Cornrow Design Instructions
Cornrows are a type of braided hairstyle, originating in Africa, that are usually woven with ethnic hair. Different types of cornrow designs once represented religious affiliations, status within African tribes, age and family backgrounds. Now cornrows are worn by all kinds of people and can be braided in straight rows or in complicated geometric designs. Cornrows are worn by both men and women and are sometimes decorated with beads and shells. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Thin pick comb
- Spray bottle filled with water
- Elastic ties
- Sketch paper
- Pencil
Instructions
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1
Look at ethnic hairstyle books for ideas on the types of cornrows you would like to weave. Choose a basic cornrow style to begin with, called either a flat weave or a standard corn or cane row.
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2
Practice the basic braiding technique several times. Mist the hair of the person you will be working on with a spray bottle of warm water. Do not get the hair wet, just moist enough to fight static and keep the hair supple for the upcoming twisting and pulling.
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3
Select a section of hair closest to the top of the head. Comb, with a pick, a 1-inch section of hair that starts at the crown and ends at the base of the scalp. Divide this section into three pieces, as you would a braid. Begin braiding the hair, adding into each braid a little bit of the hair on either side of the braid. Continue braiding, still incorporating hair from each side of the main braid into the braid, until you reach the base of the scalp. Secure the base of the braid with an elastic hair tie or other secure hair adornment. Master this technique of basic cornrow braiding before moving on to designing more complicated patterns.
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4
Select a geometric or other design you would like to braid by looking at hairstyle books for pattern ideas. Sketch the pattern on a piece of paper to familiarize yourself with how you would like the overall shape of the rows to turn out. Design a pattern that flows with the shape of a head. Think in three-dimensional terms about how the braids will flow across the head.
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5
Follow the above steps to begin your cornrow braids. Add slack each time you would like to make a curve or angle in your cornrow pattern by not adding in any extra hair from the sides of each braid around the angles and curves.
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Tips & Warnings
Start working up to more complicated designs, like braids curving in different directions or braids starting at the base of the scalp and moving toward the crown, after you have mastered basic cornrows, followed by more geometric designs. The more narrow you make your braids, the longer they will last in your cornrow design.
Do not pull or tug on the braids too hard and do not make the braids overly tight, or this will cause the hair to break.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit beautiful asian girl with braids image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
