"I Heart You" Braids

This is my 3 year old daughter's *favorite* hairstyle. What little girl doesn't love hearts? Once again, this braid is fairly simple once you have mastered the art of regular french braiding. Here are seven easy steps (and a few pointers) to help you complete this hairstyle at home! 

• *I try to always start with hair that is clean and sprayed with detangler to help hold slippery pieces and hold fly-aways into place.

• Step 1: Divide the top of the hair into two equal parts. I have the best luck saying, "Look at you!" to keep her head straight ahead -at least for the moment- then, leaning over the top of her head, place the comb using her nose as a center-point and continuing back as far as need be. 

• Step 2: Secure one side with a clip or elastic of your choice.

• Step 3: Starting at the end of the part, (farthest from her face) grab three sections to start braiding with and complete one full braid section, using each piece one time.

• Step 4: Here is the trick for what my braiding mentor, Annie, calls a "Half Hitch": a braid you can use to make TONS of styles: You only add hair from one side. In this case, I only add hair to each section from the hair framing her face to the lower section of the braid. (I will try and get more pictures up soon!)

• Step 5: Working your way towards her forehead, use your fingers as a guide to steer the direction of the braid to keep it near the part, (about 4-6 repetitions for me, but it depends on how big the sections of hair you are using are and how big of a head the hair is on!)  gradually use two or three repetitions to bring the shape of the braid back towards to middle of her head.

• Step 6: Continue braiding, adding only to the one side until the braid reaches the middle again, just under where it originally began. 

• Step 7: Secure the first side (Sometimes, I braid out the end of the hair into a simple braid before securing, as it helps with placement when joining the braids in the next step.) and repeat on the other. Again, it helps to braid out the end of the hair before securing, and also protects against unraveling, which can be extremely frustrating. 

I'll try and post some more pictures to help clarify, but I hope this helps give you a start.

Is there anything I can word better? Send me pictures of how yours turn out!

Happy braiding!

 

2 Piece Chain Braid

This is one of the easiest braids to learn once you have mastered the basic french braid. (which I should probably include a tutorial of, too!) This braid is very similar, except using only two pieces. 

• Step 1: Section the part of the hair you will be braiding into two equal parts.

• Step 2: Tie a basic knot. You know, the one you learned in kindergarten to tie your shoes! If the hair is uneven or unruly, you might try wetting it or combing or twisting in a bit of pomade using your fingers to help the lock stay together.

• Step 3: Add a small piece of hair from each side and repeat the process. The braid will naturally loosen (unless you've used pomade, which helps hold it into place) so i like to work with my fingers as close to her head as possible and re-tighten each knot as I go along.

This took me less then 10 minutes to do both braids! How did yours turn out?

Waterfall Braid

Video and tutorial coming soon!

DNA Chain Braid

Video & tutorial coming soon!