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Idjit
March 6th, 2012, 04:00 PM
I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make a bun, at all really. I can't even seem to make one and get the ends to stay in with a flexi8 or a claw clip. My usual style is a peacock twist with a clip or pretty much the same thing with an elastic for this reason. But even the clip falls out sometimes.

But I am really interested in using sticks or forks. I have quite a few that I bought as a bundle when I saw a really good deal on ebay and have been saving them until my hair was long enough to make use of them.

My hair is APL and not very thick so I just can't figure out what the problem is. If anyone could give me some advise on making buns that stay or using hair sticks/forks it would be much appreciated!

The closest I have ever gotten is this:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8610&pictureid=128079
It was supposed to be a cinnabun...

I think maybe I don't know how to position the toy so that it traps the hair in? If you could somehow explain how that is done, maybe? It's possible I'm overthinking this....

Amazinggrace
March 6th, 2012, 04:02 PM
I really like the Pha Bun. It is my favorite fork bun.

Here is a link to the video, I learned from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsF9Kp5W9Ig

Madora
March 6th, 2012, 04:14 PM
From the Articles section: how to use hairpins and hairsticks:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=20

ETA: Link to Torrin Paige's You Tube how to use hairsticks video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWf4ElyLAAE&list=PLF3508F6411A91FDE&index=49&feature=plpp_video

Maelyssa
March 6th, 2012, 04:17 PM
From the Articles section: how to use hairpins and hairsticks:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=20

ETA: Link to Torrin Paige's You Tube how to use hairsticks video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWf4ElyLAAE&list=PLF3508F6411A91FDE&index=49&feature=plpp_video

I could definitely do to read this article too....thanks for posting the link!

Maelyssa
March 6th, 2012, 04:18 PM
I have problems securing updos too...you are definitely not alone. I'm going to check out the link above, hope it helps some. Good luck on your own hair experiments!

QMacrocarpa
March 6th, 2012, 04:31 PM
I think the cinnamon bun is not the easiest stick/fork bun to secure. See if some of these work:
Gibraltar bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfp_wANOkw) (similar to cinnamon bun)
Pencil bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k3dD4qX34)
Lazy wrap bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTt771qkO24)
Nautilus bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gU3wqNMmlM)
Split bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyuEIkHJ9o)

Idjit
March 6th, 2012, 04:40 PM
Thanks everyone!

I tried the Pha bun. Don't think I have enough length for it? My main problem seems to be my ends, they just don't want to tuck.

What do you do with them? I see people just kind of wrap them around whatever bun they are making but mine seem to be too short/thick to do that with.

The failed Pha Bun (Just ignore my little brother):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8610&pictureid=128084

Okay after trying all the suggestions I have come to the conclusion that my hair is not long enough to be held with just a stick or fork, sigh. I guess they will go back into storage for a while. Maybe I'll take them back out when I hit brastrap length.

Dorothy
March 6th, 2012, 05:33 PM
I strongly recommend the Gibraltar as a starting point. Basically, you are making a hair slide out of the hair that is growing closest to your head. If you make it higher, with shorter hair it may work better.

you make the first twisted circle, then gently twist and wrap the rest of your hair underneath that, around the initial pony, between your head and the first coil. This is not so obvious in the video, she's got her hand over what she's doing, and you will want to hold it like that too, to keep it from unrolling while you wrassle the ends. It was the first bun I could make, and the only one I knew about for years....

Idjit
March 6th, 2012, 05:48 PM
I strongly recommend the Gibraltar as a starting point. Basically, you are making a hair slide out of the hair that is growing closest to your head. If you make it higher, with shorter hair it may work better.

you make the first twisted circle, then gently twist and wrap the rest of your hair underneath that, around the initial pony, between your head and the first coil. This is not so obvious in the video, she's got her hand over what she's doing, and you will want to hold it like that too, to keep it from unrolling while you wrassle the ends. It was the first bun I could make, and the only one I knew about for years....

I can only do one and a half coils so I don't think that's an option. I think I just have to wait for some extra inches. Thanks for the help though!

lunalocks
March 6th, 2012, 06:06 PM
Please try spin pins. I can't keep my bun up with a stick, but no problem with these.

melusine963
March 7th, 2012, 11:03 AM
I really like the Pha Bun. It is my favorite fork bun.

Here is a link to the video, I learned from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsF9Kp5W9Ig

Thank you for the link. When I get a hair fork that'll be one of the first I try. I'd like to be a bit more adventurous than just my usual cinnabun.

Bedhead
March 7th, 2012, 11:13 AM
With APL hair, I found certain buns take a different starting point to stay secure. A cinnabun I can grab near the side, push outwards, then swing back and poke through the bun. With a loose bun, I have start closer to the center of the bun and the outer push and swing back is larger. With a braided bun, as long as I start in the middle of the actual braid, I'm good to go. Also, on the out push of the stick, I aim for some where between the crown and the top of my ear, as far as direction is. I do this so when the bun settles, the stick will end up going straight across.

