Flower Braid

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Jule Walsh

To finish out this blog, I thought it was fitting that I end with one of the harder braids that I know, which involves using a lot of the different braiding styles that I’ve you throughout the year. It’s called the flower braid, and is definitely a bit of a struggle, but looks so cute with a summer dress. Plus, flowers = spring, and Happy Valley finally defrosted, so why not celebrate by putting a flower in your hair!

*Just as a warning, this hairstyle needs long hair to do, so I suggest straightening it before you attempt it.

1. Part your hair, and starting with the side that has more hair, do a Dutch Braid. Braid like you would for a Headband Braid, but when you get hair to add in, take hair from the part line, and add in,so that the hair lies smooth and straight down. Braid this way until you get about half way down your head.

See how the hair is pulled straight down, make sure you do that!

2. Now continue to dutch braid, but turn your hair, so the braid runs parallel across your head. Simply lift the braid, aiming it towards the back of your head, and braid. Again, add the hair straight down in the top of the braid. Continue to braid this way until you get pass your ear.

Once you get to your ear, braid in one more section to the bottom of your ear and stop.

3. Now you’re going to want to continue to braid to across the back of your head, but start doing a Lace Braid, adding hair only to the top of your braid. Continue to braid until you get to get most of the way across your head.

4. Turn the braid down, so it goes down the back of your head. Continue to add hair only to the same side you were before. Stop when you get to the nape of your neck.

5. Now turn the braid so its facing the other side of your head (the braid will run parallel to the upper braid). Continue to lace braid, but add all the hair to upper section of the braid (the side that was the bottom one the upper braid). Continue to braid until you reach the other side of your head.

6. Now taking the remaining hair, do a normal braid, stopping about half way down. Taking the lower side, pull on the stitches, so that the loops are big.

7. Braid the rest of your hair and repeat the pulling again. When you get to the bottom, tie it off with an elastic. Take the ends, and make a loop, securing the very most bottom part to the elastic.

8. Take the braid, and bring it up to the top of your head, and make a spiral, with the ends in the center. Pin the hair, and you’re done!

Because my blog is ending, I thought I should leave you with another blog to learn new hairstyles each week. Cute Girls Hairstyles is my go to site! Mindy, the mother, makes new videos every week, with the most creative braids ever; this week she did Prim’s new braid from The Hunger Games! This was actually the site that taught me most of the skills I know. Some of the hairstyles I do and showed you are derivatives of the styles she puts up. The videos are really helpful because you get to see how she does everything, the only downfall being that she does the styles on her daughters, so sometimes it’s hard to do them on yourself. I’ve found sometimes, if you’re having a lot of problems with a braid, you have to change around some of the directions if you want to do it on yourself (this hairstyle is an example of that). Overall, this site is amazing, so check it out or subscribe to their YouTube Channel!

Waterfall Braid Headband

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Jule Walsh

This week I decided to combine a couple different braiding techniques I’ve showed you in the past to create a new hairstyle that I’ve seen all over Pinterest. The great thing about this hairstyle, is that once you do the headband, you can create 3 different hairstyles! This hairstyle combines the Waterfall Braid and the Dutch Braided Headband to make the Waterfall Braid Headband.

1. Start off by sectioning your hair. Part your hair from ear to ear, and pull the back hair into a ponytail. It’s easiest to part your hair that way if you tilt your head to one side, and then start the part with that ear, this way you’re not fighting against gravity so much.

2. At this point I would add some hair-paste or hair-gel (not too much that your hair becomes crusty), into your hair and comb it in one direction. The paste makes it easier to work with and braid.

3. Starting at one ear start braiding in a Dutch Braid style. Make sure your sections are small, or you’ll run out of hair before you finish the braid.

4. Now when it comes to adding hair in to the section closest to your part, don’t just add in hair like you normally would, instead, drop that section, and pick up a new section of equal size (just like a Waterfall Braid). Make sure the sections are equal in size, or your braid will just look odd when you finish.

Note the bobby pin in my hair, I find it easier to pin the hair the you drop with a bobby-pin, so that you don’t accidentally add in a section you already dropped.

5. Continue to braid that way up and around your head, just like you would do on a Braided Headband, and secure the braid.

6. Now you have the ability to style your hair however you want. Some of my go-to styles are to let your hair flow free, put all the hair into a ponytail (as I demonstrate here), or put the hair into a braid.

Wrap Around Braid

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Jule Walsh

Remember 3 years back how the milkmaid hairstyle was the thing? Well if you were like me, you may have thought it was cute, but I’m not a celebrity in a $3000 dress, so if I wore it in a normal day setting, people will think I’m trying to be part of the sound of music cast. Well this hairstyle incorporated the look, in a more everyday friendly style, and looks so difficult people will be impressed.

1. The first step is to straighten your hair because you need your hair to lie flat when you are braiding it in, and longer hair means longer braid.

2. Next section your hair off, like you would do if you were doing a Dutch Headband Braid, from the back of one ear to the back of the other ear. Tie up the rest of your hair.

