Thursday, February 28, 2013

Wrap French Braid

This morning my hair was out of control and I needed to put it up or cut it off.  I'm sure you could imagine which one I chose.  A simple swooping dutch braid.  I thought great I could do this for Claire and we could match, she'd love it.  Boy was I WRONG!!!  She didn't stop crying about it the entire time I was braiding and taking the photos.  This is what we ended up with.

Begin a french braid above one ear, as you are adding hair to the braid gently move braid down around the base of your models head.  When you get to the other ear add the last bits of hair and finish the braid as a basic braid if you have the length.  Secure with elastic and add a pretty clip.  This one is from Sunny Days Boutique.

Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Length: Short

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Off Center Dutch Braid


I've been worrying about damage done to Claire's hair.  So, today I used some leave in conditioner and a fabric covered elastic.  The little "Ouchless Polyband" elastics made from rubber or plastic or what ever, work pretty well for holding little braids and pony tails.  But, they are seem to catch Claire's hair and pull and break her hair if we are not the most careful with removing them at the end of the day.  So, I think we are going to have a few days of large simple styles.  This is simply a dutch braid started off center.  If your model has shorter hair move the braid closer to the center.  Add a clip if you want and so have fun.

Time: 3-5 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Length: Short

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Sock Bun with braid accents


Tuesday is here again.  Start today's bun with a high pony tail. from the center of the pony take take a small section of hair and make a basic braid secured with an elastic.  Make 3-5 of these basic braids from the center of the pony take.  Now take your sock bun form and wrap it around pony tail. With the sock at the base of the pony take sections of hair and wind/wrap it around the sock and pin the down with bobby pins.  When all the lose hair from the pony tail is pinned down, pin down all of your braids in the pattern of your choice.  Now, tuck in and pin all the ends and use some hair spray.  I also wrapped a ribbon around the base of the bun to help hide the ends.

Time:10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: Short+

Monday, February 25, 2013

Double Dutch and French braids



Claire doesn't have school in the strictest sense today.  She has ski lessons, and who is going to see her hair under her helmet?  That's what I thought.  Yesterday Claire came back from an outing with her dad and one of her rosettes has fallen out, so she finished the day with braids instead of buns.  We all fell asleep watching a Madagascar 3 last night and failed to remove the braids.  This morning when she woke the braids were still in good enough shape.  Start with yesterday's hair, then simply split the lower hair in two clipped one braid and one section aside, then split the other side in two and used the braid as the third strand of hair for a basic braid and secured with an elastic.  Normally I tell you to start your basic braids by taking an outside strand and weaving it under the center strand.  This time I wanted the outside strands to cross in front of the original braid, so make sure you do a "normal" basic braid: outside crossing on top of center strand.  After completing both sides you are done.  If your hair is not going to be hidden all day you can add some ribbons or flowers or what ever you choose.  However, Claire needed her hair out of her eyes but not necessarily pretty, so we end there.

Have a good day.

Time: 5 minutes (if you use yesterday's hair)
Difficulty: Easy
Length: Medium

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Double Dutch Braids and Buns

Oh, Sunday morning came way to early this morning.  I am acting as the primary teacher in my Sunday school class this morning, instead of just an aid.  So, I set my alarm early because Claire and I never seem to manage to leave the house with enough time.  Not, today!  

Today, I didn't want to do anything to elaborate,  Claire's poor hair has been through enough lately.  So start by parting the hair in two halves front to back.  After clipping one aside, make a dutch braid or inverse french braid.  When you are half done, quit adding more hair and finish the braid as a basic braid, secure with elastics.  Then, wind the braid around itself and secure the bun and the ends with bobby pins.  Add ribbons if you like and do the same with the other side.  Now go and have a great day.

