How long did it take you to learn how to braid your hair?

[sunshine80]

Wow I must say that I never seen buns and other fancy, braiding, twisting and knots etc before...You all are AMAZING at what you do...when I used to have long hair I never did that (I wish I had LHC then:))

Even though my hair isnt quite long enough yet I tried to braid my hair lol!!! Omg I am going to need some practice! By the time I was done there was no braid no bun and my arms were asleep..

How long did it take you to learn?

[Coan-Teen]

I'm not too well-versed in the really complex styles like crown braids but I can do english, dutch, french, micro and rope braids. I've just always done them. I learned how to braid from my grandmother when I was... three? Maybe four. It was early on. For me braiding someone else's hair is easy.

On myself... when my hair was longer I was known to give up on anything requiring longer than five minutes above my shoulders because my arms got tired. :D Braiding is mostly just practice.

[Laurenji]

I've known how to do a basic English braid most of my life. French, Dutch, lace, etc. escaped me for a long time. A couple years ago I started putting some real practice into it. I learned how to French braid after a couple months of trying, and the rest was fairly easy from there. Like Coan-Teen said, it's really about how many hours of practice you're willing to put in.

[Xandergrammy]

I'm not very good at fancy braids, but I've been braiding my hair for so long that I don't remember actually learning how!!! A basic braid is easy. You'll get it- don't worry.

[Angeletti]

It took me a little bit to learn how to do a french/dutch braid on myself, I was confused at first and didn't realize that crossing the strands in different ways resulted in different braids, so I would say it probably took a good month of me trying off and on before I mastered it.

[excentricat]

I learned how to do basic braiding on ribbons and my little ponies, so it mostly wasn't hard to transfer to my own head. My main transfer issues are keeping the strands separated. My first attempt at a dutch braid failed when I realized halfway down my head that I had 2 strands instead of 3. They were about equal too, so I have no idea what happened to the third. This is also why I still need work on my 4 strand braids. I know what to do, but I run out of fingers too quickly.

[Madora]

I've been able to do the English and dutch braids since I was a young adult.

Ditto for the dutch french braid, which was a lot easier to do than the english french braid, for some reason.

It took me a month to get the lace braid to where it looked halfway decent.

My lace braid is not done in the usual fashion -- i. e. standing erect. My shoulders and arms just aren't that limber.

To lace braid around my head I draw all my hair over my head, like a curtain, make sure the back is nice and smooth, then start to lace braid the front hair (just above my right eyebrow) and work around my head until finished.

[walkinglady]

I've been braiding for so long that I can't remember when I actually started. Probably when I was 5 or so. My dolls had very pretty hair : )

[sibiryachka]

I don't remember learning how to braid my sister's and my dolls' hair, so I must have learned it very early. The first time I remember braiding my own hair I was about 8 years old. I could do two braids first, then a single braid after I got the hang of that.
I never got past that until I was in my early 30s and taught myself to French braid my own hair. That took weeks of practice; I'd do it by feel, go check it in the mirror, take it out and start over, until I could consistently do an acceptable one on the first try.

[Druid of Alba]

My mom taught me how to braid when I was very young. I don't know, maybe four? I was always really interested in hair, and I remeber one day I just asked her to show me how. That's just a plain three strand though. I've only very recently learnt four and fice strand braids, they're really really neat, I love them. Here's this site that taught me, if you care to learn: http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/Braiding_Tips.htm. They have so many different tutorials, it's a great site.
I still can't do braids that are attached to the head though (French or Dutch style). I can only do braids that are unattached (English style). I really need to learn how to braid against my head.
I really like wearing my hair down, I part my hair pretty fat to the left, so there's considerbaly less hair on that side, as it's all going over to the right, so on the left, I like to just add one or two small "accent braids" to the length, they looks really earthy, kind of Celtic or Native, I really like them!

[sunshine80]

I attempted the french braid on myself today...I can do a single braid but I am with you Druid of Alba...I couldnt keep it attached to my head...or how you take more hair into the braid?? I tried though and I am going to keep on practicing Thank you for the link:)

Madora that is truely amazing! It looks great!

[eezepeeze]

My mom taught me to braid when I was 4-5 years old by pinning those thick yarn ribbons (remember those?) to the bedspread and letting me practice over and over and over. It kept me busy for hours! I learned to French braid in junior high school. I didn't learn to do all the other fancier braids until discovering YouTube. I've braided my own hair since I was about 7, pretty much since I was reliably able to dress myself in respectable clothing.

