Never used a hair toy

[Esperada]

I have never been to wear my hair up at all and when I do it only tends to be a ponytail or occasionaly I will throw it up in a bun with a scrunchie but they never stay.
Since joining LHC I have seen all of these beautiful pictures with hair toys and I think I may be ready to dive in and try some out.
What things are good to try for a complete and utter beginner? Are there any easy hairstyles to start using hair toys with? :confused:
I really have no idea where to start with wearing my hair up and feel like I'm missing a lot of enjoyment from my hair by wearing it how I never have before.

[Madora]

First of all, how long is your hair? Is it all one length?

The easiest hairtoy is the Flexi 8. You can ponytail with a Flexi 8 (assuming you purchased the right size). Once your hair is clipped by a Flexi, the sky's the limit (again depending on hair length).

Before you go buying hairtoys, I'd advise to learn a few hairstyles first, then go out and find a hairtoy. ETA: link to the Flexi8 http://www.lillarose.biz/our-products.html?id=RUhYLbrK I've purchased 4 in the past 3 years. Very happy w service and merchandise!

[Esperada]

Hair is 24" and has a few layers (please excuse the unbrushed look, it was for hair-typing)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c378/myistic714/10641265_10152737508135854_7785646253841726166_n_z ps9f9f37f1.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/myistic714/media/10641265_10152737508135854_7785646253841726166_n_z ps9f9f37f1.jpg.html)

[laceyfairy]

I started off with spin pins, available at my local pharmacy/drugstore. A flexi-8 was my next purchase, and I agree with Madora that it is very easy to learn. Honestly, I held a fair number of buns with crochet hooks for a while before I bought the flexi 8.

[Clarkie]

My hair is just a bit longer than yours and also has some layers. So far my favourite hairtoys are forks and sticks. I haven't tried flexi 8's but I intend to because I really do like the look of them. When I first joined LHC a couple of months ago I read through alot of the threads devoted to particular toys, Jeterforks, Timberstone Turnings, Ficcares etc. There are loads of pictures of the toys in various hairstyles. This gave me ideas about what I could do with my hair and how it would look.
Probably one of the easiest hairstyles to try is a lazy wrap bun. You can find tutorials for this and many other buns on Youtube. There are also tutorials on how to use hairsticks and forks etc.
Have fun! I've learned so much from the lovely ladies and guys on LHC.

[Zesty]

I started off with a pair of hair sticks from EaduardHairsticks on Etsy. They were like $12 I think? I didn't have a ton of luck with Flexis for updos (I have some that I love for half-ups though). The thing about hair sticks is that there's a learning curve but once you've got the hang of it other hair toys become much easier. You learn how to pick up hair from your scalp to anchor a hair style, and you get a feel for whether or not a bun is going to fall down. I see hair stick usage as the foundational technique leading to other things, like forks, flexis, etc. So I'm happy with how I started out, but YMMV. What's your overall thickness? That might make a difference, because if your hair is thick then hair sticks are more difficult to use at shorter lengths. However I can use a single hair stick to hold up a bun and I'm at about 22" with a 3.5" ponytail circumference. Anyway, I'm sure you'll get good advice on here, and we'd love to know what you ultimately decide. :)

[Esperada]

Ponytail circumference is 4.5".
Think I will have a look around on youtube and have a play with different hairstyles, though I have never had much luck with getting my hair to look nice whilst up, it always end up with lots of lumps and bumps :(

[Scarlet_Heart]

I started with chopsticks. They're cheap and good to learn with but they are really long and prone to breaking depending on what they're made of so I wouldn't suggest them as a long-term solution.

I second EaduardHairsticks. They won't break and will last forever. For forks, JeterForks are great for beginners because they are inexpensive and user-friendly.

My favorite bun (and it's super easy) is the lazy wrap bun. There are tons of tutorials for that one too; it's really common.

Good luck! Just remember, there is no turning back once you delve into sticks/forks/buns territory. It's so much more secure and elegant than a ponytail and it's easy to boot!

[Stellaaa]

4.5" is pretty thick. The thicker your hair, the longer it has to be to bun with ease.

That said, you can use a pencil, chopstick, or crochet hook as a learning device. Once you've mastered a bun or two, you will have a good idea of what size sticks you want.

