Before you start your straw set, make sure you have everything you need. Both methods will require the same items: drinking straws, bobby pins, scissors, and a water spray bottle. You will also need a wide tooth comb and a few hair clips for sectioning. Cut the bendable top off of each straw you plan to use. If your straws are already straight throughout with no articulated ends, you can use them as-is. When using straight straws, scissors are no longer required. If your hair takes a long time to dry, you will also need a silk headscarf to sleep in. Your hair doesn't need to be clean when styling it, but if you do wash beforehand you will need to let your hair dry first. Avoid using a blow dryer to prevent heat damage. This hair roller method can prevent hair from drying completely. If your hair type retains moisture and you are styling ringlet curls, try to get your hair as dry as possible before you style. This isn't as important for the poofy look, however, since you will be removing the straws before your hair dries completely. If you have natural textured hair, drying it completely before styling isn't necessary. You can start your straw set while your hair is damp or wet if you choose. This step will keep your hair bouncy and help it last longer, particularly if it tends to dry out. First, use a moisturizing product, like leave-in conditioner. Combine it with one of the setting products below, depending on your hair type. If you have fine hair, use a mousse or spray. If you have medium to thick hair with a natural wave, opt for a gel or cream. With relaxed hair, try a trio of leave-in conditioner, wrapping lotion, and castor oil. your hair. Separate a 3 inches (7.6cm) "mohawk" section down the middle of your scalp, around your part and down the back of your head. This will divide your hair into thirds, which are generally good for hair rolling. Comb your hair out and away from your scalp and clip each section in place. Leave the first section you plan on styling loose. How many parts you will section your hair into will be determined by hair length and thickness as well as the amount you feel comfortable working with at a time. You can do a few more sections if your hair is very thick or long.

Summary: Gather your materials. Allow your hair to dry. Moisturize and use setting products. Section

You can find a stain stripper designed specifically for removing wood stain online or at your local hardware store. Use a disposable aluminum pan or a metal bowl to hold the stain stripper. Be careful as you're pouring it so you don't get any on your clothes or the floor. Dip the paintbrush in the container of stain stripper so it's fully soaked. Then, carefully brush it across the surface of the wood you want to remove stain from until the entire surface is covered. Make sure the coat of stain stripper is even and thick. If you're working on a large piece of furniture, it may be easier to strip the stain off one part of the furniture first, as opposed to doing it all at once. Check on the stain stripper every few minutes while you're waiting for it to work. If you notice any spots that look dry, apply more stain stripper to those areas with the paint brush. It's important that the stain stripper doesn't dry out while you're waiting for it to work. Read the label on your stain stripper for specific timing instructions. Starting at the edge of the wood surface, gently push the scraper across the surface of the wood in a straight line. When you reach the other side of the wood, hold a trash bin under the edge so you can push the scraped-off stain stripper into it. Then, bring the scraper back to the edge you started at and repeat in a different spot. Continue until all the stain stripper has been scraped off the surface of the wood. Avoid using a metal scraper with a sharp edge or you could damage the surface of the wood. Follow the direction of the grain as you're bringing the steel wool back and forth over the surface of the wood. Make sure you go over any nooks and crannies in the wood with the steel wool. This will remove any leftover stain stripper on the wood. It's important that you get off all the leftover residue or you could have a hard time sanding the wood later on. The wood needs to be completely dry before you sand it. If you try to sand it early, the sandpaper will quickly get clogged with the wet wood.

Summary: Fill up a metal container with stain stripper. Apply a thick layer of the stain stripper to the wood using a paintbrush. Let the stain stripper sit for 15-20 minutes and reapply as necessary. Use a plastic scraper to scrape off the stain stripper into a trash bin. Dip a steel-wool pad in the stain stripper and wipe down the surface of the wood. Wipe down the surface of the wood with a rag and water. Let the wood dry for 24 hours.

Pick a yarn that's comfortable and thick enough to handle such as a high-quality wool. Consider using light-colored yarn so the child can see the stitches easier. Don't teach with a thin or glittery yarn, since it can be difficult to see the stitches. Choose a yarn that's thick enough to hold between your fingers easily. Thin yarn is more likely to become tangled and the child might drop stitches more often. Use any size of needles as long as they work with the size of the yarn. For example, if you have thick worsted wool, use larger knitting needs such as US size 7. You can buy metal, plastic, wood, or bamboo needles so ask the child which type feels the most comfortable and use those. Bamboo and wood may be more comfortable to work with because they'll warm up between the child's hands as they knit. Some children prefer thinner needles while other kids find that thicker needles are easier to grasp. To determine how long to make the lessons, add 2 to 5 minutes to the amount of the child's age. For example, if you're teaching a 5 year old, keep lessons between 7 and 10 minutes long. Limiting the sessions will help the child focus and will prevent them from getting bored or disinterested. Before you introduce the knitting needles, teach the child how to hold the yarn and knit a basic chain using just their fingers. The child will get used to handling the yarn and will gain confidence when they see that they're knitting a chain. You don't need to have the child make anything using the chain. Instead, they can simply practice weaving with the yarn and you can see how well they do with following basic instructions. If you don't think the child is ready to hold needles and begin knitting, start them on another tool that will make them familiar with yarn. Buy a knitting knobby, knitting spinner, or knitting loom from a craft supply store. Show the child how to weave the yarn around the tool to create basic knit patterns or swatches. These tools are great if you've offered the needles to the child, but they kept dropping them.
Summary: Select yarn that's easy to work with. Let the child choose needles that are easy to handle. Keep the teaching session short enough to match the child's attention span. Show the child how to finger knit. Teach the child to use a knitting knobby or loom.