You promised yourself to learn new things in 2020, and one of the items on your list is to master braided hairstyles. You're now ready to graduate from the usual ponytail, congrats! Whether you've been wanting to perfect the complicated French braid or be an expert in fishtail braids, we've collected easy-to-follow YouTube tutorials to step up your hair game. Scroll down to get started!
How to braid hair: Things you'll need
First things first: Gather your styling products and tools before you start braiding.
- Fine-tooth comb - to section the hair
- Dry shampoo or styling mousse - to give the strands a grip and to add texture
- Hair elastics - to secure the braid
- Hairpins - to tuck in stray strands
- Hairspray - to lock the hairstyle in
- Mirror - to see your reflection, of course!
Now that you're equipped with the right tools, it's time to pick the braided hairstyles you want to master. We've arranged these 'dos based on your hairstyling skills:
Basic braid
The three-section braid is the most basic type of braid you'll need to learn. When you've mastered this, you can create different braided hairstyles and move forward to more complex braids.
Difficulty level: Beginner
How To: Basic BraidsContinue reading below ↓Recommended VideosRope braid
If basic braids are *too much* for your fingers to handle (that's totally okay, by the way!), try your hand in rope braiding. You'll only work with two sections of hair so it will be easier to accomplish compared to the basic braid.
Difficulty level: Beginner
3 Easy Rope Braid HairstylesFishtail braid
The fishtail braid was a big hit back in 2014, but we believe that you can wear this boho hairstyle anytime. While doing this may look challenging, it's actually pretty easy, even for beginners.
Difficulty level: Beginner
Fishtail BraidFrench braid
We know a French braid can be intimidating and confusing. Acing the complex braid calls for practice. To help you, memorize this short and sweet technique: Take three sections of hair and alternately cross the outside piece over the middle section. Keep grabbing little sections of hair until you reach the tips.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
French BraidsContinue reading below ↓Halo crown braid
Also known as the milkmaid braid, the halo crown braid is a sophisticated updo you can wear for any occasion. Whether you aim to upgrade your look for a wedding or you just want your hair away from your face during a gym sesh, this braided hairstyle will never fail you.
Difficulty level: Beginner
Milkmaid braidBTW, this version is made for short hair!
Crown Braid For Short HairDutch braid
The Dutch braid is quite similar to the French braid. What makes them different is when doing a Dutch braid, you cross the piece under the middle section, whereas for the French braid, you cross a chunk over the middle piece. This technique makes the braid appear three-dimensional.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Dutch BraidsWaterfall braid
The cascading waterfall braid is too pretty not to try, but like other non-basic styles, the weaving technique can be confusing. Watch this step-by-step tutorial to guide you.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Waterfall BraidsContinue reading below ↓Mohawk Braid
When you want to be cool and unlike everyone else, turn to a mohawk braid. BTW, this braid can downplay plump cheeks, too. To make the braid appear fuller, spritz dry shampoo near the roots before weaving the sections. You may also loosen the braid after securing it with a hair tie.
Difficulty level: Advanced
Mohawk BraidLace braid
Attending a friend's wedding soon? Try a lace braid updo. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a braided bun and how to master the basic lace braiding techniques. The hairstyle might seem complicated at first, but you'll get a hang of it with enough practice.
Difficulty level: Advanced
How To: Lace Braid UpdoChain link braid
We won't lie: The chain link braid can be hard to do on yourself, so we highly suggest that you and your BFF learn this together. This way, you can do the braid on each other—problem solved! What makes this challenging compared to other braids is that it calls for four sections instead of three.
Difficulty level: Advanced
How To: Chain Link BraidContinue reading below ↓
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