DIY haircuts? Why the heck not.

This is one of those posts I never thought I’d write (it’s definitely not very home related) but due to a surprising amount of requests, here it is. I guess anything that has to do with saving money and doing something yourself is fair game, right? I have no idea how I got into cutting people’s hair, but throughout high school and college I just played around, cutting off a guy’s mullet here and giving my BFF a super short pixie cut there (all at my “client’s” requests, of course). Why did they trust me? I have no idea. Maybe I just have a trustworthy face? I most certainly don’t have any formal training. I just sort of treat hair like I’d imagine I’d make a butter sculpture. You just remove the extra stuff so you’re left with the shape you want. Confidence inspiring, huh? But a bunch of people actually noticed my latest work of haircut art on John’s head in party pictures yesterday, so… score! Haha.

The funny thing is that we realized I’ve been cutting John’s hair for seven whole years! And I’ve probably dished out 50+ other haircuts to other friends and family members throughout the last ten years (why yes I have cut my brother in law’s hair in the backyard of John’s parents beach house). So take this post for what it is, one not-professional gal’s take on how she grooms her man. An above the neck manscaping lesson if you will.

But since it’s extremely impossible to tell you how I cut John’s hair and a lot more descriptive to just show you, we actually made a video, thanks to the help of our handy little tripod. Look at that shaggy hair John had going on in this “setting up for the video” shot:

It’s amazing what a little at-home clippage can do. How YOU doin’ hubby?

But on with the video! Let’s get up close and personal with those light brown locks, shall we? Oh yes, and I have primer/paint all over my hands from Clara’s birthday dollhouse (more on that tomorrow).

For anyone who can’t watch the video with the sound on (mehaps you’re at work?) it’s actually still pretty easy to understand on mute (since you just have to see what my hands are doing to get the gist). And I’ve included a few written tips in bullet form below, just to help anyone with a sucker on standby who’s ok with you experimenting on their head. I say that in the most kind and loving way, since all of my friends and family who have let me go to town on their hair are pretty darn awesome. I actually haven’t had an oopsie since college (I went a little shorter than I meant to on a gal in dorms, but she totally had the bone structure to work it). Although now that I’ve made that claim I feel like I should knock on wood. Or John should, since he’d be the most likely person to have to walk around with a potential hair snafu if it ever were to happen. Anyway, on with the tips:

• I cut hair when it’s dry or very lightly misted with water because my experience when cutting wet hair has been that it “shrinks up” and is always shorter than I mean for it to be – which can lead to profuse apologies. Also hair that’s wet might not “lay” the way it does when it’s dry (ex: a cowlick might make itself known when hair’s dry and result in an uneven effect).
• I cut John’s hair at night after Clara’s off to bed so we can get ‘er done without distractions (no toddler running through the hair pile on the floor- which Burger thankfully avoids like the plague).
• I don’t use a buzzer and just shave John’s neck for him after the haircut with a regular shaving razor. That always makes things look nice and polished, and this way we don’t have to store a big hair buzzer (or pay for one).
• I use hair-cutting scissors that I got for like $5 from CVS. They don’t even have a brand name on them to pass along. Sorry!

• I use my fingers to keep things even. For example, when I cut John’s hair I cut it one-finger-length from his scalp, so it all stays that length. I go a little longer on top – maybe two finger lengths (see the video for more on this).
• I always try to cut hair vertically (ex: parallel to John’s spine) – except for trimming the line around his neck – since it can look dorky and block-ish if you cut things horizontally (parallel to the shoulders). It’s really hard to explain in words, but the video makes this much more clear.
• I’m not a pro, so this isn’t real hairdresser scoop. Haha. I’m just a crazy girl with a penchant for pickles and cutting hair – so this is just what works for me (and John, my sweet hair-model hubby).

Oh and here’s an after pic from the back, since that might help you guys visualize it from that angle.

Hope that helps any DIY-haircutting-hopefuls out there! Does anyone else host haircuts at their house? The craziest thing is that I just calculated that we have probably saved at least $700 in the past seven years just by me cutting John’s hair (not counting all the times that I cut my own hair or ask John to snip a straight line in the back when I need a little trim and can’t reach – which might be an additional $500 in savings over the years). That’s a lot of cheddar ceramic animals…

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406 Comments

• Kudos for you for being brave enough! There’s no way I’d ever be up to cutting Kev’s hair… I’d probably end up taking off an ear or something!

