Tapering Braid

This is a super easy style.  Start with a ponytail.  Braid the top loosely, and then pull out the edges of the plaits to widen it.  Gradually braid tighter to the end.  This style probably would work better with very curly or kinky hair since you can braid further out to the ends without worrying about the ends popping out.

(I'm experimenting with some new software that came with my camera.  I doesn't do much, so I need to keep searching for that old disk...  This image is huge, and I can't put my blog stamp on it.)

Braid Rose

This is a really easy but really cute hairstyle.  Just gather a section of hair near the forehead, braid it down to the end, add an elastic, and then coil it up.  Tuck the tail underneath, and put in a few bobby pins to hold it in place.

Annie Get Your Gun Braids

If you haven't seen Annie Get Your Gun yet, I suggest you do.  It's an old classic musical about Annie Oakley (historical fiction, I guess).  My favorite song is "Anything You Can Do" (I can do better). It makes me laugh out loud.

This hairstyle is from the beginning of the movie before Annie has been "refined."  If anyone can teach me how to do that classic 1940's curly bob--the after--I would love to learn.

Here Belle's hair is longer than in the movie, but you get the idea.  Braid the front into two braids.  Tie the ends of the braids with long rags rather than elastics.  Use the center of the rag to leave two tails hanging.  You could tie them up higher than what I did.

Part the rest of the hair down the middle.  Braid each side, including the top braids into one of the sections.

When you get down to the part with the rag, split the rag tails so that they each go into a different section of the braid.  Continue braiding.

Tie off the braid by wrapping one of the rag tails around the braid and then tying it in a bow with the other rag end.

This would be fun for a Halloween costume.  It's easy and cute for every day, but if you want it to look a little more refined, you could use ribbon instead of rag strips.  Satin ribbon will not hold the knot, though, so you will have to use elastics for that, and tuck the ribbon into the elastic.

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.

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.

Lesson 99: Braid Loop Bangs

This one is a simpler version of this.

Section off a rectangular portion of hair at the top of the head. Gather the hair into a pigtail at the corner and add an elastic.  Braid the hair to the end, and add another elastic.  Draw the tail up to the top and fasten it to the first elastic by tucking it in or adding another elastic around the whole thing.  Wrap the loose hairs around and tuck them into the elastic.  Cover up the elastics with a flower or bow.  (This is my favorite one again from Gimme Clips--the one that came with the headband.)

Lesson 98: Simple St. Patrick's Day

Last year for St. Patrick's Day I posted some more challenging styles for making shamrocks and clovers out of hair (see the right side bar).  This year we're keeping it simpler with some less time and skill intensive styles.

First, this little clover looking flower is from Gimme Clips.  (Clover flowers are really purple and white, I know, but we need green to avoid the pinching, right?)  The flower is sewn onto a small hairband.  This was our Daylight Savings Church Day hairstyle (with a blue one that day).  Just make a side part, and then part out a small section from the top of the head to the temple.  Add the hairband, being careful not to get the petals stuck under the hairband twists.

This picture was taken before school one day this week, then I looked out the window and noticed it was windy, so I added some Indian braids (upside down) with the matching hairbands that came with the flowers.

Here's another way to green up a regular hairdo.  Tie some green ribbon into a bow around the end of a bobby pin and insert it into a bun or messy bun.

Keep scrolling down.  I put up two posts today.

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 85: Using Headbands

 This is my sweet little Belle about two years ago.  This headband is a stretchy fabric loop.  To get it in, you have to pull the whole thing over the head around the neck like a necklace, pull the hair out and over the band at the back, and then scoot it back over the forehead.  For a hard headband, put the ends over the ears as if you were putting on glasses, and then push it back over the forehead.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of headbands right now because they fall out so frequently, and also because the space above Belle's ears is already taken up by her glasses.  I was the headband queen when I was in grade school, and wore headbands all the time, but they are frustrating unless you can find one that really fits your head.  If they curve of the headband is different from your head, it can fall out or give you spot headaches.  I know they have been making new ones lately that are rubbery and stretchy so they should stay in place better and mold to the shape of your head better.  We haven't bought any of those.  Have you?  What's your opinion?