Time: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair Length: Short






Saturday, February 23, 2013

Braids and a Pony

Saturday is gymnastics day and my ONLY day to sleep in a week.  So, I was hoping to do something nice and easy.  And, well, it is easy, but it took longer than I would have liked.
Start by sectioning and clipping aside and clump of hair in the center of the head leaving about an inch or two around the perimeter.  With the perimeter hair you are going to section off and basic braid all of the hair.  I ended up with seven or eight.  The braid thickness depends on the number of braids you choose to do or the width of the perimeter hair, the fewer braids or wider hair swath produces fatter braids.  Secure these braids temporarily.  When all the braids are in grab and elastic, unclip the center hair smooth it out to form a pony tail, add the braids and secure the whole kit and kaboodle into a pony tail.  After everything is secure, remove the clips or elastics you used to temporarily secure the braids.  Take out any braids inside the pony tail, or just let them unravel themselves over the course of the day.  You are done now, unless you would like to add a clip.  I normally would have used a flower clip, but I needed something that would last the rigors of tumbling and flipping around at gymnastics.

Have a good day!

Time: 25-35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy 
Hair length: Short (slightly longer than pony tail)

Friday, February 22, 2013

Old fashion bun

Claire had some great crimps left over in her hair from yesterdays Double Helix Braids, that I knew I had to do something with them.

I started by sectioning off most of the hair, leaving a couple inch panel at the bottom to make the braids from.  After clipping the upper hair up for the moment, split the bottom swatch in half and braid and secure two basic braids.  Then release the upper hair.  I then split off two side panels from the upper hair.  I secured the main middle section in a half pony tail.  Then I neatly crossed one side panel over the pony tail and secured with bobby pins, then the other so they come to a point at the pony tail.  Try to hide the bobby pins under hair so the don't show, I did alright on one side and a wiggle worm on the other hindered my bobby pin hiding skills for the other.  Oh, well. Then I grabbed all hair ends, from the pony tail and the side panels and added another elastic with the intents of making a pony bun (pulling the hair through half way the final time).  Now, take your two braids and wrap them around the elastic hiding the ends with bobby pins.  You can stop here, but I didn't like how the pony bun stuck out, so I grabbed two more bobby pins and pinned the barrel of the pony bun down on each side.

Well, not my most elaborate but, it went without any whining. So a win, right?  Next time I try this one I am going to use Claire's natural straight hair to helpfully get more definition in the side panel cross overs.  Let me know.  I'd love to see your versions.

Time: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Hair length: Medium

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Double Helix Braids with a Braided Rosette

I love when I can find a fun hairstyle and actually manage to pull it off.  I didn't think that it would take too long to do this one, but I still working on the foundation after three minutes...   So, it took about a half hour to finish the hair, it's going to take me at least that long to describe how to do it...  Yikes!

Start, by sectioning about four inches of hair on the top of the head and clip the lower hair aside.  Now, take your four inch section and section that in half to two two inch section clip on aside while you section the other into three equal parts lengthwise, clipping them aside.  Section the second section into three similarly so you finish with six equal chunks of hair.  You are going to complete two dutch braids.  Start at one ear, unclip one of the two sections there, move to the second pair of sections, unclip the kitty-corner section.  Finally move to the third pair of sections and unclip the section that is the same side as the original section of hair.  Now you have a strip of hair basically going from one ear to the other.  Proceed to make a dutch braid with the three sections of hair, when you come to the corner of each section slightly curve the braid and do a few plaits that do not incorporate additional hair until you reach the next section. Continue the dutch braid in that section. Transition to the third section in a similar fashion.  When you run out of hair to incorporate in the third section continue braiding the ends and secure with an elastic.  Now, return to the other ear and unclip the remaining three sections of hair.  This do a dutch braid with these sections of hair the way you did the first braid.  However, this time when you come to a corner, the few plaits you make without incorporating additional hair are going to lay over the first braid.  After you finish the second braid wind one of the braid ends around itself to make a small braid rosette, secure the braid with bobby pins.  Now, wind the second braid around the first rosette, tuck in the ends and try to hide the elastics, after securing everything with bobby pins and hair spray, add any clips and have a good day.