  • Haha, believe it or not, I’ve never cut John (or anyone else I’ve cut hair for) but I usually cut myself. Just a little snip, like a paper cut. Haha. Seems to be part of the routine by now. Haha.

    xo,
    s

• Speaking of haircuts. My hubby would never let me attempt one on him again. We just won’t go there. But I would love to see a DIY on how to cut a 2 year old child’s hair while sleeping. Better yet while doing anything. Jude has had 3 hair cuts maybe 4 in his life. Some easy, some not so easy. But now at 2 he will sit and wait until it’s his turn and then that’s it he goes into full fledge possessed demon mode. The last person I went to sat on the floor with Jude and I. She got one snip and then said I’m to scared I’m gonna cut him. So basically he can literally see out of one eye and his hair is beyond bad now. (my boys have tons of hair and it grows fast) Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Lesley

  • Oh no, that’s rough! Is there an activity that he loves doing in his highchair? I would get him in there, all strapped in with the tray on, and give him whatever he loves (bubbles, play dough, you can even bring it outside and do it there). Then hopefully he’ll be so into what you’re giving him that he’ll let you do your thing. That’s my only idea!

    xo,
    s

  • My son is the same way – we do popsicles! My hairstylist friend has until the end of the popsicle to complete the haircut!

  • When my baby brother was that age (I was a teenager), we always cut his hair while sleeping. We would usually get one side, and then put him down on the other cheek the next night to get the other side. Haha.

    Of course, that was when you still used drop side cribs, so it was much easier to reach.

  • Lesley, if you ever figure it out, let me know! My 18m old has had 2 haircuts, one by me, and one by my husband. Both were terrible! The very first one, we were at my parents’ house and we fed him chocolate (my parents keep those hershey’s mineratures around all the time) and that did NOT work. When I tried it, I basically chased him around his sister’s room and got a snip in here and there. He sees the scissors and freaks. Then hubby said I cut the ears too short. And his hair is curly to boot. Not ringlets curly, but definitely does not lay down. Fun with boys, right!

    by the by, my 3 year old daughter has yet to get a haircut, though that is impending, I’m sure. It is a nightmare to brush her hair.

  • My best friend’s mom, when I was a kid, used to run her fingers through her 2 year old’s hair asking him if she could cut it, and he would always say no. What he did not know is she was snipping those locks she was asking about as she touched his hair – it took about a week to cut his hair but he never noticed, and never had the meltdown a formal sit-down haircut would have caused.

  • I know its not the best idea, but maybe before the hair cut commences, let him pick out a toy, special candy, new book so he knows its there and he physically sees it and explain that when he sits like a big boy through a hair cut he can have it..and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t get it but he still knows you have it…and he can either be rewarded or not. Toddlers like a choice…and its funny because they can either choose the fun happy path. Or the disappointing, no reward for bad behavior path.

  • We always put on a movie for my 2-year-old (almost 3 now!) boy and strap him into a booster seat – and then I always have a 2nd person there to hold his head still in case he gets wiggly. I’ve also heard lollipops help? But I’m not sure why because my son will still move his head around even if he has a lollipop.

  • Wow, thanks everyone for the tips. And thanks to you Sherri as well. Jude is a really big and strong two year old over 40lbs. He has long grown out of a high chair and giving him treats etc. forget it. He couldn’t care less. But the good news is I snuck up during nap time and took some snips at his bangs and at the very least he can see now. Beats getting charged for each individual time I keep attempting to go in and get his hair cut. We may have to try again soon when he gets older. Thanks again. Lesley

  • We have a chain called Cool Cuts for Kids here. They have movies and video games for the kids to play while they get their haircut (and cute cars for the babies/toddlers to sit in). It is a little pricey for a kids haircut ($17 I think) but they have coupons regularly. I took all my boys there when they were little. We only had a few incidents of kids crying through haircuts and ended up holding them in a chair while the stylist quickly did her thing. All three sit nicely for haircuts now.

  • My nephew was horrible with haircuts until a hairdresser suggested not using the word “cut”. Kids associate it with pain. He would sit quietly as long as he was getting his hair “trimmed” not “cut”

• I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair since just before we were married (almost 10 years!). It does not go both ways, however. But I feel so smart not spending all that money on haircuts!

  • I love hearing from the other hair-cutting ladies out there!

    xo,
    s

  • Oh, forgot to mention — we always head outside for haircuts so there’s less clean-up. (When we lived in a condo with a shared courtyard, he wouldn’t let anyone see, so we were relegated to the bathtub, but now we get to enjoy the sights and sounds of the backyard.)

