Chinese bun without the elastic

[Heidi_234]

Hey, I hope it's something worth a new thread lol. :)
I never done chinese bun before because it required a ponytail secured with hair elastic, and sort of defeats the point of bunning (as elastic is damaging) in my eyes. But today I had this awesome light bulb moment:
Start a braid in the higher in the back of the head (just 2-3 bumps, as short as possible), poke the stick though the base of the braid, then divide the middle section of 3 from the braid and add it to the two on the side. There you have the perfect setting for a chinese bun - without the elastic! Just wrap them over the stick and then wrap them around the base and tuck the ends. There you go!
It sits really tight (in a good way, not pulling hair way) on my head right now, I think I'm going to wear it ALOT from now on. :D
Hope that helps/inspires someone. :D
Heidi.:blossom:

[eadwine]

Good trick, smart thinking! :) Piccies!!

[JamieLeigh]

I second the pic request! I love Chinese buns, but IMO my hair just does not do well with them. Unfortunately, because they're my favorite to look at on other people! Congrats on finding a shortcut, and being able to do a style you like! :D

[Heidi_234]

Good trick, smart thinking! :) Piccies!!
Thankies :D
Oh my, my camera is not here, but I'll sure do when we will unite.

[Arctic]

That's fantastic idea! That's excatly why I haven't been very keen on trying this bun, plus the elastic always shows through. Great thinking! :joy:

[Heavenly Locks]

I'll have to give this a try :) thanks for the tip...

[KajiKodomo]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to remember this when my hair gets long enough for a chinese bun, haha! :D

[Wavelength]

That's a really good idea. Now I might start wearing Chinese buns again.

[Gumball]

I'll have to give this a shot sometime! It can help since I don't tie the elastic too tight sometimes it might sag a little. Using a braid may help keep it nice and snug!

[Rebelkat]

I might have to try this! Ironically, the Chinese Bun is one of the few buns I do really well, but I've been looking for a safer way to do it. I've been reduced to wearing various braids with ribbon underneath the elastic to protect my hair. Of course it didn't occur to me until I started typing just that it could possibly work with buns with a ponytail base. I'm hoping it won't come to that and that your method will work for me, because your method just sounds so much better!

[Boon]

What a great idea, thank you! :D

[Heidi_234]

Wow so nice that it's helpful, I wasn't sure if it's been suggested before and I just 'discovered America' lol. My chinese bun still going strong, with no amish pins! And it's so comfortable :cloud9:

[eresh]

That's a great idea!
I'd love to see a picture too :)

I'm always having to do-over because the elastic shows.

[MadPirateBippy]

Holy cow, that's fantastic! I, too, haven't been doing many chinese buns due to the elastic issue and this is BRILLIANT.

Totally.

I love it. Pics please?

[Anje]

Great idea! I'm another who generally avoids chinese buns because of the elastic, and it tends to show on me anyway. I'll have to give it a try!

[Silver & Gold]

I love this idea! I too dislike using the elastics for the same reason, it sorta goes against the entire reason for using hairsticks to begin with.

[eadwine]

No one yet?

Then I'll be the first ;) Pardon the messy, I don't do Chinese bun at all, so I am not that skilled in keeping all the hair together when wrapping :lol:
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/4140/chinebraid.th.jpg (http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=chinebraid.jpg)

And up close:
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5074/chinebraidclose.th.jpg (http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=chinebraidclose.jpg)

[eresh]

Looks really good!!

[Islandgrrl]

Good idea! I'll have to give it a try. I don't like elastics for the same reason - potential damage! This seem so much smarter!

[ClareDee]

Clever tip Heidi! Thanks :toast:

[Ponytale]

Wow--I just tried it. What a perfect solution! Thanks!

[HazelnutDelight]

I can't do it. It just starts falling and doesn't feel secure at all. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to catch a certain amount of hair from the braid, or weave it through a little differently?

[justpuggy]

great idea! I will try this tomorrow - my elastic usually shows, so this should be perfect! :cheese:

[eadwine]

I braided it and just stuck the stick behind the braid, make sure you take the middle strand and divide in two, and you will get what is on my picture, roughly.

[winter_star]

Fantastic idea! I love the chinese bun, but always avoided the elastic. Thanks for sharing.

[maria_asa]

This is how I usually do the chinese bun and for me it holds better than the few times I've tried with an elastic.

[Hedera]

What a great idea!

And it looks great too - much better than the few times I tried an elasticked Chinese bun.

I don't like any hairstyles that start with putting hair in an elastic; it doesn't look right (too tight in the wrong places) and it never feels comfortable, it's always pulling somewhere.

Thank you!

