Braided Heart Ponytail

To help celebrate Valentine's Day, here's another heart shaped hairdo.  Instructions are show for the ponytail version, but this is also really cute as pigtails.  (This picture is from a long time ago!)

Begin with a front piggy.  Put the rest of the hair in a low pony, being sure to leave the tail of the top one out.

Braid two sections of the lower ponytail at the sides.  Make them as even thickness as you can.  Secure the ends with a temporary clip.

Pull the braids up and then back down to add them with the hair of the top piggy.

Add an elastic here, careful to keep the braids at equal lengths on either side.  Split the hair from the tail in half, and tuck them behind the braids.

The braids will make a C shape on either side. To get the sharper angle at the bottom of the heart, you can fold them up and add another elastic on top of the pinch.

The ends of the braids will be much shorter than the tail of the pony.  If they pop out the sides like in the above picture and that bothers you, you can add this additional step.  Pull the short ends together behind the ponytail.  Wrap a small clear elastic around them a few times, and then once around to whole ponytail.

I'll admit this makes the bottom look kind of weird, but that can be hidden with a flower or bow.  (Satiny flower clip from Gimme Clips!)

Click the Valentine's Day link on the right sidebar to see more Valentine's Day hairstyle ideas.

Lesson 93: Half Pony with Hawser Twist

Here is a simple hairstyle for every day.  Since my hair is too short (plus I'm too old) to put fancy braided hearts in, I'll decorate for Valentine's Day with my heart flexi-clip from Lilla Rose.

I've taken the front section of hair near my forehead, twisted it up, and put a clear elastic in.  Then I pulled up the front half of the rest of my hair, adding in the twist, and then held it together with the flexi-clip.  This one is size small.  The elastic is hidden behind the clip.  If yours hangs down below where you can see, you can undo the elastic.

Lesson 92: Bleeding Heart Ponytail

We named this one after Belle's favorite flowers at her Oma's house.

Begin with a ponytail.  Pull up a small section of hair from the tail, and put an elastic a couple inches down.

Beneath the elastic, divide the hair into three pieces.  The center piece will stay hanging down, but the two side pieces will be brought up to the sides.  Squeeze them against the hair above the elastic, and then add another elastic a wee bit above the first.  This is a bit tricky to do without making a big puff of the hair above the elastic. Try pulling down gently on the nub of hair at the elastics to adjust it if you have to.

Smooth out the curves of hair on the sides, and bring them together with the center piece of hair, forming the heart shape. Twist them or dampen them with water if you need to to help get the right shape.  You could even braid them or do hawser twists to take it a step farther.  Add another elastic to keep it all in place.

Lesson 90: Half Dutch Braided Heart

The first step is for bangs.  If you have cut bangs, skip this step.  You can do Barbie bangs if you want.  What I did here was to pull the bangs down to the side (sprayed with water) temporarily with a spring hinge clip or bobby pin, and then added the hair into the braid at the side (after removing the pin) once I got down to that section.  Add the bangs into the braid a little at a time, in about two or three plaits.

Part the hair across the middle at the top of the head. Make curved parts to form the top half shape of a heart, and then straight down to the ears.  Pull the rest of the hair into a temporary ponytail to keep it out of the way.  Beginning on one side of the part, do a half dutch braid around the curve.  When there is no hair left to add in, continue braiding down to the end.  Secure temporarily.  Repeat on the other side, and then band the two braids together forming the bottom shape of the heart.  Release the temporary hairbands.

This hairstyle should be sprayed with hairspray to help prevent the loose hair hanging behind the heart from getting pulled into messy arches over the braids.

Lesson 89: Basic Twisted Heart

This is really very simple and easy, but it is striking.  The twisted heart is very similar to the braided heart, but it is a rolled twist instead of a braid.  You will need two piggies, one above the other.  Do an upside-down pull-through with a Topsy Tail tool or with your fingers on the top piggy.

