Folded Plait/Braid (not what you think)

[tiny_teesha]

I hope i'm not the first to think of this....i probably am.

Anyways i was thinking, you know how you braid, then fold it up....i came up with a "different" way to do that...

What i did was section my hair into 3 sections. Fold each section up on itself and then plaited/braided that. It was tricky to braid tightly but without roughening hte cuticles that were running the opposite way so you got to concentrate on being gentle. Well it suprisingly turned out good, my braid is half as long and almost twice as thick (i have bad taper so i'm guessing it would make your braids look really lucious and thick)

Can't hurt to try right? I would take a photo....but my computer is full, i need to delete some stuff.

It really looks convincing, apart forthe ends poking up...but they tend to look quite disguised if the colour didn't give them away. It makes the ends of the tassel look thich and rounded (which is not what i am use to).

Am i the first to try this?? lol

ETA-June 6- I FINNALLY added a photo!!! Sorry it took me so long! It is really frizzy because i set it in tiny plaits/braids the night before as i was bored, so it would look smoother then that normally.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/497/foldedplaitef1.th.jpg (http://img175.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foldedplaitef1.jpg)

eta- birdiefu added her photo (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=86770&postcount=24)on page 3. Hers looks WAY better ;)

[Miss Murphy]

Um, it sounds...interesting :D
I guess I really need pictures with that, because I have absolutely no friggin' clue what you mean :)

[Xanthippe]

I think I understand, but how did you keep the sections folded while you were braiding? I tried just now and it kept slipping.

ETA: Just after I posted I had an idea. I made a looped ponytail (where you tie a ponytail but don't pull the ends all the way through) and then separated it and braided that. It made a short and very fat braid. Is that what you did?

[OhioLisa]

First thought: "uuuuuhhhh... hmmmm??? wha??? I don't get it"

Ok, now I get it, but I don't think it's worth the risk of damage. I'll take the tapered tassel.

[jel]

I'd love to see a pic of your new style! In this same thread, LOL, not a new one, after all the hoo-ha regarding excessive threads... :D

Personally I desire my braid to be longer - it's thick enough (because I braid quite loosely! :o ) and I don't mind the taper.

[Just_Isabel]

Another vote for a picture. :D
I understood what you meant, but I'm having a hard time imagining what it looks like.

I do think it sounds like a good idea for those of us who wish for thicker hair. :D
Of course, I'll need some years before I can attempt something like it, but still... :lol:

[lapushka]

I'd love to see a picture too!

I do know what you mean, but it is kind of hard to imagine what it looks like. Hope you post a picture soon!

[Stevy]

That sounds like an interesting idea - kind of like the equilibrium bun, but a braid! How did you keep the segments folded, though? And what did you do about any ends sticking up at the top?

[cutastrophe]

That's a great idea for really long hair! I'd leave enough ends sticking up at the top to do a wrapped ponytail look on top with some bobby pins and then do a loose braid down the length. I don't see why it would be any more damaging than a regular braid. :shrug:

[Irishred]

That does sound interesting. I love my long braid but there are times I wish it were shorter or would stay up better. I have yet to get a folded braid to be comfortable. Doing this I'd get a super thick braid and it would end around BSL-ish.

Anyone get a picture yet?

[MusicLady]

I know a girl who had knee-lenth hair that did that all the time. My mom tried it on me one day, and my braid was much thicker. We decided that using a hair tie to double it first would make it easier, but I haven't tried it yet.

[Raederle]

I used to do that with my daughter's hair to help protect the ends and make for a shorter braid. I'm in awe of your ability to do it on yourself. It was tough enough to do it on someone else, with an extra hand or two to help. And you're right, it makes for a nice thick braid, which was certainly no issue for her, but would make a braided bun way more impressive for those of us without thick braids.

[LeaM07]

I'm impressed that you could get this to work with taper. I don't think I'd be able to keep it folded long enough to braid without growing three extra hands. Maybe if you folded it so that the worst of the taper was sticking out the top (you could wrap it around the base and hide it with a slide or accessory of some sort)? A braided bun done this way would be neat... would also help to hide the ends and sticking-out parts.

ETA: Oops, posted at the same time as Raederle. She got to the "need more hands" and "braided bun would be cool" parts first. :silly:

[zift]

I've tried this kind of folding a couple times before but couldn't succeed. Sure it sounds like a great idea to have a thicker looking braid and also shorten the length but I couldn't hold the ends in place and little hairs keep sticking from the middle making it impossible for me to braid. I prefer to do the braid and than fold it:)

[nappywomyn]

*closes eyes to picture it better*

Hrrrm. In order to get around the 'needing an extra hand (or two)' bit, I'm thinking you could make a folded ponytail with the ends inbetween the 'root' of your hair, and the ends.

So, basically..... starting with your hair hanging down, fold up the tassel, and hold it, then fold up the full length of your hair, and make a 'half' ponytail

Then, split the folded ponytail into three parts, and braid normally.....

[LeaM07]

*closes eyes to picture it better*

Hrrrm. In order to get around the 'needing an extra hand (or two)' bit, I'm thinking you could make a folded ponytail with the ends inbetween the 'root' of your hair, and the ends.

So, basically..... starting with your hair hanging down, fold up the tassel, and hold it, then fold up the full length of your hair, and make a 'half' ponytail

Then, split the folded ponytail into three parts, and braid normally.....Ooh, this is almost do-able. I tried making a ponytail but pulling it only partway through and winding the ends around the elastic. I couldn't get the pieces to separate well enough to braid, though (it wanted to all stick together and make a mess). Part of the key, I think, is to keep hold of the loop when you pull it through the elastic, and do the separating from the bottom of the loop. This makes it easier to separate the hair into three distinct tails. My hair would need to be damp and well-conditioned to be able to do it, I think.

