french braid

FRENCH
BRAID
STEP 1
Part hair at the
centre of head and split
it into two sections.
From one section, take
three fine strands close
to the hairline at the
forehead.
STEP 2
Begin to plait in a
direction away from the
hairline. Each time you
cross a strand over the
plait, add a little more
hair from the loose
section.
How to
create the
PERFECT
BRAID
Don’t tie yourself in knots worrying
about plaiting your daughter’s hair — experts
say it’s easy to learn the latest
styles, writes Mercedes Maguire
STEP 3
Once you have taken
all the loose hair into
the braid, continue in a
basic plait down the
length of the hair. Hold
the tension so the
braid is tidy.
STEP 4
Plait right to the
bottom of the hair or tie
it off higher up, leaving
loose hair below. Tie it
off with a ribbon or
even entwine with
ribbon as you go!
A dads and
daughters braid
workshop at KMA
Colour Studio in
Cronulla. Picture:
Kristi Miller
TELE01Z02WE - V1
T
s
T
hey’re beautiful,
intricate and
sure to turn
heads. But
there’s nothing a
mum (or dad)
wants to hear
less amid the
before-school morning chaos than
the words: “Can you braid my hair?”
Braids are a huge hair trend at
the moment, particularly among
primary school and teenage girls.
And while they may look
challenging, hair expert Christina
Butcher says if you can tie your
shoelaces, you can braid hair.
The Hair Romance blogger says
twisting and plaiting hair is a lot
easier than it looks.
“People are often scared to
attempt braids because they have a
perception they’re really difficult,”
Butcher says. “But the truth is, there
are some really basic techniques you
can start with that can have a big
effect. For example, you can start
with a simple three-strand plait and
twist it into a bun for a fun look.
“And the fishtail braid, which
looks so intricate, is really easier
to do than a traditional French braid
because you’re only using two
strands, not three.”
The number of braid styles is
limited only by your imagination.
And the self-taught braider advises
parents to give it a go (although
maybe not in the early-morning
mayhem) because it really is a case
of practice making perfect.
Butcher has written a book on
braiding called 30 Braids In 30 Days
and she also offers free “how to”
lessons on her website. She recently
started running tutorials in a salon
in Brookvale on the northern
beaches, specially aimed at dads
with daughters.
It can take
some practice
and patience, but
once you’ve got it,
you never forget.
It’s then all about
having fun with it
“After doing one of my tutorials,
a lot of the mums tell me braiding is
actually easier than doing a good
pony because braiding doesn’t have
to be a perfect, lump-free hairdo,”
she says. “I’ve even had dads turning
up to my tutorials. There was one
dad, who has four daughters, who
came along because he said he
didn’t want to send his daughters off
to school with an embarrassing
hairdo.”
W
e can blame Disney
princesses for the
infatuation with
hair twists in young
girls. Think
Rapunzel and, more recently, Elsa
and Anna from Frozen. But for
tweens and teens, it’s music
celebrities such as Taylor Swift and
Selena Gomez who are the main
influences.
Lucina Twigg, of Aveda salon
Luc Espace in Chatswood, says the
most popular styles for young girls
are the French braid, waterfall
braid, braided headbands or crown
braids, and the pull-through or
corkscrew braid.
“Braids are definitely having
their moment and they’re popular
with all ages,” Twigg says. “It can
take some practice and patience.
However, once you’ve got it, you
never forget. It’s then all about
having fun with it and letting your
creativity shine.”
Twigg recommends braiding hair
a day or two after washing, or you
can add dry shampoo or product to
give it better grip and hold.
Alternatively, try braiding wet hair
for similar effects.
And if you thought only girls
with long, lustrous locks can enjoy
the braiding trend, think again. Our
experts agree you can add a braid of
some sort to even neck-length hair.
A crown or braid headband works
best on short hair.
With three daughters, Kelly
Stoker has had her fair share of
braiding hair. But it wasn’t until the
hairdresser of 30 years’ experience
opened her kids’ salon, Red Nose
Kids Cuts, in Dee Why almost three
years ago that she realised just how
popular hair braiding was.
At her salon, every little girl gets
a complimentary braid with her cut.
For $28, she can get a Princess Spa,
which includes an Elsa braid,
painted nails and sparkle spray in
her hair.
“I’d say every second girl goes for
the Princess Spa, mainly because of
the Elsa braid,” Stoker says.
“We’ve done workshops to
teach parents how to braid, and
even had a Beers And Braids night
aimed at dads.”
Kate Adair also targets dads with
workshops at her Cronulla salon,
KMA Colour Studio. “There’s so
many more hands-on dads with
more mums in the workforce,”
Adair says. “(Dads) have to help out
where they can, but at the same
time they’re spending time with
their daughter.”
Elise Courtney, 10,
has her hair
braided by stylist
Lucina Twigg.
Picture: Justin
Lloyd
CORKSCREW
BRAID
STEP 1
Secure hair into a
high, neat ponytail.
Then separate the
pony into two even
parts, leaving one at the
top and one at
the bottom.
STEP 2
Tie off top pony and
make a space through
the centre of it with
your fingers so the
bottom pony can be
fed through it.
STEP 3
Repeat process over
and over, securing a tie
in top section each time
and feeding bottom
pony through. Tie band
more securely as hair
thins at the ends.
STEP 4
For the best finish,
push each tie up firmly
as you go to create a
bauble look. Embellish
with a ribbon at
the end or flowers
throughout.
August 6, 2016
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