  • That’s fun! We have to try that – although it might be dark once the bean’s in bed. Haha.

    xo,
    s

• When do we get a tutorial on you cutting your own hair? That’s what I need to see! I always manage to have a little bit too long in the back and have to ask my husband to trim off for me.

  • That would be a comedy of errors. It’s me with wet hair from the shower brushing it all out and then begging John to cut it carefully straight across the back. Might have to see if I can catch that on film someday. Nothing fancy about it (no layers or anything). Haha.

    xo,
    s

• I’ve never been trained in doing hair or anything, but after my husband and I got married he asked for me to cut his hair. It took a few tries to get use to and get it just right, but now I’ve been doing them for 5 years. I can’t even imagine how much money we have saved over the years. Within the past few months my husband has wanted a different try of hair style that I’m still trying to perfect but now I’m thinking about starting to do my own hair. I’ve trimmed my own bangs for years and cut split ends when I’m bored in the office. So how hard can it be. I keep a pretty simple long hair style so maybe I won’t be so bad. I’ll let you know how it goes.

  • Aw, I love that you cut your man’s hair and trim your own bangs! Keep me posted how your own self-cut goes! Mine is pretty basic, so I hope yours is easy too!

    xo,
    s

• Geez, is there nothing that $herdog can’t do? His hair looks great! I think it’s nice to show all sorts of things on here; I think people really look to you guys on how to simplify things in their lives and save money. I know I do.

  • Aw thanks Maureen! There was definitely a learning curve! It used to take me soooo long to cut his hair (like an hour!) but over time I’ve gotten faster. Haha.

    xo,
    s

• Good for you guys! I totally cut my hubby’s hair too. A number one all around and then a clean up around the ears and neck with the guard off. I’ve only had an oops once…the day of my company’s Christmas party (of course). Poor guy looked like he was ready for basic training. For us it’s nice to save the moolah, but also the convenience factor rocks. We’ve got an 18 month old and this way my hubby is never over-due for a trim. Like you guys, we do our cuts after our little one is down for the night. I’ve cut his hair in the back yard at midnight in the winter since I’m such a clean freak and well, you gotta do what you gotta do when you’ve got a little person in your life. We splurged on a barber’s cape from Amazon since the hubby can’t stand getting hair down his neck.

  • Haha, too funny about the backyard in the winter at midnight! I love that you have a fancy cape like a pro!

    xo,
    s

• Well, that is awesome. I have a husband and two sons, and that’s a lot of haircuts I’ve been wanting to tackle myself. I’ve experimented on my three year old, but it takes multiple cookies and episodes of Fraggle Rock to get him to cooperate. Your video was much easier to follow that what I’ve found on YouTube, so Thanks a Ton!

  • Aw, so glad!

    xo,
    s

• http://livingyoungwildfree.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/what-i-gave-up-to-save-money-bang-cuts/

  I cut my own bangs! The tutorial is above. Just curious…do you cut your own hair, too? And how do you do it? Just throw it over the front of your shoulders? lol. My hair is getting knotty. Thanks Sherry!

  • Love the bang cuts! I just brush it all out in the back (all over my shoulders on my back) and beg John to try snipping a straight line (no layers or anything fancy) and sometimes troll youtube for a tutorial that might involve light layers (like pushing it over your shoulders and cutting it in front or while gathered in pigtails, etc). I only get brave like that when it’s really long and I know I can de-layer it if it’s too crazy by just going shorter and more blunt.

    xo,
    s

• I’ve been trying to let my husband let me cut his hair for years but haha that won’t be happening (he won’t even let me buzz his neck, he must know my penchant for clumsiness). That said, I used to cut my friends hair in highschool, and then in college I did a few cuts, some highlights, buzzed the guys hair a bunch, cut my own bangs, etc. I wish the boy would let me cut his hair. Then again, he only pays like $15 to a barber and goes a while in between haha.

• “Above the neck manscaping lesson” !!! Oh Sherry, you kill me. I love when you guys get a bit saucy.

• My husband has the same talent! He actually cuts his own hair and that of his male family members, friends and friends’ kids. We’ve been known to go over to people’s houses so he can provide haircuts and they usually provide us dinner in exchange, haha. Just like you, it’s a talent he happened to discover—no formal training. I wish he would cut my hair too but I think he’s a little terrified since he’s only worked with the dudes, but if John can handle the straight-line-across-the-back trim, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal!