 Additionally, next time I do this braid I am only going braid the first braid until after the second section and clip temporarily, leaving the third section clipped until later.  Then I would braid the second braid completely and secure with elastic.  After the second braid is finished then, I would finish the first braid.  This gives the appearance of weaving the braids together instead of having the second braid laying on top of the first braid. Anyway, your choice.

Time: 25-35 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: Short/Medium

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Princess Belle Pony Tail



Last night Claire declared that she wanted curly hair tomorrow.  "Ok," I thought, "just have her wash her hair and we'll put a pony tail and rollers, pull a few chunks for basic braids.  Easy enough."  This morning we took the curlers out and her hair went limp in less than five minutes.  Ooops!  So, take two.  We took out the pony tail, left in the basic braids and formed a half pony tail.  Grabbed the small barreled curling iron and set it to high.  When the curling iron was hot, with heavy duty hair spray in hand we set out to curl the pony tail first.  After each curl was released from the curling iron I pinned the curl with a bobby pin to sit until I finished all the hair.  When I completed the pony tail, I set out to curl the lower hair, I didn't spend as much time on these curls as the pony tail curls because I figured they would be mostly obscured by the pony tail curls.  After all the curls had been made, a liberal dose of hair spray and then I pulled all the pins out to release the curls.  I then took a small portion of the top of the pony tail and pinned the hair to the scalp hair to hide the elastic.  This reminded me of the Beauty and Beast hair bump that Belle wore in the yellow gown.  So, I draped the two basic braids in front of the pony tail to form the bottom half of the bump, allowing the curls to hang under.  Pretty, I thought.  Claire, not so happy, she only wanted curls, no braids, even though she couldn't see them.  Oh, well, you can't win them all.






Time: 30 minutes+ (the night before with hair curlers)
Difficulty: Medium
Hair Length: Short+

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Renaissance Bun

It's Ballet day once again.  I decided to try the horrible sock bun, once again.  Before you pull your hair to your high pony tail, pull three small sections of hair from under the location you are going to put your bun.  Ask your model to hold those sections of hair while you smooth the remaining hair and securing your high pony tail.  When the pony tail is secured clip that hair out of the way while you put basic braids in the three sections of hair you previously pulled out.   When these braids are secured decoratively drape the braids around the pony tail base, hiding the ends under the smoothed head on the scalp, secure with bobby pins.  Now release the temporary clip of the pony tail and grab that sock.  Put the sock around the pony tail, pull the sock to the ends of the hair and twist the sock and the hair inwards. Keep tucking the hair in the sock and rolling the sock toward the base of the pony tail.  If you need to you can gently pull the sock out but do not release any of the previously tucked hair, this making the bun a little tighter before continuing to roll the hair.  When the sock is at the base of the pony tail, you should have completely covered the sock with the hair.  Use plenty of bobby pins and hair spray to secure the hair until dance class in several hours!


Good luck with this one.  I am still not sure if I have mastered the art of the sock bun, but, I think it is a little better this time. ;)

Time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair Length: Medium+

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Wednesday Adams Braids


My little girl has been so busy lately.  Preschool, Sunday school, Ballet, gymnastics, and ski lessons. Oh, my!  Today Sunday school has been cancelled, but her Monday ski lesson has been moved to today.  Today is her final day of ski.  I am so thankful to her Papa who has been able to take her up for the past several weeks.  Being Alaskan, skiing is part of life.  Everyone learns.


To start today's hair, begin by parting the hair down the middle and clipping one side out of the way for the moment.  Now, smooth the hair on the side on which you are working.  Section the hair in to the parts by the ear.  Twist the first strand up and under the middle strand and continue braiding the remainder of the hair in a basic braid format except you will be braiding under instead of over.  This helps lock the braid in place at the base.  It is also my preferred style of basic braid.  After you secure this braid at the end, braid the other side in the same way, make sure you work from under.


Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Hair Length: Medium+