[restless]

I have a few suggestions in case you want to try out some hair toys to practice buns with without having to order online first:

My first pair of hairsticks was nothing fancy (cheap, plastic version), but they worked like a charm. I know it can be hard to find hair toys outside of the internet, but Ive found simple but pretty sticks at Claire´s, so looking there is a suggestion if you live near one of those shops. Keep an eye open if you come across a random market or an indian/south east asian inspired shop too, Ive found a lot of fun hairstuff in those kind of places (wooden two prong forks, slides). Ive never been to a renaissance fair, but Ive read on here people going to them and finding cute hair toys there as well, so if one is being held near you why not go and take a look? My last suggestion is simple forks you can make yourself by bending a knitting needle and painting it with nailpolish. Its not very fancy its but pretty and sturdy (truth to be told, theyre still some of my favorites even though my collection has expanded since I first made them years ago).

Regarding buns I think the nautilus bun and the lazy wrap are good ones to start out with. They are very easy to master and there are great tutorials on youtube. Good luck and have fun :)

[Zebra Fish]

My first hairtoy, aside from cheap claw clips, was a hairstick bought locally. I called it thorn coz of its look and was the only hairtoy I had until few months ago. The first successful bun I learned was the lazy wrap bun, and after that nautilus. And that's it xD Now that I got a ficcare I can do cinnamonbun with it. I'm still really messy for a french braid and it falls out quickly, not mention I can't get a hold on how to use forks -.- Just youtube some how to, and it's not that hard. My advice: try more styles as some that someone says easy might not work for you, while some that are really hard might be easy for you.

And welcome to LHC! Soon you'll be wanting more hairtoys that you need! :demon:

Also, you might wanna consider joining the RAOK thread on the swap board (if you still haven't) :) I learned so much from that and the PIF (Pay it forward swap) thread

[Esperada]

Quite possibly the messiest lazy wrap bun in the history of buns, lumpy, bumpy and forgot to include half of my hair! Decided to use one of my double point knitting needles as a hair stick. However I'm quite suprised at how solid the bun feels, it certainly woldn't go anywhere on it's own.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c378/myistic714/10687043_10152739578770854_1701569813805792722_n_z ps5eec9010.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/myistic714/media/10687043_10152739578770854_1701569813805792722_n_z ps5eec9010.jpg.html)

[Majorane]

Boom! You've done it! Hairtoy succes achieved! When I had layers (we're at around the same length) I found that forks worked, but sticks not so well. So if this falls apart during the day, fear not there's forks to the rescue. If this keeps all day, then sticks AND forks will be your friends!

Also, if you don't feel like spending a lot of money straigth away on hairtoys, there's people here that bend and snip old knitting needles to size for forks and sticks, and I know from personal experience that a knitting needle is essily covered with fimo clay to make colorfull sticks. In case you have those laying around and want to diy befroe buying something.

Eaduard's acrylic hairsticks are really fun and great hairtoys though.... Just sayin

[Esperada]

Boom! You've done it! Hairtoy succes achieved! When I had layers (we're at around the same length) I found that forks worked, but sticks not so well. So if this falls apart during the day, fear not there's forks to the rescue. If this keeps all day, then sticks AND forks will be your friends!

Also, if you don't feel like spending a lot of money straigth away on hairtoys, there's people here that bend and snip old knitting needles to size for forks and sticks, and I know from personal experience that a knitting needle is essily covered with fimo clay to make colorfull sticks. In case you have those laying around and want to diy befroe buying something.

Eaduard's acrylic hairsticks are really fun and great hairtoys though.... Just sayin

Thank you :)
I took it out as it was so messy, however I'm due to wash my hair today so will give it another go when it's a bit more manageable.
I was in fact just looking at Eaduard's hairsticks, they are all so pretty!

[Majorane]

Yeah, they are! At first I was all like 'meh, I like wood better' and 'why is everybody so hysterical about plastic?'. Oh, snobby me. How wrong I was. Color in my hair brightens any day, and they are incredibly fun staple sticks! Can't wear a Timberstone Turning or Ficcare every day. I love my Ead sticks, they are such happy little additions to my bathroom messyhair station section corner. :)