Step-by-step tutorials? I'm giving up!

[unknown]

I've posted an older thread (with no responses) wondering about hairstyles that can be done with barettes as I have so many of them.
I'm starting to give up on them as half-ups seems to be the only style that I know how to do/can find on the internet.

I'm thinking of giving away my barettes because they feel so useless...

Does anyone here know any step-by-step tutorials on different hairstyles that can be achieved with a barette? Pictures would be very appreciated!

[Gabriel]

A little more information would be very useful to anyone who wanted to help you. Barrette is a very generic term and can mean any number of hair toys.

What type of barrette do you have? Pictures would be even better.

What size are they?

What types of hair styles are you interested in?

What have you tried that has worked and what hasn't?

Personally, I have only ever gotten two types of barrettes to work for holding my hair up. Neither of them could be purchased at a retail/local shop. At a full iii thickness that you have under your avatar, I don't imagine you will find a lot of common barrettes will be useful for holding up all your hair.

[unknown]

A little more information would be very useful to anyone who wanted to help you. Barrette is a very generic term and can mean any number of hair toys.

What type of barrette do you have? Pictures would be even better.

What size are they?

What types of hair styles are you interested in?

What have you tried that has worked and what hasn't?

Personally, I have only ever gotten two types of barrettes to work for holding my hair up. Neither of them could be purchased at a retail/local shop. At a full iii thickness that you have under your avatar, I don't imagine you will find a lot of common barrettes will be useful for holding up all your hair.

Thanks for the quick reply :)

Hah, I always thought that there only was one type of barrette...

My barettes look something like this, but flatter: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S4iHIjkpNMg/R-EtLeNMc1I/AAAAAAAAAVg/Hxg21aqE6_s/s400/Large-Barrette.gif

I'm interested in as many styles that possibly can be made, and some kind of bun would be really great. The only style I've done so far is a half-up, I have no idea how to do other styles.
The barrettes are quite big and sturdy so that they will hold, my hair is also layered all over in order to get rid of some of the thickness so that it's possible for accessories to hold all of my hair.

[Gabriel]

No problem :).

I'm pretty sure most folks here refer to those as french barrettes. I don't have any advice because I have never gotten one of those to hold up all my hair. Even when it was shorter.

I won't even use them often as decorative pieces because (user error!) I tend to want to cram a lot of hair in them and that pushes it against the sharp edges/into the clasp or the whatever and basically it will cut those unlucky strands.

I do recall some people using them for a peacock twist though.

[Fortresca]

Hi,

Maybe you can look for hairstyles, done with a Flexi8. Most or at least some of them should work for your purposes, too, I suppose.

[pepperminttea]

It's difficult, isn't it? I've got a couple of really pretty barrettes and they don't get worn enough. I've posted a similar thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=62514), it got a few responses.

The best thing I can suggest is that if you use one for a half-up, that doesn't have to be the end of the style; it can be the base of numerous styles. :) Half-ups are really all a French barrette can do for my hair, but after that you can braid the length, and then if you want to you could wrap it round the barrette, or fold it up into a loop and pin it underneath the barrette. You could do the same thing with twin braids, or just twist the hair round it like a cinnabun. You could even just put one in the top of a braid to keep the wispies in and accent the braid. Play around and see what works best for you. :D

[Gabriel]

Oh! I remembered this thread, from the Hairstyle of the Month, styles with accent-braids / micro-braids (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=75712) and it has a lot of styles that could be adapted for use with those types of barrettes.

[bluequeequeg]

I mostly use those as decorative pieces -- I'll do some kind of bun and then weave and clasp those at the top, using only a fraction of my hair. I don't have any big barrettes or anything -- the ones I have wouldn't hold a quarter of my hair in a ponytail, much less actually hold up a bun.

[bunzfan]

Could you use it to secure a French twist maybe, my hair spits out those clips even the ones for thick hair.

[freckles]

It's difficult, isn't it? I've got a couple of really pretty barrettes and they don't get worn enough. I've posted a similar thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=62514), it got a few responses.

The best thing I can suggest is that if you use one for a half-up, that doesn't have to be the end of the style; it can be the base of numerous styles. :) Half-ups are really all a French barrette can do for my hair, but after that you can braid the length, and then if you want to you could wrap it round the barrette, or fold it up into a loop and pin it underneath the barrette. You could do the same thing with twin braids, or just twist the hair round it like a cinnabun. You could even just put one in the top of a braid to keep the wispies in and accent the braid. Play around and see what works best for you. :D

Yeah, the only 'whole hair' thing I can do with a barrette is similar to what pepperminttea said -- Clip a little hair into it (a half-up) so that the barrette is anchored in the hair, then (carefully!) twist all hair on my head AROUND the barrette, and pin/secure somehow. The barrette isn't really 'holding' the style, but it is fixing it in place/doing some of the legwork.

It's not my favourite style by a long shot though. Honestly, I think for most longhairs, barrettes are more decorative than functional. :shrug: Even more so for people with thick hair than for people with hair like mine.

[unknown]

Fortresca: I couldn't find any hairstyles for the flexi-8 either...

Pepperminttea, freckles and bluequeequeg: I have done tons of different half-ups, but I have seen so many girls doing other hairstyles with barrettes as well...
It's sad that a barrette is mostly a decorative piece, I always thought that a barrette would hold hair better than a ficcare for example.
I actually learned how to make the bun yesterday and it's lovely. :)

Gabriel: Thank you!

bunzfan: How do I use a barrette to secure a french twist? That would look great!

[ktani]

Here is one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa8ZTZTlE7E

and this
http://www.ehow.com/video_4405293_using-unique-barrettes-long-hairstyles.html

[Yozhik]

I use my barrettes as decorative pieces to spice up low buns -- clip my hair up in a half-up, then make a low bun beneath the barrette. It also has the added effect of lifting the hair on your crown to give updos a softer look.

Another thing I like to do is make a braid and clip the barrette through the top of it -- then you can wind the braid around and under the barrette, which will keep the bun secure and in place. You can also do this with double braids or rope braids, if you want. :)

I hope that helps! :flower:

[SpinDance]

Flexi's can be used for many buns that use hair sticks. Depending on your hair and the bun you might be able to use one of these barrettes instead. That said, I won't use that kind of barrette because they cut/break/destroy my hair. YMMV.