  • Haha, that’s so funny! I love hearing about a hubby with haircutting skillz!

    xo,
    s

  • When my hair was short I used to cut it regularly to save all those trips to the hairdresser, but I no longer have a bathroom where I can set up mirrors to see the back of my head. Living the long-and-pony-tailed lifestyle now.

    I have a friend who cuts his own hair, too, and without any mirrors to see the back! I was super impressed; he does such a great job!

  • Wow- that’s awesome!

    xo,
    s

• I don’t know, guys, usually I am right there with you, but I like the before better. He needed a shape-up, but the before gives him a shaggy Brad Pitt kind of look.

  • Haha, oh yeah, the long hair vs. short hair debate is one for the ages! Personally John likes it short and I think he’s a hottie when it’s freshly shorn. But to each his own!

    xo,
    s

  • It’s funny that Amanda says John’s before picture reminds her of a shaggy Brad Pitt. I actually thought he just resembled Shaggy from Scooby Doo – and that’s NOT a bad thing, although the inner dialog in my head is now saying…”Raggy? Rooby Roo needs Rooby snacks!”.

  • Hahaha, too funny!

    xo,
    s

• Nice job Sherry! I buzz my boyfriend’s head, but that’s about it.

  P.S. John looks super different when he’s photographed from the side – weird!

  • WAY different. I keep looking at the picture to determine if it was a magazine photo because it just does not look like John.

  • Haha- that’s so funny. I wonder if it’s just that you guys are used to seeing him straight on in pics on the ol’ blog? Our relatives and friends see us in 3D so we must look different than face-on blog pics, haha. So much that side ones look funny I guess!

    xo,
    s

• I think his hair looks great, but have to be honest, I was getting sweaty palms just watching this video! I don’t think I would trust myself cutting someone else’s hair. I can’t even manage to trim my almost 2 year olds bangs. I just take her to my hairdresser for a bang trim every 2 months! haha

  • Haha, you’re lucky you have a 2 year old with so much hair! Clara has yet to need anything other than the occasional mullet cut. Haha.

    xo,
    s

• Sherry, is there anything you can’t do?? That is a great haircut! I tried to cut my husband’s hair once – it was comical! The irony is, now he wears it in a flattop, (which I don’t really like, but he does) so it would probably be pretty easy for me to cut it at this point!

  • Oh you can totally do it! I would look on youtube.com for a tutorial!

    xo,
    s

• I’m totally with ya here. Hubs and I have been married for nearly nine years and I’ve been cutting his hair since day one. We grabbed a pair of clippers at Aldi for $14.99 and they are still going strong. That’s some major moola saved.

  And yes that first haircut many years ago took forevs. He was kind not to say anything at the time. We laugh about it now. =)

  • Haha, in the beginning John just made me park him in front of the TV so he could watch an entire show while I concentrated so hard and worried about ruining his head- haha.

    xo,
    s

• My husband has suggested that I cut his hair but I have never gotten up the nerve to do it. It sure is tempting to know I could be saving so much money.

• Well, my hubby decided to do the short to the scalp look for awhile, eh, maybe an inch or so in length. We did invest in an rechargeable trimmer and decided I could do it since otherwise he would be going someplace to get it cut every couple of weeks. Well, several days before Christmas a few years back he wanted a cut to look nice for the holiday. The trimmer needed to be re-charged just before cutting, when he brought it back it didn’t have the guide on it (not sure who took it off), and I didn’t notice until I swiped across the top of his head. ACK!! Boy was it shorter than he anticipated. He was such a good sport and laughed it off. Here’s the issue – he’s a pastor and had a Christmas Eve service and church service just days away. I simply took the trimmer to his everyday to even it out, hardly anyone noticed, except that it was overall shorter than usual. He wears it longer now, which I prefer.

  • Oh man, I would have freaked out! SO glad he was a good sport and laughed it off!

    xo,
    s

  • I did say “Oh no!” and slapped by hand across my mouth, so he knew something was up pretty quick. I felt terrible, but he was great. We took pictures and enjoyed the laugh with our then 10 year old. It’s just hair, it will grow back was his response.

  • That’s so cute!

    xo,
    s

  • My mom did almost the exact same thing to my dad once. He’s also a pastor and her “accident” took place on a Saturday with church services the next day!

• I definitely cut my husband’s hair – but then again, he doesn’t have that much left, so thankfully all I have to do is keep it super super short with buzzers (1/16th of an inch). Weirdly enough, he looks less bald when his hair is shorter. And since I cut his hair, I don’t feel as bad when my hair guy’s price goes up $5 every once in a while.