[Arctic]

I tried this today, and it looked great, no more elastic showing through! My hair ia a bit short for this bun so I had to redo it couple of times bu tit wasn't the braid's fault, just that my ends slipped out of bobby pins :)

[Heidi_234]

Thanks everybody, I'm so glad it's helpful. I did this braid-strated chinese bun for today, stince I had a hectic day, and it's as good as new even now, in the evening. I holds so well I had to resist the urge to take it down and redo it 'just because' lol. Other updos give me reason to play with my hair, not this one. :)
I suppose shorter hair owner would still have to use one little amish pin to hold the ends, but I don't need pins at all at my length, so it's great. :D:D

[Elainehali]

That is very clever!

No more visible elastics for me.:cheese:

[Heidi_234]

Hehe I didn't even know that there was an elastic showing though problem...

[Akiko]

Heidi, thank you for sharing your tips. I am wearing a braided Chinese bun today for the first time. It works great. My hair is not long enough to tuck ends in the bun. So I am using 2 U-shaped pins. The bun is so secure. I have been cleaning the house like mad all day. It has not budged at all. :)

[Laurel32]

Thank you! I will defiantly try this tomorrow.

[eadwine]

*taps foot, arms folded* I am STILL the only one with a picture up. Show 'em pics or it didn't happen!


;) :)

[eresh]

I just tried it and I like it!
It feels really secure and no pulling hairs!

Proof: :D
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/2978/18554606.th.jpg (http://img201.imageshack.us/my.php?image=18554606.jpg) http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/294/30656336.th.jpg (http://img201.imageshack.us/my.php?image=30656336.jpg)

[Katla]

That's a great idea! I gotta try that sometime :) I have the same worries about hair elastics, so yeah. Thank you!

[eadwine]

AH!!! Finally someone else with proof *eyes everyone else sternly, still waiting*

Looks great Eresh! :D

[danacc]

You're my hero!

I've always wanted to wear a Chinese bun, and stayed away from it because of the ponytail requirement. Not only does this eliminate the holder, but I like the look of the split in the center of the bun better with the braid as a base.

Thanks for sharing.

[Samikha]

It works well :) Now if I only could manage to make a Chinese Bun hold without bobby pins or an extra stick, it would be perfect:D

[BunnyBee]

Ahh! I am so going to try this later today :) I tend to avoid elastics like the plague! Yay for hair-paranoia 8-)


It works well Now if I only could manage to make a Chinese Bun hold without bobby pins or an extra stick, it would be perfect
Exactly! I've never quite understood how some of you are able to just 'tuck in' the ends of your hair and make it stay. My hair does not do tucking! Maybe it's too straight? Ah well, can't have everything lol :p

[hanne jensen]

Thank you so much for sharing. I tried it this morning and it works! This is updo #5 that I can put my hair up in. My bun is microscopic compared to others, but my hair is also not even APL.

[SimplyLonghair]

Did it and it worked great! Will post the pics as soon as I get them uploaded! :happydance: Didn't even need a pin:D

:cheese::cheese::cheese::cheese:
Hurray Heidi for the tip!

[Heidi_234]

Yey I so glad! I had a beginner's luck with the chinese bun because now sometimes it loosens and gets undone, or maybe I slacked a bit and didn't make it as well as I could like I did the first times.
I did it with small french braid start too, works nicely as well!

[vindo]

This is a great idea.

I tired it and my hair still slides out though...:( Any ideas for really slippery hair?

[Heidi_234]

This is a great idea.

I tired it and my hair still slides out though...:( Any ideas for really slippery hair?
One amish/bobby pin where the ends cross last time can do the trick I suppose. Insert it like a hairstick though, first against the direction, then grab some scalp hair, and then into the bun.

[KarenLynn]

I just tried this today. It worked like a charm, and at least so far it's holding without any extra pins. :rockerdud

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v438/KarenLynn/April%202009/IMG_7211s.jpg

[JKRBeloved]

VERY nice! I can hardly wait to try this. Thanks for such a practical technique.

[Silverlox]

I just found this thread and I have two questions to Heidi_234:

1. Why haven't you posted pictures yet? :p

And more importantly...

2. Why isn't there an article about this inspired invention in the Hair Styling Section of Articles? :eyebrows:
I just checked and there's no mention of it there.

We need an Article so everyone can find it easily. :flower:

[windinherhair]

I tried this for my first attempt at a Chinese bun, and it worked well for me. Thanks for the idea!

[windinherhair]

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1656/firstchinesebunapril190.jpg
I tried this for my first attempt at a Chinese bun, and it worked well for me. Thanks for the idea!

[rach]

good idea. there was me the other day trying to put the stick on top and twirling it over then round to do it. only worked if i used half heads worth of hair on the top, didn't seem to take well to whole bulk of hair. i think you've found the answer i've been looking for in technique . will give it a go shortly :D
i, too given up hair bands of all types so i can grown out my layers which didn't budge until i knew why. so thank you for the alternative method :D

[Heidi_234]

I just found this thread and I have two questions to Heidi_234:

1. Why haven't you posted pictures yet? :p

And more importantly...

