How to French Braid a Headband in Your Hair

If you know how to execute a French braid, probably the most challenging version is one in which you create a headband with your hair. You have to tilt your head sideways to do it, and start at one ear, ending at the other ear. Once you figure out how to do it, it's fun and it saves having a headband that slips and slides around and doesn't keep the hair out of your eyes consistently. When the headband is made of your own hair, stuck permanently in your scalp, it won't be slipping anywhere. This hairdo is great for days when you want your hair down, but you don't want your hair bothering you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

How to French Braid a Headband into Your Hair

1. The easiest way to practice doing a French braid headband of your hair is to practice first on somebody else's hair. But if you don't have that option, you can start on your own.

2. Tilt your head to one side, and brush all the hair back away from the ear you will be starting on. The ear you are starting on should be facing the ceiling, all the rest of the hair aiming down.

3. Looking in the mirror and using a comb, draw a line from the top of starting ear, up across and over to the top of the finishing ear, combing all the hair forward from the line into your face. Brush the remaining hair in back of the line into a ponytail and secure it with a rubber band.

4. Face your starting ear toward the ceiling again and comb the free hair from in front of the line across your scalp, making a smooth hair path where the headband is going to go.

5. Use your fingers to section of the first strands right at the base of the front of your ear and braid tightly.

6. Continue to add hair from the line and the forehead side of your head as you begin your French braid down across the headband section of your head. The hardest part will be keeping the braid flat and tight without getting a crick in your neck. It's sometimes best to not look in the mirror, but do it by feel.

7. When you reach your other ear, finish the braid off with a regular braid, using a rubber band at the end. This will be a long extra piece of braid if you have long hair.

8. Let your ponytail loose from the back, and fluff your hair to its regular style. You will need a bobby pin to tuck the long piece of braid behind your ear and keep it hidden. You may also want to bobby pin any puffy pieces of your braid headband. Also, if you have bangs, use your comb to pull tiny bits of bang pieces out of your headband braid to give you some forehead coverage.

[favefive]

on 3/25/2008 Thanks. I will do this on my daughter's hair!