem small, but it’s a beautiful way to weave history, life skills, and family connection together.