3. Starting from the left, start a dutch braid, keeping it close to hairline.

4. When you get to the top of the other ear, release the hair you had tied up. Start adding this hair into your braid, and still continue to follow your hairline.

At this point, your braiding technique should be the same as the Katniss braid.

5. Once you don’t have any more hair left braid to the end, but do not secure yet. Starting from the bottom of your braid, tug slightly at the sides of the braid, progressing up your head. How much you pull is up to you and how you want your braid to look, the bigger the tugs, the softer the braid will look.

6. Now you can secure the hair, leaving the braid hanging over your shoulder.

*Optional* If you do want that braided crown look, braid to the very end, and pull the braid into the hair, following the clockwise structure. Take the ends, tuck them into the dutch braid, and secure with bobby pins*

Mermaid Braid

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Jule Walsh

Everyone knows Rhianna has a unique style, sometimes its a little crazy, or dare I say weird, but she does have some awesome hair and wardrobe moments. This one I label in the really awesome category. It’s pretty, unique, and quite honestly reminds me of something Ariel would wear, or maybe it’s just the long red hair that makes me think “mermaid,” hence the oh-so-creative name. Now just as a heads up, this style is not short hair friendly (sorry!), but those who have medium length hair can totally pull this off, you don’t need her crazy long extensions to do it!

1. To start off I recommend straightening your hair before hand, for two reasons. One, it makes your hair longer, and you do need all the length you can get for this braid, and second, it will braid neater and give that sleek look. After you straighten it, run some hair paste through your hair to prevent fly-away, as well as making the hair easier to braid.

2. Part your hair to the side, and section off the larger side.

3. Starting on the smaller side, take a small section of hair, 1/8 of an inch wide, from the front of your head, right near the part line.

4. Start to make a lace braid, so you’ll only take hair from the left side of the braid, in the dutch braid style. Following your hair line, braid down to the nape of your neck.

*Make sure to bring the braid of the tip of your ear, not behind it!

*When braid, take small section from the part, so when you’re adding hair, you’ll simple be pulling it straight down and then braiding it in.

5. Once you get to the nape of your neck, just braid the hair to the bottom and secure.

6. Now braid the same way on the other side. Remember to bring the braid over your ear, so it’s just covering the tip. Also, remember to take sections from the part line, so the hair you add will be pulled straight into the braid. At the back of your head, continue to only pull hair from the very top of your hair, and the sections should continue to run perpendicular to the braid.

7. Now, holding the braid you were just working with in one hand, untie the other side, and unbraid it until you get to the nape of your neck. The trickiest part is up next, so pay close attention. Your braids should be made of three sections each, so take the two outer most sections and combine them together. Now in each hand, you should be holding two sections of hair, combine the single sections from each braid (the sections should be the two who were originally closest to each other.

8. Now you should have three large sections, simply take those sections and braid them normally until you have no more hair, and secure.

Dutch Braid Headband

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Jule Walsh

Seeing as I spend most of my days wishing the warm weather would come, I decided this week’s post should be my all-time favorite summer hairstyle, the braided headband. You may know this hairstyle from the countless times Lauren Conrad has worn a variation of it, it’s her signature style. The best part of this hairstyle? It reminds me that summer will come eventually, and then, I’ll be warm.

1. Start off by sectioning your hair. Comb all your hair over to one side (also known as doing a Donald Trump) and starting behind one ear, make a straight line to the other ear. Tie the back section up into a ponytail.

2. Take some hair paste, and apply it to the side that is combed over, so the hair lies flatter, preventing bumps.

3. Starting at the top of your ear, take a small section (less than 1/8 of an inch wide) and start a dutch braid. You can do a french braid, but, personally, I think the dutch braid “pops” a little more.

4. Make sure to pull the hair in the direction of the rest of your hair, and braid that way. As well, keep your sections very small (1/8 of an inch in width) and equal on both sides (after every 2 crosses, there should be a straight line between the braided and loose hair)

5. As you continue up your head, make sure to keep the braid straight, and continue to take only small sections to braid in, or else you’ll run out of hair.

6. Before you secure the braid, tug on the bumps to make them a little wide and softer.

7. Finally, secure the braid with an elastic, and decide how you want to style your hair.

You can leave your hair loose:

Or you can tie it up into a ponytail or a bun:

Either way, all you need is an ocean and a towel, and you’re ready for the beach!

Double Dutch Lace Braid

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Jule Walsh

So after seeing this pin, I knew I had to try it! At first glance this double braid seems impossible, but I promise it’s not. Actually it is just two dutch braids, that incorporate the lace braid technique, right on top of each other.

So let’s get started!

1. First I started by parting my hair into two sections. Starting on the right side of my head, near my face (about an inch above my ear) I parted on a diagonal until I hit the left side of the base of my neck. I tied up the upper half of my hair, so I can work on the bottom braid first. Starting with the bottom braid makes sure that the part line stays smooth and you don’t grab hair from the wrong section.

2. Starting from the right, start to braid. Do a dutch braid, and a lace braid as well. That means you go the inside-out way when braiding (dutch) and only add hair to the upper piece (lace). Make sure to braid along that diagonal line.