• I totally cut my own husband’s hair too! I use clippers though, but that’s only because of his crazy hair. There is only one cut that looks good on him and that’s short! He’s tried to grow it out, but it’s so thick and coarse that it doesn’t lay flat. It just grows out like a straight afro (if you can imagine). So a 4 on the top, faded into a 2 on the bottom is a skill I’ve mastered over the years I’m sure we’ve paid for the clippers 5x over by now.

  • It’s so funny that you have your numbers (4 on top, faded to a 2 on the bottom)- that sounds so pro to a non-buzzer girl like me. I love it!

    xo,
    s

• I was just trying to picture the conversation the first time you convinced him to let you cut his hair, but now looking at the comments, apparently a lot of people cut their husband’s hair. Pretty sure my husband would rather die.

• My hubby cuts his own hair, our 2 squirmy boys and sometimes mine. He cut mine on Mother’s Day and did a great job. He also does dry cutting, which I think is key to avoiding oopsies. The funny thing is when he trims his goatee, he can never seem to get it even without my help.

  • That’s so cute! You must be saving so much money!

    xo,
    s

• My husband and I cut each other’s hair too and we love it! We got hair clippers about 4 years ago and they were a great investment for us. The first time we cut each others hair mine was crooked in the back and his looked like a little kid — but we’ve gotten better at it and now we can laugh about it.

  • Haha, I love it! Live and learn, baby!

    xo,
    s

• My hubby would never trust me to cut his hair. It would save us over $500 a year too. Of course, he did see my dog one time after a not so great grooming I did myself. Looked kind of like when Jethro groomed the dog on the Beverly Hillbillies. oops.

  John’s hair looks great!

  • Haha, aw thanks Cara!

    xo,
    s

• Love this post! I have been cutting my husband’s hair since we were freshmen in college. I hate the thought of him spending $15 a month on something I can do for free. In return, he color’s my hair every once in a while. Full service salon!

  • Haha, you guys just need a “Salon” sign on the door and you’re set! Haha.

    xo,
    s

• Great tutorial. My Mom always cut me and my brothers hair, but their hair sometimes came out looking a little odd so I was scared to try. Might have to give it another shot though – my husband’s in the Army and needs a haircut every four weeks. How hard can a high & tight be?

  My parents always pinned an old sheet around our neck with a safety pin to catch falling hair, and had a vacuum cleaner right at hand. When the cut was over, they’d fold the sheet in on itself to trap the clippings, and vacuum us off quickly with the nozzle attachment to catch any remaining strays so we wouldn’t walk around the house shedding hair on the way to the shower. Right after the haircut we were sent outside with our sheet to shake it off in the backyard. Birds/animals love the hair clippings for their nests. Minimized the hair cleanup/sweeping around the house.

  • That’s so cute! Such a smart method!

    xo,
    s

• I’ve cut my hubby’s hair a few times (once a little short -oops). I’ve been wanting to start it again since I hate the way his hair person does the bang area on him (I want no bangs…why is that so hard to understand? . This time I’ll give it a go without the buzzer!

  P.s. I haven’t cut my own hair in a long time but the first time I did was in highschool (layers and all) just from watching a hair stylist do it previously. And I had the honor of buzzing my Dad’s hair. Fun times.

  • That’s amazing that you could replicate what the stylist did to your hair on yourself!

    xo,
    s

  • Haha – I was 17 so I doubt I replicated it but I did try to use her technique (pull section of hair at top of head straight up and take off an inch or so choppily)! I did want to be a cosmetologist when I was 14 so maybe that had something to do with it.

• I’ve been cutting my husbands hair for over 20 years now, and I use my dog clippers and a comb to cut the back and sides. ha ha! (I used to do dog grooming)
  I also used to give hubby perms back when afro type curly hair was popular on men.
  It’s a good way to save money and, after all…if you do make a mistake the first time(or two)it WILL grow back.

  • Amen! Thank goodness hair grows back!

    xo,
    s

• I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for about 20 years now…using the shaver/clipper for a buzz cut, but now I’m going to use your method of just using the scissors letting my finger be the guide….hope it works out. Thanks!

  • Good luck! If not there’s always the buzzer to clean it up!

    xo,
    s

• Totally NOT haircut-related, but I wanted to let you know that I found this on Ana White’s blog (I know you guys love her as much as I do!) and thought it might help with your chair-slipcovering/painting dilemmas. You guys rock!

  http://ana-white.com/2012/05/plans/easiest-parson-chair-slipcovers

  • So charming!!! Love it! And love Ana!

    xo,
    s

• Looking for some salon experts to weigh in on this because I would like to try this method, but would like to know if it will work for every head shape and hair type.