I found that one of the big factors in learning the more complicated styles has been building up my arm strength. At first, I could only do french and dutch braids, because anything harder and my arms just killed me. However, after about a year of buns, braids, and marathon playing with my hair sessions, I've built up some tolerance. I practice in my pajamas while I'm watching tv. Practice, practice.

One other trick I like is to practice a new technique (like rope braiding) on just the ponytail length where you can see what you're doing until you get the idea and then move into behind your head, and finally into french techniques.

HTH!

[Gumball]

My hair doesn't cooperate well with me when it comes to lots of things, so I've never learned how to do a braid on myself that isn't your standard 3-strand. I can do some buns, but not every one under the sun. Call me clumsy and easily flustered by my mop! I find someone to teach something to, like a french braid, then hire them to give me one. :laugh: That's very infrequent though.

[yellowchariot]

I had a lot of practice doing them on my girlfriend's hair. After that stage was over. I had to learn on my own head. That was difficult. It took about a month, just as the previous members were saying, and then it took another month to "reverse" my thought pattern on how to do the other type of braiding pattern lol :D. Though individuals vary, and practice every chance you get. You always learn neat stuff that someone else may not, and get something much quicker than others would take to understand. Then you'll have those styles that will give you brain freezes no matter what! ;)

[cariboo]

Here's this site that taught me, if you care to learn: http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/Braiding_Tips.htm. They have so many different tutorials, it's a great site.


Cheers for this! Really useful resource :)

[Masara]

I learnt basic braiding on wool and bread etc as a child. That was easy enough to tranfer to side braids.
Doing a braid behind your head (whether it's a standard English or a French/Dutch) is more difficult (1) because you can't see it and (2) it causes more muscle strain.

I started doing French braids myselff at around 15, because I was away from home and my mum couldn't do them for me. I asked a friend at first, but when I realsed that she was puuting strands in her mouth to hold them while picking up the next strand, I decided to learn for myself.

My first French braids were slow, loose and painful. I kept trying because it's one of the most comfortable styles and little by little they got good enough to wear out of the house. I learnt to hold all the strands in one hand, so I can take the other arm down and relax the muscles.

I can do French braids without thinking about it, but Dutch braids or 4 or 5 strand braids mean I have to visualise what is happening behind my head and even talk myself through ("over one, over two, back ....") I never, ever look at myself in a mirror while braiding.

[KittyLost]

It's been two years and I'm still learning! I just can't get the hang of it and I end up getting frustrated and giving up for a while before learning to plait again.

I always have to wait for my hair to be longer though so I can see what I'm doing haha.

[DARKMARTIAN]

Not long at all actually. The concept of braiding was simple enough....what actually took me any amount of time to learn was to do it to myself. Just how to manipulate my fingers behind my head really. I felt like a dunce having to ask my mother to do it so I learned myself. Now, not counting separating the locks....I can braid my hair in like 30 seconds....:p

[Themyst]

I can only do a simple English braid. I am terribly uncoordinated and can't figure out the more intricate braids like French, etc. Yes, I've watched the tutorials. :?

[DARKMARTIAN]

I can only do a simple English braid. I am terribly uncoordinated and can't figure out the more intricate braids like French, etc. Yes, I've watched the tutorials. :?

the only other one I can do is "The Rope". And I actually learned it from a book! ...:o

[Themyst]

the only other one I can do is "The Rope". And I actually learned it from a BOOK! lol....:o

That's interesting. I thought men in general were more 'mechanical'. :hmm:

[DARKMARTIAN]

That's interesting. I thought men in general were more 'mechanical'. :hmm:

I am....

Im a robot.....:D

[Themyst]

I am....