Lots of people are using the headbands like the white one in the middle of this picture on babies with ginormous flowers almost bigger than the baby's head.  (Belle wouldn't let me put anything on her head until she was almost two, though I never tried anything when she was a newborn.)  I used to tie the back side with a rubber band (fold it in half, then tie the ends around) to scrunch it up.  That way it didn't lift up the hair at the back of her neck to make an arch poking through the other hair that's laying over it.

There are several tricks you can do to keep headbands in involving braids, tiny pigtails and pull-throughs, etc. My favorite headband is the kind from Gimme Clips that has the loop on it so you can clip in a flower.  You can also use the loop to slide in a bobby pin to hold it down.

Product Review: Lilla Rose Flexi-Clips

I'm excited to try out my new hairdo-dads from Lilla Rose.  They are flexible infinity sign shapes with a metal pin that goes through.  I've been testing them out on a few different styles lately.  If you head over to their website via the link above, they have some tutorials on some basic styles you can do with this.  Lilla Rose graciously sent us three sizes to try out so I could share my opinion with you.  We have an extra-small, small and medium.  The one in the picture here is an extra-small.  There are different things you can do with the different sizes, and the size you need will depend on the length and thickness of your hair, and also what you want to do with it.  I have been using this extra-small for a front-half pony in my own hair.  It is actually just a little bit too big for Belle's hair in a front half pony because it slips down a little (but doesn't slide down at all in mine).  I taught her how to split the tail in two and tug them away from each other to make it slide back up.

These hair clips remind me of my mother's old "stick barrette" that she used to wear a lot in the 80's.  It was an egg shape piece of thick leather with a hole punched in both ends for the wooden stick to go through.  She did the "tails up" style with it.

At last I have found a solution to the problem of heavy hair wrecking the cascading curls style.  Follow the directions for this post, but then add a flexi-clip above the pull-through for added stability.

I like these hair clips because they are useful for common every day hairstyles.  They are quick and easy and make a simple style look nice.

Lesson 78: Worm Bun/ The Brain

This style is fun to do.  I gave it a gross name for Halloween, but it would actually be cute for a flower girl or other special occasion with little flowers or ribbons stuck in it.
Begin with a ponytail.  Divide the tail into a few sections.  I used four, but if you use more the twists will be thinner and give it a more detailed brain/worm effect.  Twist each section all the way to the end, and then keep twisting it tighter and tighter until it starts to curve and make loops.  Tuck the end into the hair band. 

Repeat until you have used up all the hair.  Pull the ends that are sticking out underneath the twisties, and pin them in place with bobby pins.  Arrange the loops however they look nice, and then pin them down nice and neat.

Lesson 75: Braid Loops Ponytail

I was inspired to do this style from a darling little girl (another Belle) at my church.  Hers was done on the side with an enormous sunflower.

Gather the hair into a ponytail (middle or side).  The higher on the head the ponytail is, the more difficult it will be to match the end lengths of the hair to braid.  Braid all the hair, one small section at a time, and put a small elastic at the bottom of each.  It may be helpful to do this on wet hair (use a spray bottle if necessary) to keep shorter lengths from poking out of the braids as much.  Fold the braids up and stick the ends into one of loops of the hairband.  Adding another hairband around the whole thing will help keep them from slipping.  I used a no-slip grip hairband.  Just be careful not to mess up the braids when you are wrapping the hairband.

At this point the little ends are sticking out like wild at the top of the ponytail.  Do whatever you can to tame them.  Spray them wet, roll, tuck, wrap, pin... whatever you can do to contain them to a small area.  Now cover up the mess with a bow or flower to hide it.  I used three small flowers because I don't have a big one. (Thanks again Gimme Clips!) A wide piece of ribbon would have done the trick nicely, too.

Lesson 70: Princess Braids

I found this picture from a long time ago and can't believe I haven't posted it yet.  It is super simple--a good idea for a quick school day hairstyle.