  • Any experts?! I’m sure I’m doing about 100 things wrong! Haha.

    xo,
    s

• I have been looking everywhere for a good place to cut my hair in Richmond, but I’m too afraid of buyer’s remorse! If you’re ever willing to give a stranger’s hair a try, I’d gladly serve as guinnie pig!

  Or just some good ol’ RVA suggestions would do, too!

  • Ooh I love Red! It’s a small salon on Robinson St down near that Starbucks. They’re awesome there! It’s where I went when I chopped all my hair off a while back (of course its completely grown out now, haha).

    xo,
    s

• Is there anything you can’t do??? . It looks great…even if I were brave enough to want to try my hub’s hair, he wouldn’t want any part of it.

• Speaking of hair – Sherry, has anyone ever told you that you look like Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones? Cause you totally do, but with her real-life hair, not her fake blonde hair from the show! (Which if you don’t watch, is totally awesome!)

  • Yes, I actually see it! John does too, and he never sees that stuff. I always got Rachel McAdams and Amanda Peet before (we didn’t see that at all, but it happened all the time) but when I looked up Emilia Clarke on IMDB (with the brown hair) it was uncannny. I want to meet her in real life so we can pretend to be long lost sisters. Haha.

    xo,
    s

  • I totally see the Amanda Peet/Rachel McAdams thing with you! But I get not being able to see it yourself. People tell me I look like Natalie Portman pretty frequently and I don’t see it AT ALL. Neither does my husband. It’s a huge major compliment and everything, but I really just don’t get it.

  • Oh yeah, she’s a hottie. Total compliment.

    xo,
    s

  • I absolutely agree about Emilia clarke! Every week when I watch the show I try to think who she reminds me of…I never realized it was Sherry, but that’s exactly it. I was thinking of famous people, and people I know in real life – I should have been thinking of someone kind of in-between the two.

  • Haha, that’s so funny. I promise I’m a person in real life and completely not famous.

    xo,
    s

  • I watched the two Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies recently and throughout both I was thinking of how Alexis Bledel looks like Sherry (though you’re not so frail-looking, and I mean that as a compliment!) Has anyone ever told you you look like her?

  • Oh my gosh, that’s a huge compliment. I had a total girl crush on her in college.

    xo,
    s

• When you said you’d been cutting John’s hair for seven years, I thought, “that’s a long time.” Then I realized I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for 6! Haha. I just use clippers, though… using scissors seems so pro!

  • Isn’t it funny how time flies? Before John my “really long relationships” of the past were 2 years long, which makes me laugh now.

    xo,
    s

• I just remember my mom cutting my bangs. By putting a strip of scotch tape across them and following the line. Yeah, I put a stop to that at about age 6?
  My sister cuts her husband and kiddo’s hair though. HUGE saver. Way to go!

  • Haha- I love the tape tip. Your mom = genius!

    xo,
    s

• Great post, I have been cutting my husbands hair for the past 6 months (still earning), I use a buzzer though. Would love to use just scissors cause I think it looks nicer, but I’m so scared I’m gonna cut a chunk to close.

  Might try to use scissors next time.

• I just started cutting my husband’s hair a couple of months ago. I was so nervous at first because he likes it short in the back and then it fades up to a little longer on top. But he knew exactly how he wanted it done and just talks me through it and I have been quite impressed with myself! He used to spend about $20 every 2-3 weeks to get it cut so we know we are saving a bunch!

  • That’s awesome!

    xo,
    s

• I totally noticed his haircut in yesterday’s post! I didn’t want to comment on it because it seemed too weird or something…? You did such a nice job! I cut my own bangs (successfully!) all the time and I cut my husband’s hair for years but he doesn’t let me anymore. haha! I don’t have your talent I guess!

  • I think it’s awesome you cut your own bangs! I always worry about doing that so I just grow them out, finally break down and cut them, and then immediately pin them back and rock the ponytail! Haha.

    xo,
    s

• I actually cut my son’s hair. I can’t see paying 15 dollars for a hair cut on such a little head. I just use scissors too. I learned by watching videos on youtube. I am proud to say after almost 4 years I am getting pretty good. If he would sit still I would probably be as good as you are!!!

