How to make a basic braid

Hair braiding is very simple and fun. Once you know the basic hairstyle, you can freely braid other more complicated hairstyles. This article will walk you through the basics of braiding and introduce some more complicated braids starting from the basics.

Table of Contents

Basic hairstyle braids

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Comb and untangle hair. Brush your hair from root to tip for smooth hair before starting. ^{[1] X Research Source} If you have very curly hair, you can apply a little hair oil or hair cream.

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Divide your hair into 3 equal sections at the nape of your neck. You will have a section of hair on the right, a section in the middle, and a section on the left. The left hand holds the left hair and the right hand holds the right hair. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you want to create two side braids, divide your hair into two sections, then choose one section to braid first. Try to braid your hair at the position just behind the ear for a beautiful and luxurious hairstyle.

Pull the right strand over the middle strand. Now the right strand will be in the middle, the middle strand will shift to the right.

Squeeze the left strand over the newly created middle strand. Now the left strand will move to the center and the middle strand will move to the left.

Continue braiding the right and left side of the hair alternately. You always remember to always put the outer hair on top of the middle hair, alternately with the left and right hair alternating until the ends of the hair leave a few centimeters.

Be sure to pull tight so that the braid doesn’t come loose. If the braid is too loose, the hair will fall out. After tying the braid, you can use your hands to squeeze the braid looser.
Braiding while using your fingers to stroke your hair will make the braid smoother and neater.

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Tie the braid with an elastic band. You can braid your hair as long or short as you want. Most people will leave 2.5 to 5 centimeters of their hair unplaited; You can leave it longer if you want. One hand holds the braid firmly, the other hand uses an elastic band to tie the braid. Remember to tie your hands firmly, if the braid is still loose, tie a few more rounds to tighten it.

Use an elastic band that matches your hair color: black, brown, or beige.
If you have dark red hair, you can use a brown hair band. If you have bright red hair, use a beige hair tie.
If you’re braiding your hair on the sides, you’ll repeat the same steps as the first braid.

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Tie an extra ribbon or a pretty hair clip to the end of the braid. You can tie a ribbon into a bow or add a pretty silk flower or hairpin to the braid. These accessories will help embellish the braid. You can refer to a few ideas below:

In the summer, you can braid a hibiscus flower or silk orchid for a tropical look.
In the fall, use a brass, leather, or wooden hairpin.
If it is winter, you can use a silver hairpin with clear stones, or tie a blue and red ribbon to have a Christmas or New Year atmosphere.
In spring, choose accessories that are ribbons, delicate flowers, pastel or bright colors.

Ndeye Anta Niang

Hairstylist & Hairstylist

Ndeye Anta Niang is a hairstylist, braiding expert and founder of AntaBraids, a New York-based braiding service. Ndeye has over 20 years of African braiding experience, including box braids, Senegalese twist, crochet braids, faux dread locs, goddess locs, kinky twists and lakhass braids. Ndeye was the first woman from her tribe in Africa to move to America and now she shares her knowledge of African braiding for generations to come.

Ndeye Anta Niang
Hairstylist & Hairstylist

Experts recommend: You can braid colorful or floral strips of fabric with braids. You can also decorate the braid with some accessories like feathers, leather, metal accessories or your favorite little things.

French braids

Comb your hair and remove any tangles. Before you start, brush your hair to keep it straight and smooth. You can apply a little oil or conditioner to straighten your hair.

Divide the hair at the back of the head into a top and a bottom section. Start gathering your hair from about above your eyebrows. You will start braiding this section first

Divide the curls into three equal sections. Smoothly stroke the splits for neat braids. The right hand holds the right hair, the left hand holds the left hair.

You can use small claw hair clips to keep sections of hair separate.

Start with basic braiding. Squeeze the right hair over the middle section, now the right hair will be in the middle. Next, squeeze the left section of hair over the middle section. You only use the basic braiding method to this step.

If you want to do a Dutch or reverse French braid, you’ll want to put the right/left side of your hair under the middle section instead of up. This will make the braid look more “fancy”.

Add a small curl to the right section of hair. Take a strand of hair about 1.3 to 2.5 cm wide from the hair and merge it into one with the right section of hair.

Squeeze the right section of hair, which is thicker now, over the middle section. The hair on the right will be the middle part of the hair, the middle part will be on the outside.

If you have a Dutch or reverse French braid, you will bring the right side of the hair under the middle section instead of up.

Add a small strand of hair to the left section of hair. Take a strand of hair about 1.3 to 2.5 cm wide from the hair, merge it into one with the hair on the left side.