For the style, divide the top hair into two sections, either parting in the middle or on the side.  Braid each and secure temporarily.  Join them together with an elastic, then let out the ends.  Add a bow or flower.  Super easy.

Lesson 67: Island Princess Barbie Hairstyle

It's a braid.  Duh, right?  Just put a flower on it.  See Barbie Gallery number 2.  Something new to try, though: Put all the hair in a ponytail, braid the tail, then remove the hairband you put in for the ponytail.  I'm playing around with this idea to work out some new styles.  If  the sides poof out on you, try doing the whole thing wet then letting out the hairband after it dries, or spray it with hairspray.

Lesson 65: French Braid in Front

I've been seeing this one everywhere lately.  You don't have to have super long hair, either.  Tie it off where ever your hair ends, or use an X shape with two bobby pins right by the scalp without leaving at tail braid.

Part out the section of the front you want to braid.  I used a bobby pin to hold the back hair out of the way while I braided.

This hairband from Gimme Clips is a flower stuck onto the band.  I like the decoration.  To add a hairband with a bauble on it, position the pretty in place first, then wrap the rest of the band around beneath, being careful not to catch flower petals or whatever in the loops.

Lesson 62: Ponytail with Two Braids

This is a super easy and fast style.  Just put the hair in a ponytail, split the tail in two, and then braid the two sections.  It is so simple, but adding two braids instead of the one you always see makes it unique.  For the bow on top, I had a piece of ribbon too short to wrap around the hairband (the only orange I had), so I just folded the ends over twice to form two loops and then slid a bobby pin over the center.  I tucked the bobby pin in behind the hairband, and it stayed in place there.

Lesson 50: Braided Braids

This is a simple technique that gives a complicated look.  Belle wanted an Easter egg, so I started with a zigzag sort of shape, though the finished style looks very little like an Easter egg.  To start, comb out a triangular section at the forehead and braid it out as far as you can.  Add a clear elastic.  Repeat with triangle sections at the side of the head.  Put everything into a ponytail.  Divide the tail into three sections, making sure there is a braid in each.  Braid the tail.  You will need to adjust the small braids with each turn to be sure they are visible.  Add a hairband at the end.  Remove the elastics if they are visible.

Lesson 49: Barbie Bangs

(Belle doesn't want me to take her video to french braid with wet hair, so I will post other stuff until she changes her mind.)

When you buy a new Barbie doll, often the hair is done something like this in the front.  I use Barbie bangs for the beginning step to several other styles, but it looks fine just how it is if you only want to leave the rest of the hair as is.

To begin, make a side part on the top of the head.  Then part the hair across the top from ear to ear.

Pull the remaining hair back and secure it temporarily into a twist or bun, whatever will keep the hair out of the way and off the neck.

Brush the front sections of hair smooth flat against the head.  I put it behind the ears, but you could cover the ears if you prefer (and if she/you can stand it on top of the ears).  Bring both sides together at the back of the neck and tie them together with an elastic.  Be careful not to get any of those tiny baby hairs or it will be painful.  It helps to spray the hair above the neck with water to plaster down all the baby hairs before you bring the top sections back.

Let down the rest of the hair and brush it smooth.

Lesson 43: Two Braids into a Pony Fountain

I love the flair of this style, but Belle didn't like it.  Middle or side part in the front, braid back into a pony.  On the last loop of the hairband, make sure you are pulling the loop from behind the pony toward the outside, and instead of pulling all the hair through, pull it halfway through.  Divide the tail end in two sections and pull them out to the sides.  Clip a flower or bow on top.  Turn the clip vertical with the hinge at the top and stick the back in through the hairband to help it stay in place better.
Or the simpler version that Belle prefers:

Lesson 42: Double Banded Pony with Braid

For this style, start with a side part on top.  Comb out a rectangular section and braid it from the back corner or the rectangle.  Braid it as far down as you can, then put in a clear elastic.  Put the rest of the hair into a ponytail and add the braid to it.  You can use two hairbands to do this if the braid sinks down and hides in the rest of the hair.  Add another hairband down the tail of the pony where the clear elastic of the braid is (don't remove the elastic, just cover it up with the hairband).