French Fishtail/ Herringbone/ Chevron Braid

Before you try out this style, make sure you know how to do a fishtail braid.  I think this style would be a good alternative to a french braid for anyone who has super thick hair and cannot make the strand additions very narrow.
Begin at the top with a small section of hair. Split it into two pieces.

Pull off a thin piece from the side of the right section (it doesn't matter which side you start with, but just so it matches the pictures, I said right).  Cross it over top and add it in with the left section.

Pull off a thin strand from the left side, cross it over top, and add it in with the right side section.

Now gather up a new piece from off the scalp (like you would for a french braid, but thinner.)  You will want to cross it over the top and add it in with the left side, but unless you also pick up a little bit of the hair that is already in your hand on the right side, when you finish braiding, the whole thing is going to slide down the head and gather up at the bottom.  Look closely in this picture and you will see that I have gathered some new hair and taken a small portion of the hair that was already in my hand.  Do not use any of the piece of hair that you have just added in from the left.

Now cross it over and add it in to the left side.  Pick up a new strand from the scalp on the left.

Add in some hair from the left section already in your hand, but not the part you have just crossed over from the right.  Add it in with the right side.  Pick up some new hair from the scalp on the right.  Add in some hair from what is in your hand already.  Try to get some from the previous crossover (in this picture, you can see the thin blonde strand I'm adding in).

Cross it over the top, and add it in with the left.  Try to keep the hair taught so it doesn't slide down the head.  Repeat on the other side, add in a small piece including hair that has already been crossed over previously.

Continue in this manner until you run out of hair on the scalp to add in.  Finish it off with the regular fishtail technique.

Funky Braids

This style is fun, easy, and pretty fast.  Great way to spice up an ordinary style.  This makes me miss Belle's long hair!  This was a long time ago.  To start, gather a small section of hair at the bang area and make a thin braid.  Add a clear elastic.  Part the hair down the middle.  Do Indian braids for just a couple inches (adding the small braid into one side), and then add an elastic.  Add another elastic a bit farther down, careful that the little braid lays on top of the smooth hair.  Braid the ends with an upside down braid, and add the last elastics.

Dutch Braids into Messy Bun

I won't leave step by step instructions for this, but if you are not sure how to do this by looking at the picture, have a look at these links:
Dutch braid
Messy bun

These little accent flowers are sewn onto mini jaw clips.  You can get them from Gimme Clips.

Double Hawser Buns

I'm finally getting this style posted!  It's been in my banner for a long time.  This works best with very long hair.

Begin with a horizontal part ear to ear, and make two ponies, the top one at the part, and the bottom one halfway up the lower section.

Get the front section out of the way by twisting and bunching it up on top and holding it down with a big jaw clip.  Do a hawser twist on the lower pony.

Wrap the twist around the hairband to form a bun, hiding the tail ends under the bun.  Use bobby pins to hold it in place.

Let out the jaw clip.  Do a hawser twist on the top pony.

Form the bun on the top.  Try to make the bun low enough to touch the lower bun.  Pin in place.

You can finish here, or add some embellishments.  I made my own by hot-gluing some fake flowers to the end of a couple bobby pins.  To make the bow, I folded the ends of a short ribbon over, and then put the bobby pin over the middle like so:

Insert the bobby pins in random places.

Fish Tail Braid

The fish tail looks similar to a regular braid, but is more intricate.  You can do this at the end of a ponytail with all the hair or pigtails.  I started with a front piggy with the hairband at the part (rather than in the middle of the section) and then did a pull-through with a topsy tailer.

Divide the tail into two pieces.

Beginning on the right (it doesn't matter which side you start on, but the pictures start on the right) pull out a thin piece from the side.

Cross the thin strand over top, and add it into the left section.

Now take a thin strand out from the left side at the outer edge.

Cross that over and add it into the right section.  Pull another thin strand from the right side edge.

Cross it over and add it into the hair on the left.

Repeat, repeat, repeat!  When you have done this several times, you will come down the braid to where you find sections of hair that have already been use higher up in the braid.  You will see places that seem to naturally divide because they have already been divided earlier in the braid.  If you use these same pieces, it will make the braid look quite neat on the underside, but it really isn't necessary to worry about it.  You may disregard these pieces and just continue to pull off any section from the edge.

These pictures are here to show how the hair sort of naturally breaks into sections after you get down a ways.

Keep following this pattern until you run out of hair to braid, then fasten it off.

New Facebook Page!

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Prom Hairstyles

If you are looking for a hairstyle to wear for Prom, check out my links on the side bar for "special occasion" or "up-dos."  They're not just for little girls!