How to Attach Beads to the End of a Braid
While intricate braiding, cornrow and beading styles may be associated with African American hair in particular, they can be applied to any hair if it's long enough to hold a braid. Likewise, any beads can be added to the end of a braid, so long as the hole in the bead is wide enough for the hair to pass through. You can purchase a pre-made plastic beading tool at a hair care shop, but it's easy to make your own with a single piece of 20-gauge wire. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Bend the length of wire in half, creating a sharp fold in the middle. Thread the beads onto the paired (open) end of the doubled wire so that both ends of the wire go through each bead. Put the beads on the wire in the order you'd like them to show on the braid, with the doubled "loop" end of the wire at the top of the braid and the paired end at the bottom.
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Place the tail of the braid through the loop in your braiding tool. Fold the braid back on itself once, then slide the beads up the length of the braiding tool, over and past the doubled strand of braid onto the body of the braid.
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Set the braiding tool aside. Open a small hair snap (which looks like a tiny barrette) and wind the end of the braid around the hinge of the snap several times, tucking the tail end into the snap and clasping it shut. Then slide the beads down toward the end of the braid until they hit the snap.
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Tips & Warnings
If the braid is too thick to pass through the hole in the beads when doubled, poke the wire through the middle of the braid's tail before adding the beads; then add the beads and work them up over the braid.
If you don't like working with snaps, double the tail of the braid over the last bead, then rubber band the tail of the braid back to the body of the braid just above the last bead and slide the other beads down over the rubber band.
References
- Photo Credit braiding image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com
