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View Full Version : How long was your hair before you could do a nice looking braided bun?



lilliemer
January 21st, 2013, 09:28 PM
Seems to me that most of the braided bun wearers are well past waist...
Are there any ways to make this work for shorter hair?

twopoints
January 21st, 2013, 09:41 PM
Use multiple braids.

Rosethorn
January 21st, 2013, 10:03 PM
parandi (parandas ?) ;)

Vanille_
January 21st, 2013, 10:15 PM
I don't think your hair has to be super long for the Chinese bun.

akilina
January 21st, 2013, 10:16 PM
My hair is a few inches past APL and I can do a pretty decent braided bun. I hate that it doesn't wrap around a million times but it still can be done. Short layers make it hardest and my layers are finally pretty long so they are not as obnoxious.

When I was 2 inches away from BSL I could do braided buns no problem. I am jealous though when I see awesome braided buns that are wrapped around themselves several times. I hope my hair is that long someday. Rose buns make me swoon too but my hair is still nowhere long enough to do a rope braid yet.
Rosethorns suggestion is great too!! You can make one with different colors..or a color that matches your hair. There is a huge thread on them with 67 pages and lots of photos.

Madora
January 21st, 2013, 10:22 PM
For me it was waist length. A great deal depends on whether or not you have to mess with layered hair, and how you actually create your braided bun.

Depending on hair length (a little above waist--definitely below mid back), you might be able to try a sectioned approach to a braided bun..i.e.

1) Gentle detangle all your hair
2) Make a horizontal part around your head from the top of one ear to the top of the other
3) Take all the hair ABOVE the part, comb it out gently, then braid it loosely. Secure end with elastic.
4) Take that braid and coil it, pinning with crimped hair pins as you go. Weave the hairpins into the outside of the braid. Try and catch a little scalp hair when you do
5) Take remaining hair, comb it out gently, then braid it loosely. Take the braid and wind it around the braided bun already in place. Secure with crimped hairpins, tuck in tassle under bun.


Seems to me that most of the braided bun wearers are well past waist...
Are there any ways to make this work for shorter hair?

NoRush
January 22nd, 2013, 01:58 AM
I think it depends on the thickness of your hair as well as the length. I can do a tiny braided (english) cinnabun if I play my cards right (apl, ii/iii, soft u hem, using spinpins) with thicker hair it would certainly take more length, layered hair would also make it dificult and take more length. Also, depending on wich way youbraid and then twist your bun you can gain a little legth to close the bun.

Multiple braids will of course work better but I find those require too many pins and time :)

Tota
January 22nd, 2013, 02:24 AM
For me it was BSL and even then I had problems with hiding the tassle into the bun. I think braided bun is easier to do on shorter hair if you don't have layers, but I do.

ghost
January 22nd, 2013, 02:55 AM
I was able to wear a braided bun starting when my hair was at about APL. It was tricky, because the tassle sometimes wanted to fall out, but you can tame that sucker with enough pins.

vamq
January 22nd, 2013, 02:56 AM
My hair had to be hiplength to make a decent looking braided bun (but mind you, I have a very short upper body!)
I found that a rose-bun (so, with 2 stranded braids) could be done with shorter hair :)

Freckled.Thing
January 22nd, 2013, 09:14 AM
I could do a braided Chinese bun when I was at BSL. Now I'm a few inches past waist (close to hip, maybe?) but last time I tried I still couldn't manage a very good braided nautilus. I might try some other braided buns when I get home today. It's been a while since I really experimented with my hair.

torrilin
January 22nd, 2013, 09:20 AM
I can do a single braided bun that isn't entirely hideous at past waist BUT I'm not super short and I have a very long torso, so my hair doesn't hit waist til around 32-34". A paranda that gives me a roughly hip length braid makes a braided bun easy, so I'd guess around tailbone my hair will be long enough to do a braided bun comfortably. This also happens to be the shortest possible single braid that can wrap the whole way 'round my head, which is my goal length.

Madora's suggestion of using multiple braids is a good one. I'm not about to cut back to BSL to see if it makes a braided bun possible at that length, but sectioning your hair is always a good idea if you're running into too much thickness issues. And at least on me, a tucked French braid is a really cute braided updo for relatively short hair. Depending on your thickness, that might be possible as short as just past shoulder. Folded braids, lace crown braids and Heidi braids can also look really good. And upside down French or Dutch braids can make a high bun look very nice indeed, so it's not like there's a shortage of options.

Also, a lot of different kinds of braids like rope braids and lace braids that sound and look super fancy are actually easier to learn when your hair is short, especially if you do 2 or 3 small ones rather than one big one. You can get pretty decent braided pigtails or accent braids even on shoulder length hair. The better you are at braiding, the easier it is to adapt a new style into working with braids.

Madora
January 22nd, 2013, 09:36 AM
Also, a lot of different kinds of braids like rope braids and lace braids that sound and look super fancy are actually easier to learn when your hair is short, especially if you do 2 or 3 small ones rather than one big one. You can get pretty decent braided pigtails or accent braids even on shoulder length hair. The better you are at braiding, the easier it is to adapt a new style into working with braids.

Torrilin, you're right on target! Lace braids are much easier to do with shorter lengths! And your last sentence is so true!

jojo
January 22nd, 2013, 10:22 AM
I thik with me it was about BSL or 27" that I could do a decent one

lunalocks
January 22nd, 2013, 10:29 AM
At that length I would lift the braid up toward the top of my head, then fold the tassel down and under itself. I used a claw clip to hold it. Spin pins would have been a better option. I also would tie a pony with a thick velvet ribbon and then weave the ribbon into the braid and beyond and make a bun with that.

