How to Make Homemade Hair Wraps

If you have ever visited a theme or amusement park, you may be familiar with the hair wrap booths. These are especially popular draws for teenage and preteen girls who want to have a colorful embroidery thread wrap put into their hair. If you don't want to pay for your daughters' hair wrapping, you can do it yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Ponytail holders Embroidery thread (two to three colors) Beads or charms Scissors

Instructions

Making the Hair Wrap

1. Decide where you want the hair wrap to be located on her head. For the most visibility, go with the top layer of hair at the crown of the head, two or three inches back from the forehead. For a longer-lasting wrap, select a piece of hair behind her ear.

2. Separate a piece of hair in the chosen location in the thickness you desire. Braid this section of hair and secure it with a ponytail holder. You may find it helpful to secure the rest of the hair that is not being wrapped out of the way with another ponytail holder.

3. Cut lengths of each of the chosen colors of embroidery thread about three times the length of the hair you are wrapping. Line them up so that the ends are together, and lay them flat on a table.

4. Locate the mid-point of these strands and tie the middle of the embroidery thread around the braid close to her scalp. Leave about 1/4 of an inch between her scalp and the knot so that the wrap does not become uncomfortably tight. You should now have two strings of each color hanging down past the length of the braid.

5. Separate one thread of the first color you want on the wrap and hold all the rest of the threads together with the braid. Using the single thread, begin tightly wrapping the braid and the other threads. To change colors, pick up a thread of a different color and place the first thread back against the braid with the other strings, then begin wrapping with the new color.

6. Continue wrapping the braid using whatever pattern you wish and changing colors as often as you want. When you get close to the ponytail holder on the braid, slide it off and continue wrapping just past the ends of the hair so that no hair shows. Tie a secure knot using all of the strings at the end.

7. Tie your chosen beads or charms below the knot, and trim the excess embroidery thread.

Tips & Warnings

• For extra flair, try using metallic threads to accent the wrap.

References

• The Mouse for Less