[mugglemomof3]

Very interesting idea - and I'll have to admit I have never even come close to thinking of something like this. Cool.

I'll have to try it, of course, now that you've put the thought in my head!

I'm another one who would love to see photos. :toast:

[Just_Isabel]

*closes eyes to picture it better*

Hrrrm. In order to get around the 'needing an extra hand (or two)' bit, I'm thinking you could make a folded ponytail with the ends inbetween the 'root' of your hair, and the ends.

So, basically..... starting with your hair hanging down, fold up the tassel, and hold it, then fold up the full length of your hair, and make a 'half' ponytail

Then, split the folded ponytail into three parts, and braid normally.....


Isn't that what Xanthippe said? :lol:


I think I understand, but how did you keep the sections folded while you were braiding? I tried just now and it kept slipping.

ETA: Just after I posted I had an idea. I made a looped ponytail (where you tie a ponytail but don't pull the ends all the way through) and then separated it and braided that. It made a short and very fat braid. Is that what you did?

Or at least that's how I understood this post. Made perfect sense to me.

But I still need a pic because I can't really imagine what it'll look like. :p

[nappywomyn]

I think I understand, but how did you keep the sections folded while you were braiding? I tried just now and it kept slipping.

ETA: Just after I posted I had an idea. I made a looped ponytail (where you tie a ponytail but don't pull the ends all the way through) and then separated it and braided that. It made a short and very fat braid. Is that what you did?


Isn't that what Xanthippe said? :lol:

Or at least that's how I understood this post. Made perfect sense to me.

But I still need a pic because I can't really imagine what it'll look like. :p

:p She did the ETA after I posted, you difficult woman, you!!! :lol:

And ooooohhh!! New Avi!!! I didn't 'recognize' you up there....

[Xanthippe]

:p She did the ETA after I posted, you difficult woman, you!!! :lol:

And ooooohhh!! New Avi!!! I didn't 'recognize' you up there....

Actually, I did the ETA right after I posted :p But great minds think alike! :D

I'll see if I can find my camera to take pictures, but I can't make it look neat yet.

[Stevy]

I've tried this but I'm having enormous trouble getting the looped ponytail to divide in three. Anyone got tips?

[nappywomyn]

Actually, I did the ETA right after I posted :p But great minds think alike! :D

I'll see if I can find my camera to take pictures, but I can't make it look neat yet.

:lol: So you did!!! I totally missed that bit. :blush:

Fine, Isa, you were right. :lol:

Tis okay if it doesn't look neat, we just want pics!

[LeaM07]

I've tried this but I'm having enormous trouble getting the looped ponytail to divide in three. Anyone got tips?When you pull the loop partway through, don't let go. Keep your hand inside the loop and divide the hair without dropping it (I could get this far, but then one section was much smaller than the other two and trying to fix it didn't go so well). Once you divide, maybe section it off with clips of some sort until you can take your hand out of the loop and reposition your fingers for braiding?

[birdiefu]

I tried it out, pretty neat! I found the easiest way of dividing the loop was to do it at the bottom of the loop, where it's folded. That way you can section the 'top' and 'bottom' sections of the same length of hair easier. Here are some comparison pics if anyone is interested, sorry I'm not great at braiding from a pony, much better with a regular English braid:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v670/birdiefu/hair2/FatBraid.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v670/birdiefu/hair2/RegularBraid.jpg

It really does eat up length (didn't braid to the bottom in 2nd pic), and while it's fatter, it doesn't look quite like twice as thick. But it's great for getting rid of a taper!

[Just_Isabel]

:p She did the ETA after I posted, you difficult woman, you!!! :lol:

Sure did. ;)

< hijack >


And ooooohhh!! New Avi!!! I didn't 'recognize' you up there....

<--- it's a bun, I can bun now! :D

< / hijack >

[tiny_teesha]

WOW that is a LOT of replies! I'll try sort through them!
Xanthippe - exactly. My hair is in pretty bad condition so it is rough and for the most part stayed where i put it but it was a little tricky, you sort of fold it and staright braiding to hold it up...
- about the picture...it is going to take a while before i put one up, when i do i will edit it in the first post...i need to sort out a camera battery and delete some files on my computer.
Stevy - i just folded them and quickly braided them so they stayed put, the sticky up ends, i did nothing about, they sort of weren't noticable, but no doubt a few well placed bobby pins would do the trick.
cutastrophe - brilliant idea, just wrap the sticky up ends around it to look like it is hiding a pony tail sort thing, brilliant!

[tiny_teesha]

LeaM07 - it probably helped that i had a tad of shea and some coconut oil in it which kept it together.
nappywomyn - not really....but the idea to do a looped pony tail first then braid would make it MUCH easier...that just didn't occur to me!!

a number of people have already done this method... Glad im not the only person doing "different" things with my hair!

[tiny_teesha]

birdiefu - excellent photo...that is pretty much what i got, but because of my taper it ate heaps of length and made it waaaay thicker!! :)

Sorry guys, for my picture you will have to wait.....days at least! :) But Birdiefu's was more impressive then mine anyways and it displays it nicely...although i did not braid with an elastic first.

[Just_Isabel]

Thanks for the pictures, Birdiefu! It looks really good, your braid looks iii thick! :D

[tiny_teesha]

I added my picture on the first post a while ago, forgot to mention it. And it came really...unshiney looking because i set my hair in tiny plaits the night before so it looks like a crimped knotted mess! Sorry!