Im a robot.....:D

Ooh! A Stepford kind of guy! :p

[lajsa]

I'm kind of weird since I don't really practice my braiding much before I 'get' it. I don't remember how long it took to learn, though. I could do double braids first, three strand ones, since I could pull them in front and see what I was doing. For the longest time, I couldn't do a single braid in the back, since I felt it was hard to reach. Then suddenly one day I got it. I never could do french or dutch braids... then suddenly one day I just sat down and did it. I mean, my first attempts don't look wonderful, of course, but at first I can't do it at all and then all of a sudden I just get the technique and I can do it. Then I've got to practice a few times to get them nice and tidy, but otherwise... :p

[LotusFIre]

I do not know how to braid my own hair. That is to say, I never have done it on myself, but I have braided hair. It has been such a long time since my hair was long. Back when it was waist length, my mom did my hair. I really want to learn, especially french braids! Does having a mirror behind you help anyone? Any tips for a (impatient) beginner? I don't think my hair is quite long enough to practice yet but I could try.

[aenflex]

I can do french, regular, inside-out french, fishtails and couple others. It's weird, it feels like I have always known how to do it, I cannot remember actually 'learning it'...But I can only do my own head, and my braids come out very nice...but try to have me braid someone else's hair and it aint pretty.

[DARKMARTIAN]

I do not know how to braid my own hair. That is to say, I never have done it on myself, but I have braided hair. It has been such a long time since my hair was long. Back when it was waist length, my mom did my hair. I really want to learn, especially french braids! Does having a mirror behind you help anyone? Any tips for a (impatient) beginner? I don't think my hair is quite long enough to practice yet but I could try.

Im going to be quite honest with you. Im not sure there really IS a specific way to go about it. The various factors involved such as hair length, hair type, hand size, and whatnot could make for a variety of methodologies I would think. Its really something that you will just get a "feel" for as you do it.
When I braid my hair....I do about half of it behind my head as I hold the loose strands idle with the sides of my hand while my fingers weave...(kinda hard to explain)..and then I carefully flip it around to my left side and finish it off. I have the length for that though. Once your fingers begin to get into that groove of the way they move..(I rhymed :p)....they wil just fly through it.

This may not be what you were wanting to hear....but thats how it all happened for me at least....:o

This is the result.....:)

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt267/DARKMARTIAN/Picture1328-1-1.jpg

[tinti]

I've never been especially braid/bun handicapped. I just need a few tries to learn them :) I've struggled a bit with the nautilus bun and the 4 strand flat braid and a few others but other than that I'm fine. I have a lot more problems when it comes to poofs without teasing and such.

[cmnt831]

I learned to English braid and Dutch braid my own hair when I was a child. I remember picking it up and applying it pretty quickly. I only just learned how to French braid this last year and it took me about three months of trying to finally get it right. Fishtail braid I learned this year, too; but, that was really easy and I got it on my first try. Rope braid took a few tries, but I learned within an hour or so.

[Arndis]

My mother either couldn't or wouldn't teach me to braid, and so I got a book out of the local library in either 6th or 7th grade and taught myself out of that. It's really not that hard, which is why I gently mock my boyfriend for his not having learned how.

After learning to do the basic braid with over or under plaits behind your head, you have half of what you need -- the grip you need to manipulate and keep proper tension on all strands. The second half is to learn how to do sectioning for French and Dutch braids and their variations. I never had the length to do anything really elaborate like the coronets, but I used to do double French or Dutch braids pinned up for moving days -- they wouldn't come out no matter how many boxes I hauled and could be slept on without wanting to hurt someone.

It's also like riding a bicycle -- I haven't done braids for a few years now but I just did a quick french braid in under 5 minutes to see if I could.

[lapushka]

I've known how to do a regular braid since I was a kid. I learned how to do a French & Dutch braid in my early teens.

[DorothyAtForty]

I think I bought a book in elementary on how to braid hair. I learned the herringbone and the rope braid from there, and it took me probably a week (practicing as often as I could on my own hair). I didn't learn French or Dutch braiding until my late teens and that's because I bought some kind of Scunci French Braiding Made Easy (http://i6.ebayimg.com/07/i/001/34/07/e807_1.JPG) gadget. I used it a couple of times, said, "Ohhhhhhhkay", and learned after practicing again using my own hair - no gadget - for about a week. I still haven't learned crown braids, or 4+ strand braids.

[pepperminttea]

I learnt how to English braid on the tassels of one of my grandmother's blankets when I was a child, but I only learnt how to do it on my own head a couple of years ago. It is really fiddly at first, not being able to see. It's a good idea to practice with sleep braids - that way, no-one (except your SO) sees your braiding attempts before you're ready to wear them out, and you can improve on them every night. :) If your hair happens to be heavily oiled for a pre-wash treatment, that helps too.

