Waterfall braid Woven-look Ribbon Headband Ponytail

This style is challenging, but so neat!  Start with an ear to ear part at the front of the ear.  Keep the front hair out of the way for a while (clip or bun, etc.).  Do another ear to ear part at the back of the ear 3 or 4 cm behind the first part. Pull the back hair into a ponytail.  Half-dutch braid across the top middle of the head.

Lay a ribbon across the top of the head.  Insert one end through the hair at the beginning of the braid.  (I used a Topsy Tail tool.)  The other end will stay put when pull it back into the ponytail because of the braid.

Next do a waterfall braid with the front section of hair.  The pictures show this step before the ribbon, but I think it would be better to do the ribbon first.  Braid the ends as far down as they will go.

Using a Topsy Tail tool, or floss and a craft needle, thread each "fall" through the dutch braid.

Undo the ponytail.  Make a new low ponytail, adding in the extra hair from the falls and the braids.  Also add in the ribbon ends.

Tie a bow with the ribbons. Add a flower if you like.  Belle's ribbon and flower are provided by Gimme Clips.  Thanks Gimme Clips!

Waterfall Braid Tieback

Here is a variation on the waterfall braid I gave directions for here.  After crossing over the last section from the bottom and dropping off the last section from the top, you will have only two pieces left to work with.  You can combine them together and pull them back an inch or two.  Lift up some hair from the top of the head.  Use two bobby pins to hold down the strand from the braid (in an X shape).  Let the top hair fall down hiding the bobby pins.  If you find that the bobby pins stick out and show, try using mini bobbies instead.

Or, instead of combining the last two strands, you can draw up another for three strands again, and do a simple braid for a few inches.  You can bobby pin it like above, or anchor it with another piece of hair and a rubber band like in this post, but hiding it beneath some loose hair.

Lesson 88: Waterfall Braid/ Fairytale Braid/ Fountain Braid

I've been seeing this style become more and more popular.  I have to say, though, that I think it may work better in some hair types than in others.  Belle's hair is slick and straight, and whenever I put this style in her hair, it barely lasts a half hour.  She is young, though, and likes to play rough.  A teen or adult or someone whose hair isn't so slippery may not have the same trouble.  I've seen this style on someone with very curly hair.  I thought it was striking.  I really liked it.  So here's how:

The first step is a temporary pony at the bottom of the head.  This makes the braiding easier.  Part out the section at the top to use for braiding, and pull the rest out of the way.

Let the top hair fall down.  Part the hair at the top of the head or on one side.  Pull up a section near the forehead on one side and split it into three to begin braiding.  Cross the front over the middle.

Now cross the back over the middle.

Now bring the front over middle again adding a little hair from the bottom just as in a regular french braid.  This is the only time you'll do this: it is just to get the hair back away from the forehead so the first "fall" doesn't drop over the face.

Add hair from the top like in a regular french braid

Here is where the change comes from a regular french braid.  Instead of crossing the front over the middle again, you will exchange this strand for a new one.  Draw up a new section of hair as if to add it in to a french braid, but do not add it to the strand.  Just bring it under the bottom strand, cross it over the middle, and let the section you would have added it to fall loose.

Continue at the top by adding hair to the top strand and crossing it over the middle.

Repeat on the bottom by drawing a new section from below...

...and crossing it over the middle.  Then add hair from the top and cross over to the middle.

Repeat.

Repeat until you get to the center of the head.  Add a temporary clip to hold it together onto the ponytail.

Repeat on the other side.

Undo the temporary clip and bring the braids together.  Tighten up the "falls" by pulling on them gently.  You can add a hair band right here, or you can combine the strands and continue a regular braid.

Undo the temporary ponytail.

Like I said before, Belle is too rough on this hairstyle, so to make sure she doesn't end up looking like a mess in a half hour, I brush all the ends into a ponytail and add a bow.

For a variation, you could end the braid at the corner of the head.  Here I use a mini clip to keep it in place.  Notice the slight variation of the look: it comes from the amount of hair you pull up from the bottom.  The pictures at the top have only a little hair brought up, and it looks a little bit like a hawser twist, but the one below has thicker/wider pieces brought up.