New (?) faux-crown braid variation for long hair - anyone want to try?

[Arctic]

I got a possibly pretty neat hairstyle idea, but it needs much longer hair than mine, so I haven't tested this out.

It's actually not a new style, but it combines 2 well known styles. I don't have any images to show, but the 2 components are

1) X-braids (like this tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJYOfnJuRE))
2) heidi braids (two braids wrapped around the head in opposite directions, if hair is long enough like I have imagined it ideally to be for this style, both braids will wrap all around the head and they will form a faux-crown braid.)


So, the idea is to make a faux-crown braid, where inside the circle there is a braided X. (for shorter hair that can't reach all the way around the head, it would look like (from the back) braided X with U-shaped curving braids either above or below the X. I hope you can imagine in your mind what I mean.

I imagined it go something like this:

- make X-braids
- wrap the tails around the head in opposite directions. Ideally so that the tails would form a full circle around the X.
- pin the circle of braids in place


I'd love to see if someone makes this work!

[LadyCelestina]

It sounds really cool! Too bad I guess my braids would be too short to wrap around nicely, so I'll just sit here with :popcorn: if somebody does this style!

ETA: Hey, I just did it! the braids go around in the front like milkmaid braids, right? ETA 2 : I did it and wrapped the tails like milkmaid braids. I did something stupid in the X part, apparently braided too much hair into one section so I have a little pocket in the back and a saggy braid, not a nice X. - it's wonky don't laugh :D but I trieded :crazy: http://imgur.com/a/YXhls and front is just regular milkmaid braids - though I like how the braids pulled my hair back - I look better with tighter buns/braids.

[littlestarface]

I'll give it a whirl.

[samanthaa]

This is cool! I've never seen an X-braid before! I might have to try this, if I remember.

[wispe]

I was just thinking about doing something like this (I drew myself a diagram on scrap paper last week to remind myself). I'll give it a go and report in~

[proo]

Great idea!
This is my favorite part of the LHC

[Acid]

i have hip length (33 inches) and i can get the end of the braid to my ears but the ends of the braids thin out too much. Its a really good idea for a hairstyle! i think maybe someone with TBL or BCL could do it based off people doing coronet braids minimum length

[hayheadsbird]

I'll give it a whirl.

Waits patiently for littlestarface to report back

[littlestarface]

Waits patiently for littlestarface to report back

Lol I did 2 one where it's X'd at the bottom and one without Xing the braids at the bottom. I needed the flash up close so you people could actually see the X.

This one the braids going around is Xing
http://i.imgur.com/fw2Bod8.jpg

This one is just going around the head in the normal directions,
http://i.imgur.com/ZnOuIOe.jpg

And normal no upclose flash
http://i.imgur.com/wPnBZCH.jpg

[hayheadsbird]

Can't wait till I have enough length to do that LadyCelestina!


Lol I did 2 one where it's X'd at the bottom and one without Xing the braids at the bottom. I needed the flash up close so you people could actually see the X.

This one the braids going around is Xing
http://i.imgur.com/fw2Bod8.jpg

This one is just going around the head in the normal directions,
http://i.imgur.com/ZnOuIOe.jpg

And normal no upclose flash
http://i.imgur.com/wPnBZCH.jpg

That looks awesome! Is this what you envisioned arctic?

[LadyCelestina]

Wow it looks really complicated - good job! :thumbsup: I also like how thick your dutch braids are.

[wispe]

I managed at WL (~30"), but my layers/taper mean I don't have thick enough braids to hide pins where they cross in the front (even mini bobby pins or small amish pins, gah). Looks neat-o from the back though! Uploading photos in a few~

[meteor]

Yes, I did this a few times a couple years ago, but I would suggest a really simplified version of the X braids, because the true "X braid" along the scalp is kind of difficult to achieve on long hair with all that sectioning, especially if you like perfect symmetry.
Instead of all that lace-Dutch-braiding, you can get pretty much the same look from just 2 smaller English braids being incorporated into 2 larger English braids. So the right top corner English braid goes into bottom left braid (which is later pinned around like a coronet) and the left top corner English braid goes into the bottom right braid (which is also later pinned around like a coronet). And this creates criss-cross look on scalp.

It's a nice style and it's very comfortable, but especially with the simplified version, the "cross" sags over time (if you don't add pins to the "cross" for support) and looks like a bunch of coronet braids crossed and stacked up in the back, rather than a very distinct cross on top. By the end of the day it visually ends up looking like horseshoe braids with coronets.

You don't really need a lot of length for this, because the thickness is split into sections (the higher the number of braids involved, the shorter the hair can be to achieve wrapping around the head).

[wispe]

Well, my hair is a mess today. Best pictures I could grab~ These were all taken by my window w/ flash since the weather/lighting is a little weird today.