[spidermom]

I learned french and dutch braiding within a couple of hours one afternoon with my roommate. I was age 25. We learned from a magazine article. It took more time than that to get good at it, though.

I learned other braids from a paperback that I bought 20 years ago or so.

[nytquill]

I learned how to braid when I was a little girl; my mom taught me using string. She would say "take the left strand over and make it the middle, take the right strand and make IT the middle..." I sometimes still think those exact words when I'm trying to start a braid. I remember I used to try to practice the method on brown pine needles but they always broke rather than bending so I never got very far ;)

But I never really braided my own hair much until within the past year or so. I've gotten lots better at it since then! It's simple to learn and perfecting it is really just practice. Some people find it helps them to see what they're doing (so maybe try to braid the hair on the side of your head so you can kind of look at it) and some people like me find that watching themselves braid just makes it worse! I try to visualize in my mind what my fingers and the hair are doing on the back of my head but if I actually look at myself braiding I can't do it!

I knew how to french braid for a long time but was never able to actually do it until within this last year. The hardest part of any complex braid in my opinion is just figuring out which fingers to hold the strands you're not using and then how to pass off strands from one hand to the other without dropping anything. It feels pretty squirrelly at first but you get used to it!

I still can't do crown braids or lace braids and I'm not very tempted to try just yet either, but I can do 4 strand braids and allllmost get a 5 strand one going but not quite yet. Keep at it!

[Octave]

A regular English braid was fairly easy for me to do, since I did it on dolls and on friends when I was little. Still on the noob stage when it comes to Dutch and French braids, need to improve my technique.
Did my first French lace braid today, looked fairly alright...but not as neat as I'd like it to be though. So I need to keep practicing. :D

[bluesnowflake]

It seems to me I've always known- I guess someone taught me, but I was too young to remember.

[christine1989]

I learned a ton of braid types in elementary school but I can't do them very well on myself. Hopefully when my hair is longer it will get eaiser.

[milagro]

I always had long hair till early 20s so I did basic hairdos (tails, braids and buns) before my teen age. It was generally rather messy, though :D for it was a duty, not a hobby.
French braids I learned much later, for my friends who had long hair but was less accustomed to dealing with it, and asked for my help occasionally. I can do it on myself now, too, but it needs a lot of smoothing gel on my hair, otherwise all my layered waves and curls stuck out, and I don't enjoy the feeling.
Somewhere here I've seen a pic of 5-strand braid, that's completely new to me. Maybe I will try it some time.

[Rin4Christ]

I need to learn to braid... I know the concept and can do a basic braid on some one else's hair, but I never could figure out how to braid behind my own head- everything gets tangled and I give up.

Freshman year of college I had a choice between learning to french braid or cutting it to chin length, and I took the later.

Now my hair is growing out again (BSL) and I put it in a basic cinnamon bun most days. Soon I will look up tutorials on LHC and you tube on braiding and other types of buns.

[slythwolf]

I don't remember not knowing how to braid my hair. I must have learned before I was out of kindergarten.

[LadyG]

I learned to braid the basic braid as a child, and when in the military learned to do other braids.

[SpinDance]

I learned how to braid using string tied to something as a child, and when my hair was long enough I would braid 2 pigtails, one on each side near my ears. When I was in my 20's I wanted to learn to french braid, so got a book and spent 20 minutes or so a day for about 2 weeks making knots until my hands suddenly 'got' it. I could then do French and Dutch braids. Later I learned to make lace braids then crown braids. I'm not so good with rope braids yet, but since I don't like the twisting so much I haven't had much incentive so far.

[remidosi]

I also learned to braid using yarn as a child, but I couldn't braid my own hair for many years. (Of course, I stopped trying for about 15 years :P) I'm embarrassed to admit that I *still* can't braid my own hair without major side floof.

I've made maybe three attempts at a French braid, and while the concept is easy enough, getting the hair to go where I want it to go is not so easy. I'll keep trying this time around though. :)

[Delila]

It took me a while, building up arm and hand strength was an issue. I learned as an adult, having worn my hair short most of my life.

I learned mostly from Karen Ribble's dvd and booklet Braid Your own Hair (http://www.braidedimage.com/Braided_Image_Hair_Braiding/Instructions.html) but also from the Klutz title 'Hair: a book of Braiding and Styles (http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Braiding-Styles-Anne-Johnson/dp/1570540187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291174873&sr=8-1)'

I admit I haven't looked at either in quite some time, but still have them, should the urge to branch out inspire me to learn something new.

