Sock bun with dutch braid headband

I did this one as a trial for Claire's ballet recital.  I think it worked ok.

Start by braiding a 1-1.5 inch dutch braid across the front of the head, when you reach the other side of the head continue a basic braid secured with an elastic at the ends.  Create a second basic braid over the ear on the side you started your basic braid.  Secure this braid at the end with an elastic.  And a I had two clips of pink hair so before I started each braid, I clipped the pink hair.  I also made sure that each of the three strands of the braids had pieces of the pink hair.  With the two braids completed, I gathered all the remaining loose hair and braids in a pony tail to form a sock bun.

Time: 7-10 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: Medium

Basic braid with blue hair

Some times you just need to do something basic.  Start by creating a half pony tail secured with an elastic.  We had a clip with blue hair from a kids meal some where, so we clipped that to the hair immediately above the elastic to add the hair to the pony tail.  Then we split the hair into three sections, make sure blue hair is in all three strands.  Then quickly do a basic braid secured where the blue hair ends.  I happened to have a few blue bead elastics so after I added one to the top and bottom, we called it a day.

Time:2-3 minutes

difficulty: easy

hair length: medium-

Rapunzel Braid with flowers

This one really is quite simple.  All we did was create a Off Center Dutch Braid, and strategically add flowers to the braid.  I use silk flowers, but if you want to use this style for a special occasion (i.e. flower girl) I would suggest live flowers.

Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: short+

Double dutch braids with rosettes

Start by creating a clean part down the center of the head.  With each side cleanly create two equal dutch braids secured at the bottom.  Then, add create two rosettes with the loose sections of each braid, by winding braid in on themselves and pinning.

Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: medium
Hair length: medium

Redo: rope braids and a waterfall pony 2

So, this is just yesterdays hair without the lower waterfall.  And without the blue hair.  So,  go see: Rope Twists with Waterfall Ponytails for directions

Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Hair length: Medium-

Rope twists with waterfall pony tails

Start this one by creating four sections of hair 1-1.5 inch square, two on either side of the head just above the ears.  With each section create four rope braids.  Split each section in half and twisting each strand clockwise while twisting the two strands counterclockwise over each other.  When each rope braid is long enough to loosely reach the middle of the head, temporarily secure the braid until you finish the rope braid on the opposite side of the head.  You should be securing the two top rope braids together in the middle of the head and the two bottom rope braids.  Then you will carefully split the remaining loose hair horizontally in two sections.  Take the top half of the hair a create a pony tail.  Then gently loosen the elastic on the pony tail, create a small hole in the pony tail above the elastic to put the pony tail through in a waterfall pony tail.  Put the ends of the top pair of rope braids into the whole that you just created.  Next you will create another ponytail with the remaining loose hair.  Make a waterfall fall pony tail.  This time, before you tuck the ends of the lower pair of rope braids into the waterfall, pull the ends of the top ponytail behind the lower rope braids and tuck the upper pony tail in to the lower waterfall.  Then tuck the lower pair of rope braids into the lower waterfall ponytail.  Claire wanted me to add her blue hair.  I did by clipping it into the upper waterfall.  I personally not think it needs this, but that is up to you and your model.

Time: 7-10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Hair Length: medium+

Sock bun with Snood

So, we have used this snood before, but, I just thought we would repeat.  Make a simple sock bun.  After winding the loose hair around the bun and pinning the ends in place.  Add the snood over the whole kit-and-kaboodle.  Take a few bobby pins and pin the bottom of the snood in place.  And this should last all day at school till the end of the ballet class.

Time: 3-5 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Hair length: medium

Braided headband with a rosette

Easy peasy.  Start by sectioning out a 1.5-2 inch section across the front of the head.  Pull back the remaining for the moment.  Make a dutch braid across the head with the original section, braid to the bottom of the hair and secure with an elastic.  I have read a few different ways to do this, but I like starting at the beginning of the braid so you don't undo what you just did as you work across the braid.  Now, gently tug the outer strands of each link of the braid, both left and right fanning the braid all the way across the head.  With the loose end of the braid, twist and wind it up on itself and pin the the rosette with bobby pins to the head.

Time: 5-7 minutes

Difficulty: medium

hair length: Medium

Five strand braid with a ribbon

So, I did this one so long ago I had to look it up.  Yikes.  Well, this is how to do it.  You are going to do this twice an secure the two braids together in the center.  You will need a substantial length of a stiff 1/4 inch ribbon, 4-5 feet.  In the middle of one ribbon place a bobby pin and secure the ribbon in the middle of a small section of hair at the front of the head.  The links of each plait of this braid is quite large so, nice wet hair will help with the fly aways.  Separate the section of hair into three strands, these will be the outer strands of a five strand braid.  For now place one strand on the top, then the two ribbons and finally the remaining two strands of hair.  Weave the bottom most strand of hair under the next strand of hair, over the first ribbon and under the final ribbon. Now you will take the top strand previously unused, weave that under the strand of hair and over the first ribbon, under the next.  Keep repeating this pattern back and forth until your braid is long enough to meet another braid in the middle of the head.  When you have secured the braids, remove the bobby pins holding the ribbons in place.

Time: 7-10 minutes.
Difficulty: hard
length: long

Double Sunburst braids

I saw this style, and thought, there is no way.  Then when I watched the video, I thought, well, this is just a take on my French braid disc. I can do that.