  • Haha, that’s awesome Sarah!

    xo,
    s

• I started cutting and coloring my own hair about three years ago. It was about $65 every other month to have a professional do it. Now it’s $5 a month and I color it more often so I’m not running around with crazy grays or awful roots.
  I actually figured out how to do VERY simple layers, but I’m not positive how i would describe it in words. I will tell you, though, that the first time I did the layers I was CONVINCED I’d given myself a mullet and was very close to a nervous breakdown. Thanfully it was a false alarm and I’m slowly getting braver.

  • Whew! That would make me freak out. Haha. So glad it was a false alarm.

    xo,
    s

• So funny, I have always cut my hubbys but this weekend I decided to try my hand at my 4 year old sons-it looks great! Knowing you are saving money is the icing on the awesome looking cake

• I have been married for 37 years and we had four boys. I cut their hair for all the years they were at home (and every time they came home after they left!) We figure we have saved well over $15,000!

  I think I will go shopping and reward myself…

  • Haha, amazing! Happy shopping! Haha.

    xo,
    s

• I’m getting a kick over people saying how much money they save by cutting their husbands hair…my husband gets his hair cut 3 maybe 4 times a year at a $5 hair cut place. At that price, it’s not worth my time to cut his hair. I can’t imagine why any man would pay more than $10 for a hair cut to begin with.

  • Maybe it’s regional? Here in Richmond it’s around 15-20 bucks for a cut at a place that won’t make you look like a schoolboy. Haha. John also is a hairy beast and needs haircuts around 6-7 times a year. But it’s definitely something that might not make sense if you only pay $5 a few times a year!

    xo,
    s

  • Good for you! Around here (Northern Virginia), the cut is $11 plus tip for my husband. He goes every 2 weeks. He is African-American and wears his hair short (high and tight). Because of the texture of his hair, he looks rough after two weeks. He is very picky and I have no desire to touch it, so he goes to the barber. Our son goes with him once a month for a cut, or if we are busy I will do it. For us, it is a son/father thing too…boys day at the barbershop!

  • $5 is more a tip than a haircut price here.

• Wife hair cutters unite! I’ve been doing my husband’s hair since we were dating as well. Although I use clippers with different guards on the sides/back and scissors on top. We actually got a kit as a wedding gift (random but fun!)!

• My husband and I began cutting his hair with clippers about 6 years or so ago. He would get a haircut at the barber every other week prior to that, at about $15 a cut. Overall, we’ve saved over $2,000. Did I just read that right? That’s the first time I’ve calculated that. Wow. Yes, SAVED $2,000. That’s a big deal. Amazing what a purchasing some $20 clippers from Walgreens can do!

  • Amazing! Go Jenn!

    xo,
    s

• My husband is so particular about his haircuts. He’s gotten the same one since he was like 14 I think. He almost had a nervous breakdown when he had to find a new barber after the one he used got cast on the show Shear Genius.

  He would NEVER let me cut his hair. Which is probably smart. Because I would almost definitely shave my initials into his hair if given the chance.

  • Haha, that’s hilarious that his hairdresser got cast on that Shear Genius show!

    xo,
    s

  • Lauren, I hear you. My fiance’s haircut is this big ordeal every month. I’m pretty sure if we ever moved, he would either drive hours to get to the same stylist or give up haircuts altogether. Hi, meet my husband, Grizzly Adams.

• I cut my husband’s hair! He’s got super easy buzz cut all the way around. Since we do it monthly at least, sometimes every 3 weeks (he likes to keep it short!), we save a minimum $120-$150 a year. The clippers paid for themselves in just two months!

• good job!!! He looks mighty fine with the new do!!

  • Haha, let’s all wolf whistle at John via the internet.

    xo,
    s

Snowflake Station in a wonderful craft application for iPad that allows children to cut their own paper snowflakes, teaching the concept of symmetry and other skills along the way.

I have always been a huge fan of paper-cut art since I was old enough to pick up a scissors. My love for paper cutting stems, I am sure, from my lack of ability to draw representationally. Yet here, few cuts to a correctly folded paper ever look mistaken, creating an art form that children and adults who lack certain foundation skills in drawing can fully own themselves.

For me, the process of folding and cutting has been more important than the snowflake or other decorative shapes produced, and I have never been a fan of the cleanup associated with paper-cut art. Because of this, I have really been enjoying Snowflake Station which allows children to work in two basic modes – Workshop, where one traces over lines of dots, creating cuts in the paper or Creation Station – where players work freehand to make their own designs.