[ArienEllariel]

An english braid? Not long.. I figured it out on my own at 8.

French braiding? A couple years ago.

Dutch braiding,rope braiding, and herringbone braids? A year ago.

[eezepeeze]

I remember trying to learn to French and Dutch braid and also recently trying to learn some of the more complicated styles on here. The one thing I absolutely cannot do? Look in the mirror!! If I look in the mirror, it totally messes me up! It's like it makes everything backwards (which I guess it sort of does) and I can't figure out which finger is supposed to do what. So that's my tip: NO MIRRORS! :-)

[DARKMARTIAN]

The one thing I absolutely cannot do? Look in the mirror!! If I look in the mirror, it totally messes me up! It's like it makes everything backwards (which I guess it sort of does) and I can't figure out which finger is supposed to do what. So that's my tip: NO MIRRORS! :-)

Wow..im like the exact opposite. I get flustered when I DONT look in the mirror as I braid. I mean I can do it.....but i tend to get a bit more "finger tied"....without an image to look at. Fortunately Ive braided my hair so much that I can go by just the feel of it if I have to...but it takes a bit longer. Also ive reached a length that when I bring it around to the front to finish...I can actually look down and watch as I complete the braid. I guess I learned while I looked in the mirror and it just kinda stuck with me....:)

[Gilly]

How I wish I had hair long enough to braid!:rolleyes:

[Avital88]

I'm braiding since i can remember. I always braided all the girls in the family for my whole life, i actually braided all my barbies too with small fishtails.
I guess my babysitter taught me all when i was about 4,and i loved it.
Now i have a little girl myself(2 years) but she doesnt have the patient to sit and let me braid her hair,hope thats gonna change soon!

[milagro]

If I look in the mirror, it totally messes me up! It's like it makes everything backwards (which I guess it sort of does) and I can't figure out which finger is supposed to do what. So that's my tip: NO MIRRORS! :-)
I second this! :)

[Yozhik]

I learned how to braid when I was a little girl -- I remember braiding fringes of rugs, afghans, and pretty much whatever I could lay my hands on. I also taught myself how to make a 4-strand braid by endless fiddling when I was younger!

As for french braids, I learned them as a teenager. This past year I learned how to make rope braids, lace braids, and dutch braids, and about a month ago I learned how to make crown braids! I'm wearing one right now!! :)

(It's a huge accomplishment for me, because when I was a child my whole motivation for growing out my hair was to be able to have a crown braid :crush:).

[milagro]

Yozhik, privet! :cheer:
Us Russians should be ashamed if not able to do a simple braid ;) though rope and French ones are advanced level, for sure.
What do you do and tails when crown-braiding? I like them in a low bun but I have layers and it comes out too messy...

PS Love your sig.

[littlenvy]

:o I'm soooo bad at braids!! I can "kind of" do a basic braid .. or at least the end part looks good. Its the top of the braid that always gives me problems. One side is always bigger than another or its loopsided :rolleyes:
and forget French braid :confused::confused: Its just beyond me to learn.

[Spike]

Heh--weeks and weeks. Maybe about a month.

The way I finally bit the bullet and learned was to do a braid at night, before bed. That way, if it fell out--who cares? Once I got braids that would stay in all night, I was ready to try during the day.

But yeah--practice, practice, practice. Then practice some more.

[Arya]

I was born braiding. Kidding, but I don't remember how old I was when I learned. I could french braid other people's hair in grade 2, but it took me til grade 7 to learn it on my own hair, and I could do it on the side of my head way before the back. Since grade 8 I could do any kind of three stranded plaiting combination you asked me for, french, dutch, windowshade, cornrows, micro braids, etc. I still rock a windowshade on the side wrap to english on opposite side with pulled through ponytail when I want to look badass. Only thing I never got good at was crown braiding my own head, but that's mostly cos it looked weird and whispy on me.

[Hana212]

2 months ago and I couldn't braid to save my life!! I watched some of yellowchariot's youtube tutorials (he is a member here) and his easy to understand explanations really helped me.. I can now dutch/french/fishtail/fairytale/crown/diagonal and rope braid :D very proud of myself!