Split the tail and roll each piece in opposite directions, rolling down towards the forehead.  If you twist the right way, it will lay flat.  If you twist the wrong way, it will stick up.  Try again.  Roll them down a ways and then pinch them together at the bottom piggy forming a heart shape.  Carefully put on another hairband.  If you tighten the heart too much when putting on the band, gently pull at the loops to adjust it.  It helps to spray the twists with water before you band them.

You can put one in the bangs like this picture, or you can do a front half pony, a whole head pony, two pigtails, two or three across the front or along a side part.  If you do pigtails, you can actually just do it with one hairband on each side instead of the double because gravity will hold them down.  This is one of my all time favorite hairstyles.  It's really cute.

Here I've made a twisted heart with Barbie bangs and a headband.  This would also be cute with a wide ribbon and three heart across the top.

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 29: Taped Dutch Braid Heart

This is an advanced style I haven't taught the basics for yet, but I'll get it in here in time for Valentine's Day for those of you who are ready for it.  I don't have step by step pictures either since I did it last year before my blogging days.

Begin by parting the top of the head down the middle and a part from ear to ear.  Put the back half of the hair into a pony tail. On one side at the top, make another part diagonally from center back of the head to the forehead by the temple.  It'll be easier to shape the heart if you make this part line a little curved.  Begin doing a half dutch braid on the top triangle.  Half dutch braids are inside out french braids where you only add hair to one side, and the other side will hide the part (hopefully).  Don't braid all the way to the forehead, but start turning the braid into a curve a couple inches before you get to the forehead.  You can braid without adding any hair or just add to one side for a couple turns, whatever works.  Once you've got it turned back, continue doing a regular dutch braid to add hair from both sides.  Once you've used up all the hair on that side, braid it out to the end and put in a temporary clip or hairband.  Repeat on the other side.  Add the braids to the ponytail with another hairband.

To do the taping, you'll need a REALLY long ribbon.  Fold it in half to find the middle. Use a bobby pin or clip to hold it temporarily at the middle.  Thread a craft needle with the ribbon and wrap the braid around and around.  When you get to the part where the braid is laying on top, you can catch up some hair from underneath or just keep it around the braid itself.  I don't think it matters.  Let the end hang until you do the other side.  Take out the pin/clip and repeat for the other side.  Tie up the ribbons together in a bow.  Voila!  This hairdo takes forever.  I think it took me 45 minutes, so pop in a movie for your daughter or something.  Definitely a special occasion do.

Lesson 28: Small clipped heart

To begin this hairstyle, make a ponytail at the back of the head.  Take a small section of hair from the bottom of the tail and use a topsy tailer to pull it up to the top behind the hairband.

 

Put a small hairband around the section a few inches up.

Divide the hair below the hairband into two sections and turn it down.

Use the topsy tailer to return the end of the tail through the large hairband.  Use small clips to keep the curves of the heart in place.  I added a little bow for fun.  (My colors don't match.  Actually they  match the shirt.  Belle picked out a handful of colors like her shirt and said she wanted those in her hair.  I had to see what I could come up with.)

Lesson 23: Braided Heart

This is one of our favorite hairstyles.  Belle wears it year round, not just at Valentine's Day.  I learned the basic idea for how to do this at Princess Hairstyles, one of my favorite hair blogs.  To begin, gather a front piggy with a section of hair beginning at the ears or a couple inches above the ears on both sides.  Secure with a hairband.  Insert the topsy tailer from underneath and push it up through to the top.  Put the end of the piggy through the loop.

Pull the topsy tailer up to make an inverted turn.  Gather another piggy a little ways down from the first and secure it.

Divide the hair from the top piggy into two equal sections.  Braid them and secure them with a temporary band or clip.  The braid shouldn't be too tight or it will be hard for it to curve around.  Also when you begin braiding, start with the side section that is near the center of the head rather than the one nearer to the ears.  This will help with the curve and will prevent the braid from rolling out of shape.

Curve the ends of the braids around in the heart shape and stick them together with the other piggy.  Put another hairband around all of it.  Undo the temporary bands or clips.

Add a ribbon if you like.  Here is a side view:

For a variation, you can lower it on the head a bit and add all the hair in at the bottom.