Workshop includes an impressive amount of templates that one traces with a finger to create snowflakes in a variety of shapes and levels of intricateness. This would be a wonderful app for those just learning how to connect the dots or for children new to scissors and are able to understand the concept of paper cutting but whose fine motor skills are simply not adequately developed to control scissors well enough to make their own designs just yet – such as my son at four years of age.

It is also a nice touch that the dotted lines one traces fade away, leaving one to to remember the basic line one is cutting in the more sophisticated levels, adding a nice element of memorization as well as pointing out how symmetrical images have been created along the way – a wonderful way to teach this important concept.

My favorite section, however, is the Creation Workshop which allows users to choose a style of folded paper, from the simple folded square sheet folded twice, creating four symmetrical panels, to the more delicate octagonal-shaped snowflakes that, when unfolded, reveal 16 equal sides cut into innumerable possibilities.

The cutting of these snowflakes is nice and intuitive as one drags a finger over the folded paper to cut shapes.

It is worth mentioning that most children are used to using scissors during this activity, but this experience is a little different, allowing easy access to the center of these shapes – something not easy to achieve with a scissors as extra folds would be needed to reach the areas not directly touching an edge of the paper. It is as if here, a knife is being used to cut away shapes that can easily fit into any area one wants to cut – be it the center or sides of the folded paper.

Another interesting element found within this app is the fact that when working with scissors, if one cuts the corner of the paper with a single cut, one would expect the corner to fall away, but here one can fully cut through the page and the cut marks will become negative space without the use of gravity removing the effected pieces, adding to the details one can create with ease. To fully cut away pieces, be sure to lasso the piece in question to remove it completely from the page.

I love the inclusion of an undo button styled like a tape dispenser which allows children to fix mistakes they may have made – wonderful for beginner artists new to making paper art.

I also especially enjoy the use of a preview button shaped like an eye that allows children a sneak peak at their creation – intriguing as it is not really possible to unfold and refold to real paper as the lines would never line up in a way that would allow for re-cutting, making this sneak peak interesting and fun.

Watching the paper slowly unfold is always a magical time be it with real paper or within this app. I especially enjoy how this app demonstrates this as the symmetry created is really showcased – a great lesson that is important to understand as the basis of math, touched upon in more detail within the Workshop section.

Another element hard to re-create with paper is the chance to include eight folds, as the paper gets awfully thick and uneven, especially with the basic paper found around one’s home. Because of this, I am really enjoying working on the selections involving eight paper folds, creating 16 uniform surfaces that I have been excising with use of a stylus, creating details so minute that in real life, the paper one is working on would become so fragile that it would fall apart in one’s hands.

Children will also love the choice of colored paper and glitter to use before or after their creations are cut – nice touches to be sure, as is the ability to change these colors over and over again, experimenting with different shades of paper combined with glitter hues.

I like that saving one’s snowflakes to a gallery is possible as is framing these images against a selection of lovely natural landscapes such as trees during a snowfall.

I prefer, however, the setting to create little snowflakes that then fall from the sky using one’s landscape choice as the background.

Other backdrops include the default choice, which is very nice in its own right – that of a natural wood grain which keeps the focal point of the snowflake itself – or a photo of the players choosing from either the iPad’s camera roll or by taking a new photo.

I really appreciate how a shadow is included within the framing of these snowflakes, adding a very nice realistic detail that I greatly enjoy, as I do the ability to make changes to snowflakes kept in the gallery if one chooses to do so.

Music is included that is easy to listen to that can be muted if one chooses, making this app a wonderful quiet activity. I also like that the included narration offering compliments and encouragement can be turned off as well independently of the music – a nice touch.

I have really enjoyed this application, creating my own snowflakes as well as the tutorials that have taught me new shapes that can be cut into paper art. I have quite the gallery of my own work and will continue to make more snowflakes in the future.

I have noticed that sometimes the cutting is less than smooth – reminding me of cutting with dull scissors – an issue I hope can be looked at in the future, but even these rough cuts look interesting as one watches the paper unfold to see one’s work.

This is an app I highly recommend for children and their adults alike.

It is worth noting that this app has been designed by Chicago-based teacher, Frances Judd, developed to teach children about symmetry, which this app does well.

Another application from Mrs. Judd is Chalk Walk, developed to enable children to work on their pincher grip on the iPad, and it is another app that I look forward to reviewing on GiggleApps soon. I am overall very impressed by Snowflake Station, and I will be on the lookout for any new apps by Frances Judd in the future.