Sharysa
January 22nd, 2013, 10:53 AM
I've noticed that a good braided bun depends a LOT on how thick your hair is. My hair is mid-back length and while I should be able to do a braided bun, I've also got a four-inch ponytail. I lose a LOT of length when it's all in one braid, especially if I want the bun higher up instead of the nape.

Right now my hair just ends up looking like a normal bun that happens to hold better than usual, so I'll have to wait till waist-length for a braided bun that looks like it's braided. (Because I tried one on my sister's waist-length hair, and it looked great.) Bleh.

Angelica
January 22nd, 2013, 11:01 AM
Braided bun to me looks pretty pathetic, so the posters who state about braided buns depending on the thickness of the hair, are bang on. Mine looks far too tiny to count as a braided bun!

jojo
January 22nd, 2013, 11:15 AM
I've noticed that a good braided bun depends a LOT on how thick your hair is. My hair is mid-back length and while I should be able to do a braided bun, I've also got a four-inch ponytail. I lose a LOT of length when it's all in one braid, especially if I want the bun higher up instead of the nape.

Right now my hair just ends up looking like a normal bun that happens to hold better than usual, so I'll have to wait till waist-length for a braided bun that looks like it's braided. (Because I tried one on my sister's waist-length hair, and it looked great.) Bleh.
Agree totally, its not really about where you are bsl, hip etc as where all different heights its where you are inch wise and how thick your hair is. My hair is 4" so thickish, I couldn't do a decent number 8 until i reached 30" ( waist on me). I see lots of thinner haired people who can do decent braid buns at much shorter hair than mine, its just a waiting game i suppose.

jacqueline101
January 22nd, 2013, 12:31 PM
I'm at bsl I did a braided bun.

faellen
January 22nd, 2013, 12:43 PM
I am at MBL and braided buns look pretty nice. I started doing them at BSL.

hairhair
January 22nd, 2013, 02:34 PM
Now I'm at BSL, if I do the sectioning correctly, I can do a bun with a braid around it. Basically, I split the top of my hair as if for a half-up, twist it into a chubby little cinnamon bun, and put a hair tie around it. Then I braid the bottom section (the bottom section always has to be bigger than you think, so practice getting the proportions correct), starting as close to the bottom of the bun as possible. I wrap it around the bottom of the bun, and clip. Though my favourite hairtoy for this style just broke. :'(

Good luck! :)

shutterpillar
January 22nd, 2013, 03:08 PM
Mine is MBL and I still cant get a decent braided bun. Take into account my fine hair, and my braided buns look pretty wimpy. :undecided

Tabihito
January 22nd, 2013, 03:44 PM
Braided bun to me looks pretty pathetic, so the posters who state about braided buns depending on the thickness of the hair, are bang on. Mine looks far too tiny to count as a braided bun!

Thin/fine hair can do braided buns if you hold the braids flat against your head; I was able to do one around BSL, so long as I kept the braids flat, to make a wider bun. (My ponytail circumference is ~2 inches.)

lilliemer
January 22nd, 2013, 06:27 PM
@ torrilin - What is an upside down French braid? Start at the nape then work up? If you are doing this with sectioned hair, do you start with the braid first on the bottom section then do the bun afterwards on the top section? sounds like a nice way to vary everyday buns by adding the braid...I am just above bsl and this sounds like it would probably work at my length.

dwell_in_safety
January 22nd, 2013, 06:59 PM
Just recently, around waist. Before then, I could DO a braided bun, but it didn't really look good at all lol. I'd just wear them for variety. Sometimes I'm still dissatisfied with them, though, so... Rose buns are still pretty, uh, dinky-looking.

torrilin
January 23rd, 2013, 12:55 PM
@ torrilin - What is an upside down French braid? Start at the nape then work up? If you are doing this with sectioned hair, do you start with the braid first on the bottom section then do the bun afterwards on the top section? sounds like a nice way to vary everyday buns by adding the braid...I am just above bsl and this sounds like it would probably work at my length.

An upside down French braid is where you start braiding at the nape and work up, yes. My hair is fairly average thickness (about 2.5-3"), so most of what I know about ways to handle thicker hair is from other people, not firsthand experience. Your idea for how to section your hair sounds workable, so I'd try it out and see what happens. Worst case, your hair winds up being uncomfortable and you redo it.

silverthread
January 23rd, 2013, 03:10 PM
For me it was waist length. A great deal depends on whether or not you have to mess with layered hair, and how you actually create your braided bun.

Depending on hair length (a little above waist--definitely below mid back), you might be able to try a sectioned approach to a braided bun..i.e.

1) Gentle detangle all your hair
2) Make a horizontal part around your head from the top of one ear to the top of the other
3) Take all the hair ABOVE the part, comb it out gently, then braid it loosely. Secure end with elastic.
4) Take that braid and coil it, pinning with crimped hair pins as you go. Weave the hairpins into the outside of the braid. Try and catch a little scalp hair when you do
5) Take remaining hair, comb it out gently, then braid it loosely. Take the braid and wind it around the braided bun already in place. Secure with crimped hairpins, tuck in tassle under bun.



Ooo, that sounds so cool. I can hardly wait until my hair is long enough to do that! Thanks, Madora.