French Braid Directions

Learning to french braid is one thing, but learning to do it on yourself is another. I have included step by step directions using myself as the model so you can see how to practically perform one on yourself. If you don't want to french braid your own head, the step by step directions are still the same, but it will be easier.

Hair Preparation

There really is no hair preparation, as this is a hairdo that is great for those days when you don't want to wash or do anything with your hair. In fact, if you have thin hair, you may want to wait a day after washing your hair, so that the hair is more thick. I think that the braid is prettier if it is thicker and wider.

I am one of those women who has fine hair and needs it to thicken up a little. Before I french braid my hair, I actually back-comb my hair close to the roots, on the crown of my head to create some height on the top, but this is not necessary if you don't want the height.

Now for the actual braiding part.

Step #1

Start at the top of your head and divide out 3 half-inch sections of hair. If you want a bigger braid, make the sections bigger, if you want a thin braid that has more links, make the sections smaller.

Braid these 3 pieces like a normal braid. Take the right section and place it over the middle strand, then take the left section and place it over the middle strand.

Now you are going to start picking up hair as you braid. Your right thumb should reach down and grab some hair (approximately another 1/2 inch section) and pull it up so that it joins the right strand. Meanwhile, the left hand is holding the left strand and the middle strand.

Place this new, larger, right strand over the middle strand.

With the left hand, reach down with the left thumb and pull up a 1/2 inch section of hair to join the left strand

Take this new, larger, left strand and place it over the middle strand

Repeat steps 3-6 until all of your hair has been picked up.

You will now be at the base of your head. You can either continue with a regular braid (right over middle, left over middle) until you run out of hair, or you can put a ponytail holder in right now and just have the hair on your head braided. I chose to continue braiding until I ran out of hair. Place a ponytail holder at the end to hold it in place.

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