Faux crown variation (completing the circle in the back). At my length if I'd wrapped forwards first I'd have had milkmaid braids instead of a faux crown.
http://i.imgur.com/oZgmkaU.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/diCguL4.jpg?1

Here I wrapped forwards and stacked them on top of the dutch braids rather than crossing the ends. If I wanted to wear this out I'd use clear elastics so I can weave my ends in once they reach the criss-cross in the back... bet it'd look cool taped in :hmm: IDK what this would be called, since it's neither a crown nor a milkmaid-style braid.
http://i.imgur.com/AClyNSD.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/orQLrhS.jpg?2

[Acid]

had another go without it crossed at the bottom to give me a bit of faux length and with my usual side hair parting

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/xAcidWolfx/x%20crown%20braid_zps82gfg68h.jpg

[ephemeri]

:agape:

Ohhhh my goshhhh... the pics in this thread!!

This style is gorgeous. I need to tuck it away in my memory until my hair is long enough to try!!

[PixieP]

Hmmmm I need to try this!

[Kae612]

Well, my hair is a mess today. Best pictures I could grab~ These were all taken by my window w/ flash since the weather/lighting is a little weird today.

Faux crown variation (completing the circle in the back). At my length if I'd wrapped forwards first I'd have had milkmaid braids instead of a faux crown.
http://i.imgur.com/oZgmkaU.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/diCguL4.jpg?1

Here I wrapped forwards and stacked them on top of the dutch braids rather than crossing the ends. If I wanted to wear this out I'd use clear elastics so I can weave my ends in once they reach the criss-cross in the back... bet it'd look cool taped in :hmm: IDK what this would be called, since it's neither a crown nor a milkmaid-style braid.
http://i.imgur.com/AClyNSD.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/orQLrhS.jpg?2

Wow! this is gorgeous! I've never hear of the X braids before, and they look really epic with all the two-tone hair, like in the video and with yours and Acid's. Your second variation looks a bit like it's forming fairy wings! :D

[wispe]

Wow! this is gorgeous! I've never hear of the X braids before, and they look really epic with all the two-tone hair, like in the video and with yours and Acid's. Your second variation looks a bit like it's forming fairy wings! :D

Thank you! I'm finding two-tone hair a lot more fun than I originally anticipated, thanks to braids (: I like the idea of fairy wings (or a butterfly, maybe). Would be pretty with some sparkle and ribbon to jazz it up and make it fancier, I think.

Acid I love your platinum/silver hair. You have so much shine!

[spidermom]

I tried something like this years ago, but I thought it looked too horrible to even keep a picture of it.

[Acid]

Thanks Wispe! I actually envy your beautifully even shade of pastel pink hair so much! Whenever i see it down in the colourful thread it always reminds me of pretty anime hair :)

[littlestarface]

I tried something like this years ago, but I thought it looked too horrible to even keep a picture of it.

Lol, yea I don't like it too much it's not as pretty as a traditional crown braid I do. It was nice trying it for arctic tho, I hope I helped.

[Arctic]

I'm loving all the creations, thanks everyone for sharing! They are beautiful! I am super busy now but will come back later on for more in depth commenting!!!

[Hay_jules]

Well, my hair is a mess today. Best pictures I could grab~ These were all taken by my window w/ flash since the weather/lighting is a little weird today.

Faux crown variation (completing the circle in the back). At my length if I'd wrapped forwards first I'd have had milkmaid braids instead of a faux crown.
http://i.imgur.com/oZgmkaU.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/diCguL4.jpg?1

Here I wrapped forwards and stacked them on top of the dutch braids rather than crossing the ends. If I wanted to wear this out I'd use clear elastics so I can weave my ends in once they reach the criss-cross in the back... bet it'd look cool taped in :hmm: IDK what this would be called, since it's neither a crown nor a milkmaid-style braid.
http://i.imgur.com/AClyNSD.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/orQLrhS.jpg?2


Thank you! I'm finding two-tone hair a lot more fun than I originally anticipated, thanks to braids (: I like the idea of fairy wings (or a butterfly, maybe). Would be pretty with some sparkle and ribbon to jazz it up and make it fancier, I think.


I was thinking butterfly wings too. They both look super cute with the two toned hair. Braids are possibly my favourite thing about growing out colourful hair.

[wispe]

Thanks Wispe! I actually envy your beautifully even shade of pastel pink hair so much! Whenever i see it down in the colourful thread it always reminds me of pretty anime hair :)


I was thinking butterfly wings too. They both look super cute with the two toned hair. Braids are possibly my favourite thing about growing out colourful hair.

Thanks all. I'm really happy with how my growing-out process is going, and my updos keep evolving with it, so that makes it fun.

I'd love to do this again as a proper butterfly (pin the outer loop into a proper wing shape, make an antennae clip for the center?). If I give it a go I'll definitely post about it.

[Kae612]

Thanks all. I'm really happy with how my growing-out process is going, and my updos keep evolving with it, so that makes it fun.

I'd love to do this again as a proper butterfly (pin the outer loop into a proper wing shape, make an antennae clip for the center?). If I give it a go I'll definitely post about it.

Awesome! I look forward to seeing that :)