When adding hair, make sure to take hair from the section right behind your hair, so you pull up all the hair into the braid.

Make sure to grab all the hair behind your braid when you add in a new section, or else you’ll have a bottom layer of hair hanging out below your braid!

3. Braid your hair all the way to the base of your neck and secure with an elastic.

4. Start braiding the upper section now. Make sure to braid along the same diagonal that you did for the lower braid. Again this braid is a dutch-lace braid.

When adding hair for this section, pull hair all the way from the hairline near your face to the part. So your sections will be big!

5. Braid all the way to the nape of your neck, and secure with an elastic.

6. Go back and pull, gently, on the braid, to give it a fuller appearance.

7. Take a section of hair from one of the two ponytails you have hanging, and wrap it around both ponytails, making them one and hiding your elastics. Secure the wrapped hair with a bobby pin, pinning it up towards your braid (to hid the bobby pin).

And there you go, now you have a double dutch lace braid!

What did you guys think? Did you like this style?

Happy Braiding!

The Hunger Games’ Katniss Braid

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Jule Walsh

First off, did you guys see The Hunger Games?! If you haven’t watch it now! I’ll be back when you’re done. I was obsessed with it; there was action, romance, braids, it had everything I needed in a movie. So how can I not do District 12’s tribute, Katniss Everdeen’s, famous braid?

Well this weekend my parents came up, along with my little sister, so this week, I did my braid on her! I promise it is easily done on yourself, but my sister has the perfect hair to get the authentic look, so how could I pass up the opportunity?

1. So to prep Madi’s hair, I curled only the top layer. You’ll notice in the movie Katniss’s hair seems to have twist in it; the hair team would curl the top layer and add the whole curls into the hair, to give it a twisted look (it is most noticeable in the scene when Katniss is about to enter the Hunger Games). Also, the curls give the braid a thicker look to them, making your Katniss braid look even more authentic.

2. To start off, you want to section off an area, about an two inches wide at the front of your hair. Make sure to part your hair to side. If you have bangs leave them out, and start the braid after them, just like Katniss’s hair in the movie. Madi does not have bangs so I sectioned off her hair on a diagonal, on the side with more hair.

3. Next start off like a normal Dutch braid (it’s like a French braid, but you cross under). I like to angle my hair down towards the back of my neck while I braid, so the braid naturally moves in that direction. When it is time to add hair to the top section, take one of those curls, and add it to the section.

I have Madi holding one of the curls, they’re about an inch wide, and I used a 3/4 inch curling iron.

4. Continue braiding your hair, using the Dutch braid technique. Make sure you are braiding at an angle.

I hold the hair in the direction I want the braid to go.

5. Once you get to the back of your head, try to keep the braid more parallel to your neck. Also, I find it is easier to get through all your hair evenly by taking larger sections of hair from the top, and smaller on the bottom. You will be pulling all the hair from the other side of your hair into the top section of your braid, so if you run out of hair on the bottom, the braid will hang awkwardly.

6. Once you added in all your hair, finish off the braid by braiding your hair normally (still crossing the hair under). I like finish off the braid while having the hair over my shoulder, the way you want it to hang. If you braid it where you want it to hang, it’ll stay in that position better. Secure the hair with an elastic.

7. Next, starting from the bottom of your braid, pull on the sides of the braid. It flattens and widens the hair, making the braid look fuller. Continue this process up the whole braid.

If you don’t have hair long enough to do this, don’t worry, it’s not a necessary step!

There you go, now all you need is a bow and you’re Katniss Everdeen! May the braiding be ever in your favor.

Happy Pinning!

What did you guys think?! Feel ready to win the Hunger Games?!

Basic Dutch Braid

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Jule Walsh

The Dutch braid is only second to the French braid as a braiding staple. The Dutch braid is perfect for making your braid pop! You may know the Dutch braid as an “inside out braid,” they are the same things, I just prefer to call it a Dutch braid because, well, I like to give my braids nationalities. Dutch braids are perfect for braids in the front of your head, simple braids, and the Katniss braid. I promise you, it’s as easy as a French braid, so let’s get started!

1. First start of with a section of hair, about an inch to two inches wide, in the front of your head.

2. Split the section into three smaller sections, just like you would do if you were starting a French braid. Instead of crossing a section over the middle section like a French braid, cross your first section under the middle section.

See how the right-hand section is under the middle section, this is the basic motion of a Dutch braid.

3. Continue with the opposite section, by taking it and crossing it under the middle section.

4. Cross under on more time, so you have your beginning three crosses.

5. Next, take hair from the side of your head with the section you are going to cross under with next.

6. Add that hair to your section and cross under.

7. Repeat step 6 with the opposite section.

8. Continue down your head until you have no more hair left.

9. Take the remaining hair and braid like you would a normal braid, but continue to cross under!

And there you go! A dutch braid. It may not seem like a big difference, but its really important in some hairstyles, and its just a nice skill to have.

Obsessed with Pinterest

I think I may have a Pinterest problem…

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