2. Why isn't there an article about this inspired invention in the Hair Styling Section of Articles? :eyebrows:
I just checked and there's no mention of it there.

We need an Article so everyone can find it easily. :flower:
1. LOL my camera kind of in a better place right now :p Not here to have my chinese bun pic. In any case, it looks almost the same as the regular chinese bun. If the parting in the middle looks different, that can be 'fixed' too if one does french braid start and places the stick as low as possible down the braid, so it's still close to the scalp but also close to the end of the braid-start, so the hair is contained, but you can still do 2 partings like the originial chinese bun. :cool:
2. That's very much true, I might as well submit it as an article so it would be easy to find. If somebody is willing to have his/her bun pic in it, do tell me!

[Juanita]

This worked for me too .Great idea

[Aditi]

thanks for the photos of chinese bun eadwine, i am going to try this tonight.

[eadwine]

Good luck Aditi!

[herbgurl82]

What an awesome idea! I have been avoiding the Chinese bun because of the elastic problem as well. I wonder if you could somehow split the intital braid into two braids after the first few braids, to make a braided chinese bun without the elastic? Hmm.

[Heidi_234]

Hey, I wrote the article. Is someone willing to contribute his Chinese bun pic to it?


What an awesome idea! I have been avoiding the Chinese bun because of the elastic problem as well. I wonder if you could somehow split the intital braid into two braids after the first few braids, to make a braided chinese bun without the elastic? Hmm.
Yes you can. I think you could also start with two braids with no problem. I think.

[rach]

did it today and it looked great. i use a fork instead of a singular stick which made it look bigger.

[GeoJ]

Cool! I tried this and it worked for me. :)

Sorry, I don't think I can post pictures yet.

[herbgurl82]

Yes you can. I think you could also start with two braids with no problem. I think.

I can't do a chinese bun with two braids. No matter how carefully I part, and braid, one braid is thicker then the other, or a bit too high or low so it just looks kinda goofy. I will have to experiment to see if it works...

[rach]

ok, did it again today but with my rach-made-stick instead -
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu32/rachelheales/hair/1-2.jpg

[Heidi_234]

I can't do a chinese bun with two braids. No matter how carefully I part, and braid, one braid is thicker then the other, or a bit too high or low so it just looks kinda goofy. I will have to experiment to see if it works...
Well, I haven't tried it myself, it just sounds theoretically possible.

Guys, last time, anybody want to decorate my future article about this braid trick with their pretty hair in a Chinese bun?

Sorry for the attention sucking, I just thought some missed my question out. I don't have a camera, I can't take a picture myself.

[Rosepatrice]

Very creative. Thanks for the idea!

[mugglemomof3]

Thank you for this thread! :cheese:

[KarenLynn]

Heidi 234 - I have a picture of mine... hm, somewhere. I think in the "wear your hair up for a month/whatever" challenge thread. You can use that if you like.

[Heidi_234]

Heidi 234 - I have a picture of mine... hm, somewhere. I think in the "wear your hair up for a month/whatever" challenge thread. You can use that if you like.
Thanks a bunch! *going to hunt down pic and post article*

[Heidi_234]

Whoo hoo article's up: :D
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=128
Observe, admire, correct grammar mistakes. :p
:flower:

[KarenLynn]

Wow, you're fast. :lol: Happy to help! :D

[Heidi_234]

Wow, you're fast. :lol: Happy to help! :D
lol I beat the speed of my own internet :lol:
Thanks again for the photo :flowers:

[swirlytresses]

This is great. Thanks for posting this. Visuals are always great.

[Jessikinz]

Oh this is great! Thank you for posting this. I can't wait to try it.

[eternallyverdan]

I know I'm a bit late to this thread, but another variation that I've found very useful is instead of braiding the first inch or two I just twist my hair, insert the hairstick, and then divide and wrap the tail as usual. I've got a picture of a very messy example below. This is probably the fastest bun in my repertoire, and I don't need any toys aside from my hairstick.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/forevagreenearth/ChineseBun.jpg

(Like my hairstick?)

[Heidi_234]

I know I'm a bit late to this thread, but another variation that I've found very useful is instead of braiding the first inch or two I just twist my hair, insert the hairstick, and then divide and wrap the tail as usual. I've got a picture of a very messy example below. This is probably the fastest bun in my repertoire, and I don't need any toys aside from my hairstick.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/forevagreenearth/ChineseBun.jpg

(Like my hairstick?)
Nice hairstick ;)
It's a possibility too, if you manage to keep the hair together when pulling the two sections over the hairstick without the whole thing getting undone. Thank you :flower:

[Soulina]

I had to try this, and it came out amazing whit my skills (wich arent so great) I managed to get neat looking tight bun that keeps my hair up. Whitout elastic:cheese:. So ty so much.:thumbsup: