Fun braid tutorial!

OK, girlfriends!

Ha.  Trying to imagine myself saying, "OK, girlfriends!"

Regardless, it is time for another hair tutorial!  I recognize that it has been a long time, but a lot of work goes into these things!  Luckily for y'all, I stubbed my toe going into my son's school, completely hacking off the side of it on the concrete.  Needless to say, I am not doing plyo this morning, so I am able to figure out this series of photos (which at times seem as clear as mud).

If a girl has spent any time looking at pictures of celebs or at any kind of fashion magazine at all, she has without a doubt seen a plethora of braids.  Inspired by the trend, I was playing around in my chair last week, and came up with this...

It might seem slightly complicated, but it is basically a sideways French braid with a knotty ponytail.  It literally takes me about a minute and a half to do, but I believe it has a very romantic impact.  AND I am going to attempt to teach you how to do it!

Let me encourage you to read through the tutorial a bit and get acquainted with the motions.  Once you get the first few sections moving, you can figure out the rest without reading.  It is a repetitive motion exercise.  What might seem complicated at first is really not at all.

Deep breath...

I know.  Way to start with the weirdest-looking picture of me.  Notice I have some curl in my hair, but curl is not necessary.

Go ahead and brush all of your hair back.  Keep your side part, but loosely brush from the crown back.  Note:  I am super right-handed, and it is much easier for me to braid from right to left.  Keep that in mind if you are having trouble.

All brushed back.  I took the clip out of my fringe area as well.

As you might know, braids have three working sections.  Here, I have started on the side, grabbing a piece at the top, and a piece above my ears.  Imagine the space in between as my third piece.

Place both sections (top and bottom) into your right hand, separating them with fingers.  Take the thumb of your left hand and slide it about an inch behind the top of your original top section.  Drag your thumb down, gently separating the hair as you go, until you are beside the bottom of that middle section.  Still with your left hand (right hand simply holding those other little sections), grab that middle section of hair, as well as the hair you have separated over with your thumb.  Above I am holding these three sections.

See?  Here I have them separated so you can see better.  Not as hard as it sounds, I promise!

With a flick of the wrist, draw the palm of your right hand up and over to your stationary left hand.  Using the index finger of your left hand like a hook, grab the bottom section of hair from the right hand.  You should now have two sections of hair in your left hand, and you can drop your right arm completely as above.

Starting at your neck just behind your ear, use your right thumb to scoop up and separate hair, grabbing that original loose third piece as you go.  You should have two pieces of hair in your left hand, and one in your right.  Make sure that if you are holding two pieces in one hand, they are separated by fingers.

Your two hands should almost be knuckle to knuckle.  Reach out with the thumb of your right hand and hold down the section of hair that is closest to it out of your left hand (originally the section that was just above your ear).  Still with the thumb and index finger of your right hand, grab the remaining section of hair out of your left hand.  You should now have two sections of hair in your right hand, and your left should be free.  See?

You just French braided!  Maybe!  Now, we repeat the process.

Slide your thumb about an inch to the side of your top section, about halfway down your head, grabbing that loose piece as you go.

Again, turning the wrist of the right hand up, with the thumb and index finger of your left hand, grab that    bottom section of hair from your right hand, dropping the middle section and leaving the right hand temporarily free.

As above, slide your thumb up from the neck behind the ear, grabbing that loose section of hair as you go.  There are two sections of hair in the left, and one in the right.

Again, using the thumb of the right hand to hold down that middle section of hair from the left hand, pinch and grab the far section with the thumb and index finger of your right hand, bringing it over to the right hand, and separate by fingers.

Slide your thumb down from the crown of your head to meet up with that loose section, and grab it- all with your left hand.

See?  One in the left, two in the right.  Turn your right hand over, drawing the bottom section up and over the middle section, and with your left index and thumb grab that piece, leaving your right hand free.

Always from the far-side over.

How pretty!  Look at me go!

Gather hair from the bottom and grab that loose piece, just as you have done before.  Hold the middle section of hair down with your right thumb, and grab the far side with the same thumb and index finger.  Hold those two sections in your right hand, and drop your left hand.

Sorry.  I should have turned here.

Gather your hair again, from the crown down and grab that loose section.

Turn your right hand over toward your left, and with your left thumb and index finger, grab the bottom section from your right hand, letting that middle one hang free.

Grab up the loose section with your right hand, using your thumb to scoop up hair as you move to grab it.

Use the thumb of your right hand to hold down the middle section of hair from your left hand.  Grab the far top section from your left had with your right index finger and thumb.  Let the remaining section hang free.

Run your loose thumb down from the crown of your head, and grab that loose section as you go.  I have actually gathered the whole front section of my hair to join with that loose section.  We are almost done!

Turn your right hand over, and pass that bottom section of hair to your left hand, letting the loose one go.

With your right hand, grab up all of the hair that is remaining.  With your right thumb, pin down the middle section of hair from your left hand, grabbing the far section with your right index finger and thumb.  Hold it tight!

Grab a rubber band (I had one on my wrist), and create a messy ponytail, bun, or if you have enough hair, keep braiding.  OR use some bobby pins and pin up the remaining hair for a dressier look.

Gorgeous!

From the side...

And from the front.  I wish I hadn't put the earrings in so you can see it better!  When I say this takes me around one minute to create, I mean it. It is such a better option than a simple ponytail, and if you are familiar with French braiding, it won't take you much longer!

Have fun playing and creating.  I hope you all have a great day!

Rachel Bee