First you are going to need to section out your hair.  You will need about an inch or two section around the perimeter of the head and two equal pony tails inside the outer section.  Start the dutch braid on one side of the front of the head.  Dutch braid until you start bringing the braid down the opposite side of the head.  At this point, start pulling small pieces of hair from the closest pony tail and adding into the braid on the inside strand and the pieces from the loose section to the outside of the braid.  Continue around this pony tail till you are about to start braiding up.  At this point make a few link of the braid without adding any hair to either side and switch pony tails.  You should still have some hair in the first pony tail.  As you braid over the top of the second pony tail add small pieces of that pony tail to the inside of the braid.  Add nothing to the outside until you start braiding down (there shouldn't be any hair available during this section anyway).  When you have hair on the outside start incorporating it on the outside, like before.  Braid all the way around the second braid.  When you run out of hair in this pony tail, you should be in the middle of the two pony tails.  Braid a few links of basic braid and then start adding the remaining hair from the top of the first pony tail.  When all the hair strands have been incorporated, finish with a basic braid secured at the bottom.  Grab a few bobby pins and tuck the loose basic braid under the hair discs, pin in place.  I also used a few pins to keep the tops of the two discs from sliding to the bottom.  But, there you have it.

Time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: hard
hair length: medium+/long

Renaissance dutch braid with rosette

So, I started by separating out two small equal sized sections of hair, one above each ear.  With the remaining hair make a dutch braid down the center of the head.  Continue the braid as far as you can to make the rosette as long as possible.  After you have secured the braid with an elastic, wind the loose half of the braid around itself, twisting until all of the braid is incorporated into the rosette, try to have the ends of the braid tucked under the rosette.  Use bobby pins make secure the rosette.  Then create, two small basic braids with the two sections of hair you previously set aside.   Tuck the bottom of the each of the basic braids under the opposite "corner" of the bottom of the rosette, so the braids cross under the rosette.  Use bobby pins to secure the small braids in place.

Time: 7-10 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: Long

Braids and a Bun II

It's Ballet Day again.  Today Claire asked if we could have plain hair today.  But because she needed a bun, we did a simple little Ballet style.

Today we started by sectioning two larger sections on either side of the bang line that you need to make into two basic braids.  After you have completed the two braids and secured them with elastics, create a high pony tail with all the remaining hair.  Cross the two braids over the pony tail and secure them to the pony tail with an additional elastic.  Now add your sock tube and create your sock bun as done in Sock Bun Tutorial.

You can choose to take the ends of the braids out before you make your bun, or leave them in as a fun little addition to the bun.  Before you add your pretty little ribbon under the bun, use as much hair spray as you need to get the hair through preschool, ballet class and a potluck at church.

I'd love to see how you do this style.

Time: 7-10 minutes
Difficulty: medium
hair length: medium+

French Twist and a Waterfall Bun

Today was Claire's final ski day, so braids were in order.  However, she did have a dance party this evening with her Ballet and Dance school, so something fancy.  Well, Hmmmm....  Then I remembered this cute little waterfall bun and I thought about using braids to bring the hair to the pony.  If braids why not french twists to a pony tail for skiing, then we can quickly twist the pony tail up to the bun.  Yippy, a plan was hatched.

So,we started by parting the hair down the center and for each side we did a fun little french twist  hoping to meet in the middle toward the nape of the neck.  A french twist is the same as a french braid but only adding hair to one side of the braid.  In this case only pull in hair from the bottom of the braid.  Do not incorporate hair onto the upper side of the braid, or it will not "twist" properly.  After each side of the twist was long enough to meet in the middle, I continued the braid will a few inches beyond the center and clipped it temporarily until I finished the other side.  Then I secured them together with an elastic.  At this point Claire was ready for skiing.  

When Claire finished the ski day, I had to wet the bangs and smooth the hair a little, but mostly the style stayed intact.  I now tugged on the elastic a tiny bit to open a small hole behind the braids to flip the pony tail down into to form the "waterfall".   Here is another point you can finish this style, if you choose.  I finished the style by flipping the pony tail one more time behind the braids.  This time, I only tucked the ends into the hole, leaving a bump.  I grabbed some bobby pins and pinned the 'bun' above the braids.  I also used hair spray.  I thought I was done until Claire saw the crystal and pearl hair pins from Sunny Days Boutique used in the Easter Sunday Hair Crown.  So, I put some of them on the top of the bun and finally called it good!  I really like this one.  It was a good recycled hair style.

Time: 5-15 minutes (depending on where you stop)
Difficulty: Medium
Length: Medium

Caged Pony

Start today by securing a pony tail.  Pull a small amount of hair to wrap around the elastic.  Secure the hair wrap with bobby pins and hair spray.  Now, start a braid down the right side of the pony tail.  Add small amounts of hair from behind the left side of the pony tail to the left side of the braid as you would with a french braid.  Only adding hair from the left side.  When you pull hair sections to add, pull from the back of the pony tail and smooth the hair section as well as you can while dealing

with a wiggly head.  I think this style would be better with a fuller pony tail.

Time: 5-7 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Hair length: Long

Rib cage dutch braid

I saw something, as I usually do, and thought, that would be cool.  I am so happy how it turned out.

Start today by sectioning and securing out two pig tails on the top of the head.  Then for each pig tail form a hole at an angle to form a waterfall such that the hair from each pig tail if laid straight would meet in the middle of the back of the head.  Grab a section of hair from between the pig-waterfalls to start the dutch braid.  Next time I do this style, I will wet the pig tails now.  This should keep the 'ribs' cleaner looking.  When you are making your dutch braid, pick up small sections of hair from the pig tails of the corresponding side.  You are finished when the pieces you are adding from the pig tails are not long enough for additional plaits, or any time before then.

 Imagine this style on darker hair with white hair paint on the 'ribs' and 'sternum' for a creepy Halloween skeleton.  Or add flowers around the waterfall for something a little more feminine.

Time: 5-7 minutes
difficulty: medium
hair length: medium+