Lesson 79: Bun with Ribbon Wrapped Twist

This is the Barbie hairstyle I named "Yet Another Musketeer" (number 10) in this Barbie Hairstyle post.  It isn't exactly the same, but close enough for me.  This special guest is my neighbor friend.  She asked me for help to do her hair for a dance competition.  She said that it lasted for her second day of dancing, and she just needed to spray some flyaways after she slept on it.
Start with a ponytail.  Next you'll need to use a sock to form the bump.  Cut the toe off a sock and then roll it until it looks like a doughnut.  Put the tail of the ponytail through the hole.  Spread the hair over it evenly, and then add another hairband.

(I guess I should have taken some more step by step pictures, but I didn't have a whole lot of time.)  Grab up a portion of the hair from below the bun, pull it up over the top, and arrange it to cover up the doughnut.  Add a small hairband (clear is best).

Tuck the little tail in under the bun, or if you can use it the next step.  Now you will need to do a french hawser twist around the bun.  Take up two sections of hair from beside the bun.  I did it on the side, but taking it from the top may make it less visible where you start from.  Twist each section one direction, then wrap them together in the opposite direction.  Add more hair to the sections as you continue twisting around the bun.  When you run out of hair to add in, keep twisting the ends together and put a clear hairband in the end.  Wrap it around the bun and tuck the ends underneath to hide them.  Use bobby pins to hold it all in place.

Now get a long piece of ribbon.  I didn't measure when I cut it off the spool, but just guessed and ended up with way too much.  Better too much than not enough.  Use a craft needle to sew around the twist.  This is called hair taping.  Tie the ends together and tuck them underneath to hide.  Use hairspray to keep the top layer of hair on the bun from sliding and showing off the doughnut shape underneath.

Crazy Hair Day

Red Ribbon Week (Say No to Drugs!) was last week, and the school had a crazy hair day.  This was our invention.

I braided her bangs, did a zigzag part, put plastic drinking cups on either side, brushed the hair over the cups, and put in hairbands.  I wrapped a pipe cleaner or two around the hairband and braided them in.  One braid I formed into a zigzag, and the other a corkscrew.  On one end, I spread the tail out and sprayed it with spray gel.  The other I added a poof.  I wrapped the bang braid around one cup and clipped it in place.  Very weird.

She Changed Her Mind

Before:

Like I said before, Belle said that her long hair was starting to bug her.  She decided she was ready to take the plunge and go for the whole ten inches to donate to Locks of Love.


Drum roll, please....


AFTER:

She loves it!  I really like it, too, though it does limit my creativity a bit.  It's a lot faster to brush, wash, and dry, and I don't have to worry about braiding it before bedtime.  She looks fantastic, I think.  There is still plenty I can do with it.

I wonder if I will be able to find anything out about what little girl receives her gift.

Donate to Locks of Love

 Belle is beginning to get tired of her long hair, and she says it bugs her.  She's ready for a cut.  I did a search to find out what the minimum requirement is for Locks of Love.  They say 10 inches.  Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to medical treatment.  Belle said she'd like to do that another year and not cut that much off yet.  But if you are interested, you have to cut the hair after you put in a hairband (so it isn't all loose), stick it in a bag and a padded envelope, and mail it to
234 Southern Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33405-2701
See locksoflove.org for more details.

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.

Halloween Requests?

With Halloween approaching, I am wondering if there is anybody out there that needs specific help on a costume hairdo.  I can't promise anything, but just leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.

Lesson 77: French Hawser Twist

I don't actually know what this is called...  It is a hawser twist, but you add hair with each cross like a french braid, but a french twist is a completely different style, so I'll just call it a french hawser twist.  Before you try this one, make sure you know how to do a simple hawser rope twist.

There are lots of things you can do with this technique, but for today, just start by parting the hair down the middle like pigtails.  Keep one side out of the way with a clip or hairband while you work with the other side.  Pull up a section at the top of the head and split it into two with the division perpendicular to the center head part so that both pieces have a space touching the forehead.  Twist them both toward the face, and then cross the higher one over the other toward the back of the head.

Cross the lower over the first one toward the back of the head.

Add some hair to the strand that is now lower.  You will be taking hair that is both below the twist and above, but the hair that is above will be hanging down behind the twist.  When you french braid, you gather one side then the other, but here you are taking hair from both sides at the same time.  After you add the hair in, twist it in with the rest (toward the face), and then cross it over the top.

Continue in this pattern, adding hair to the lower strand, twisting it in, and crossing it over until you get to the bottom and have no hair left to add in.

Finish off with a simple hawser rope, and then fasten it with a hairband.

Repeat on the other side.

For a variation, you can tie the two together at the base of the neck...

...and then wrap them around into a bun.  Tuck in the ends and pin in place.