Lesson 35: Basic Bun

To begin a bun, brush all the hair and secure into a ponytail.  It doesn't matter what color of hairband you use since it will be all covered up, but if you are worried about it showing, use one that will camouflage with the hair.  Belle has very thick long hair, so I had to divide the hair into two sections.  One section may be enough for you.  Twist the section all the way to the end.

Wrap the twisted section around the hairband.  Try clockwise or counterclockwise to see which way might lay down better.

When you reach the end, the end hairs underneath so you can't see them and secure them in place with bobby pins.  Open the pins so they will catch the hair and then push them in until you can't see the pin anymore.  Try to cross pins to make an X shape when you can, so one pin will hold another in place.  If you push a pin in and you see the end stick out at the other side, gently pull it back out and try again at a different angle.  You can buy bobby pins in different colors to match your hair.  If your daughter has very fine hair and shorter hair, a regular bobby pin might be too long.  I would suggest getting mini bobby pins that are shorter.

Repeat with the other section.  I twisted and wrapped the opposite direction, but you could go the same direction, too.  Use trial and error.

This is a special kind of pin that does a pretty good job of holding bun.  Goody calls theirs "Spin Pins," but this is a generic.  You just push it in and twist it until you can't push it anymore.  You can usually see the end a little, so get one that matches the hair color if you can.

It doesn't hurt to carry around a few extra bobby pins in your pocket in case the bun starts to fall out during the day.  If not, pull out a pin and stick it back into the trouble spot.

Lesson 34: Princess Twists

This style is simple and elegant, but a little bit tricky.  Begin with a middle or side part across the top of the head.  On one side, part again from the top part to above the ear.  Brush the section of hair smooth into your hand and twist it.  The twist direction should be up from the ear.  The other side will be opposite so they roll together.  Twist a long length down, even past where you would aim to put a band.  Cross over the back of the head and clip it down temporarily.

Repeat on the other side.  If you have used a side part, the width of the twists will be different.  You can minimize it by making the part on the wider side slightly curved in toward the forehead to make the section of hair smaller.  Twist down a ways, but do not clip it down.  

This next part is tricky unless you have three hands.  Leave yourself some extra time in case you drop it and have to start over.  Hold the twist firmly while unclipping the other side, careful not to let it roll out.  Bring the two pieces together into one hand.  Pinch them tight just under where you want to put in the hairband.  

It will help to already have the hairband on the wrist of the hand you're pinching with.  Make that first time around with the hairband good and tight because they will want to roll out as soon as you let go for the next wrap around.

Add a bow or a flower or just leave it.  This style ought to be sprayed with some hairspray if you want it to last.  Any time your princess rubs her head against something, the long loose hairs will pull up over the twists and make big arches or hang out over top.  If you are with her, you can lift up the twists and pull the other hair back down to fix it.  Hopefully the hairspray will prevent the problem.

Lesson 33: Tying a Bow

This is the simplest of hairstyles made extra cute by adding a big bow.  Before putting it in the hair, you have to prevent frays.  This is what ribbons look like at the end of the day when they haven't been prepared:

To fix it, fold the ribbon in half (not end to end but side to side).  With a sharp pair of scissors, cut off the end at an angle.

Careful not to burn yourself, of course, use a lighter to melt the ends.  Slowly bring the flame closer to the ends until you see it start to melt.  Don't touch the ribbon with the flame, just hold it about a half inch or so away.  Move the flame down the edge to melt the whole way across.  If you keep it there too long or bring it too close, you could burn it or make a bumpy edge.  Just trim it off and try again if you do.

Ribbons tend to slide out and get lost if they aren't secured in place.  Pull the ribbon through the hairband.

Wrap one end under the pony and tie like how you begin to tie your shoe.  One end will turn up, and one end will turn down.  Choose the end that turns up to make the first loop.  Notice that one side of the ribbon is shinier than the other.  Turn your loop so that the shiny side is out. (If you are using gross-grain ribbon--the rougher kind with ridges--it doesn't matter which side turns out.)

Wrap the other end around the first loop and pull the other loop through the hole.  Twist the ribbon around if you need to to make the shiny part stick out.

Pull the knot tight and make sure the loops and ends are even.  Puff out the loops by putting your fingers inside and pushing out the creases.

Lesson 32: OXOXO Rosette Valentine

Belle said she wanted roses in her hair to match the one on her dress, so this is what I came up with.  Begin by parting the hair ear to ear over the top of the head.  Put the back section in a temporary ponytail.

Divide the front into three sections and put them into piggies.

Beginning with the middle section, twist the tail near to the end.

Wrap the tail around the hairband like a snail.

Tuck the ends underneath so they don't show.

Open up a bobby pin a little bit so it will catch hair from two loops, including the end of the tail, and push it into the bun.  Add another pin perpendicular (to form an X) the same way.  Two pins was all I needed for these little buns, but you could add more if they don't seem like they'll hold it well.  The pins were longer than the bun so they showed on the edges, but I didn't really care about that.  They do make shorter bobby pins.  This would be a great hairstyle for the short ones, but I don't have any.

Repeat with the other piggies.

Find the middle of a long ribbon by folding it in half and matching the ends.  Put the middle of the ribbon above the middle bun.  Wrap the ends around under the other buns, crossing over itself between the buns, and under the middle bun.  Tie a bow.  There is a very subtle OXOXO made by the buns and the ribbons crossing.  Most people won't notice, but it's cute anyhow.  Somehow I missed taking a picture of the finished product from the back.  Oh well.

Here's a picture of her hair after the whole day was spent.  It held its shape pretty well.

Lesson 31: Triple Rolled Heart

I wish I had taken pictures the first time I did this because it was much neater, but this time I was (once again) trying to rush it for school in the morning.  But this will give you the idea anyway.

Begin by using your comb to draw a part in the shape of a heart on the crown of the head. Secure the hair at the point with a little hairband.

Draw another part--half of a heart--around the first one, about an inch wide.  You may want to put the rest of the hair in a temporary ponytail to keep it out of the way while you are working with this section.

Twist the hair toward the heart, starting with a very small section in the top corner and adding a little bit of hair with every twist as you go down.

You can use a fine tooth comb to smooth any bumps by pushing it gently across the roll toward the heart.  Roll all the way to the bottom and clip in place.

Repeat for the other side.  Remove the clip and band both pieces together along with the tail of the first heart.

Belle's hair needs a side part in front for her cowlick, but you could part the front in the middle if you like.  Part the leftover front hair straight up from the ears.  Twist it up toward the heart.  You can just twist it all at once rather than adding more hair each turn this time.  Clip, like before, and repeat on the other side.  Band it all together.  Add a bow if you want.

Lesson 30: Barbie Doll Makeover

I picked up an old ratty Barbie doll for free from the leftover junk at a yard sale.  She was dirty, so I cleaned her up with soap and water, an old toothbrush, (and rubbing alcohol, I think).  Her hair was BAD. It was a matted mess with a bunch of teeny tiny twists that seemed to be permanent.  I wish I had taken a before picture which would make an after picture worthwhile, but anyway, I combed the hair out best I could then dunked her hair in simmering (almost boiling) water for about 10 seconds.  It came out sleek and smooth.  Amazing.  Well that was fun, so I decided to see what I could do with her (generic) ponies.  I braided and twisted and curled their hair then dunked them.  Very cool.  I tried wrapping the hair around pen caps and holding it with rubber bands.  It only worked so-so and melted my rubber bands, but still, it was fun.  And Belle thought it was awesome.

Today I found this website when I was looking to see if anybody else had had the same idea before.  Sure enough.  This gal is a pro.  Drinking straws should work much better than pen caps.