Squeeze the left section of hair, which is thicker now, over the middle section. The hair on the left will be the middle part of the hair, the middle part will be on the outside.

If you have a Dutch or reverse French braid, you will bring the left side of the hair under the middle section instead of up.

Continue French braiding to the nape of the neck. You will continuously add small curls to the right and left sections before moving them above/under the middle section.

Smooth the sections of hair after each twist in the middle for a smooth and neat braid.
Try to braid tightly.

Choose how to finish the braid. When braiding to the nape of the neck, you can either tie the French/Dutch braid with a hair tie or continue with the basic braid.

If you continue to do Tet, continue to braid your hands. After tying, you can mess up the curls to make the braid look looser.

One side braided hair

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Part your hair to the sides. The side braid will be on one eyebrow. You will start braiding from one section of hair to the other temple.

This side braid hairstyle is very suitable for short hair girls. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Take a small strand of hair close to the hairline. To braid your hair as thin as a headband around your head, you will take a lock of hair about 2.5 cm wide. ^{[4] X Research Source} If you have a thick boho braid, make a curl about 5 cm wide. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Divide your hair into three equal sections. One hand holds the two outer curls, the other hand holds the middle strand.

Start with the basic braid. Take the hair closest to the hairline and squeeze it over the middle section. Then, take the remaining outer hair and squeeze it over the newly formed middle hair. After this step, you will start the French New Year.

This will give you smooth French braids. If you want a Dutch or reverse French twist, bring the outer section of hair under the center of your hair instead of upwards.

Add a small lock of hair to the section closest to the hairline. You will take a lock of hair from the hairline, as thick or thinner than the braided hair, and combine it into one. The braided hair will be thicker at this point.

Squeeze the outer fringe over the middle section of hair. This section of hair will form the new middle hair. If you have a reverse Dutch or French braid, you will bring the outer fringe below the middle hair.

Add a thin curl to the inner section of hair. You will take the inner curl, which is as thick or thinner than the hair you are knitting, and combine them into one. The braided hair is now thicker.

Squeeze the inner section of hair over the new middle section. This section of hair becomes the middle section of hair. If you have a Dutch braid or a reverse French braid, you will bring the outer hair down below the middle hair.

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Continue adding curls and braiding sections together. Hold the braid between your ear and the other half of your hair. While braiding, remember to braid your hands tightly and straighten your hair to make the braid smoother and neater. You can mess around to loosen the braid after you’re done braiding.

If you have a Dutch braid or reverse French braid, make sure to bring the outer part of your hair under the middle section instead of up.

Choose how to finish the braid. If you want a thin and elegant braid, you can end it just above the ear, ending it like a basic braid and securing it with a hair tie. If you prefer a thicker boho braid, you can continue with the French braid so that the braid wraps around your head. The next step will guide you in more detail.

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Stop braiding when the braid is about 2.5cm from the nape of the neck. Begin the French period around the back of the head to the other side of the neck. At this point you can use a hair tie to tie the braid. You can also continue to braid your hair in the basic style and tie the braid about 2.5 to 5 cm from the tail. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Choose accessories to decorate the ends of the braids after tying. Decorative accessories not only help to hide the hair band, but also make the braid look more attractive. Here are a few ideas you can consider:

Silk flower pins for boho braids, the bigger the flower, the more beautiful it is.
Tie up the ends of the braid and secure with bobby pins, then you can tuck into the bun with a gorgeous bun.
If you have a small side braid, you can tie the end of the braid with a leather band and let the rest of your hair down for a wild boho look.

Advice

If you have short hair, you can make the braid look longer by tying a long, soft ribbon at the end of the braid. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
If you have long, thick, and curly hair, your braids will be beautiful and in place. If you have a lot of short curls around your face, you can straighten them for a weirder look. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Braids will last longer if your hair is a bit dirty and unwashed. For the best braids, don’t wash your hair before braiding. The amount of natural oils in the hair will help the braids to stay smooth. ^{[9] X Research Source}
If you have very smooth and slippery hair, the braid will quickly come off. You can use hairspray to style your hair before braiding. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Braiding hair also needs practice. Don’t be discouraged if your first braid doesn’t look great.
You should use two mirrors, one in front and one behind, so you can see the back of your head when braiding.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of braiding, you can challenge yourself with French braids or Dutch braids – simply ‘upside down’ French. You can also learn how to braid four.
If possible, practice braiding your friend’s hair.
Check out more braiding videos (like MakeUpWearables on YouTube, or challenge yourself with more intricate styles on other channels)
Practice braiding with both thick and thin hair.

Steps

Basic hairstyle braids

French braids

One side braided hair

Advice

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