If I'm doing something wrong, some one please say so, it's always good to learn.

Anyway, I hope this helps!

fridgee
March 7th, 2012, 11:16 AM
Don't give up on hair sticks! APL hair is just long enough to use them as long as you don't have super thick hair. To get the sticks to hold you need to 'weave' them up and down through your hair as you push them in to get some of the scalp hair and some of the bun hair so the bun gets secured to your head. To hold the cinnabun at this length I suggest 2 crossed hairsticks rather than the fork. A fork works well in the split bun mentioned earlier in the thread and in the lazy wrap bun. You might also like to try making a braided bun and securing with sticks, it can stop bits gradually escaping and then the whole thing unravelling! Good luck :flower:

heidi w.
March 7th, 2012, 12:50 PM
With that bun you made, aiming for a Cinnabun, or how ever that is spelled, you got super close and just sort of gave up because you had a firm idea of what you were after. When it goes badly, you make something up and just do your best. All you needed to do was twist the length and then circle it around and tuck it under the hair that's already in a bun, and voila! At most you would've maybe needed a hairpin to help tuck the ends under to make it stay. Perhaps a long bobbypin (otherwise known as a hair roller pin).

Do not think of forming the whole bun's shape and at the end throwing a stick in. That, in general, is the wrong approach.

heidi w.

einna
March 7th, 2012, 03:51 PM
I have hair just a little bit longer than you, and hairsticks became possible at almost BSL, so it might help with a few more inches (though the lenght might not have anything to do with it). I have layers, and they often poke out of my sticks, so I use U shaped hair pins to pin them down. These also helps support my buns.

moxamoll
March 7th, 2012, 03:58 PM
The ends of a blunt hemline can be more challenging to keep in place than say fairy tale ends. I generally tuck the ends under the bun as firmly as possible. Then with the stick, I put it in on the opposite side of where the ends are tucked. I run the point under the ends, then raise the point so that it comes out through part of the body of the bun. Does that make sense? The point sort of skewers part of the bun that isn't going to move and the ends are trapped inside.

If that just sounds like gibberish, let me know and I'll try again. ;)

curlsgalore
March 7th, 2012, 04:00 PM
I have hair just a little bit longer than you, and hairsticks became possible at almost BSL, so it might help with a few more inches (though the lenght might not have anything to do with it). I have layers, and they often poke out of my sticks, so I use U shaped hair pins to pin them down. These also helps support my buns.

Just had to chuckle at the last sentence :D....only at LHC can we get away with this ;).

spidermom
March 7th, 2012, 04:09 PM
I had a lot of trouble making buns at your length, so I relied on the french twist secured with roller pins (long bobby pins) and the peacock twist with a claw-clip. At the lower reach of BSL, I was finally able to make buns that could be secured with fork or sticks.

Idjit
March 8th, 2012, 06:55 AM
Thanks for all the help ladies!


With that bun you made, aiming for a Cinnabun, or how ever that is spelled, you got super close and just sort of gave up because you had a firm idea of what you were after. When it goes badly, you make something up and just do your best. All you needed to do was twist the length and then circle it around and tuck it under the hair that's already in a bun, and voila! At most you would've maybe needed a hairpin to help tuck the ends under to make it stay. Perhaps a long bobbypin (otherwise known as a hair roller pin).

Do not think of forming the whole bun's shape and at the end throwing a stick in. That, in general, is the wrong approach.

heidi w.

The reason I asked for help was because I couldn't get my ends to tuck under the already bunned part. They would either flop back out or the whole thing would fall down. I'm not sure if it's because my ends aren't that much thinner then the rest of my hair or what but I cannot tuck them in and get them to stay like I see people do in the videos I've seen. If that's wrong then I don't know what I am supposed to do.

In a situation like that do you wrap the ends under the fork or above the fork under the hair?


The ends of a blunt hemline can be more challenging to keep in place than say fairy tale ends. I generally tuck the ends under the bun as firmly as possible. Then with the stick, I put it in on the opposite side of where the ends are tucked. I run the point under the ends, then raise the point so that it comes out through part of the body of the bun. Does that make sense? The point sort of skewers part of the bun that isn't going to move and the ends are trapped inside.

So am I supposed to lift the already formed bun up and shove the ends underneath? I would think that would make it too loose and then the whole thing would fall apart. I guess I'm wrong about that?

I just don't know how to keep the ends in besides pinning and I fail at bobbypins. I might just have to go out and get regular hair pins. Do you guys think straight pins or u-shaped ones would be better?

Pixna
March 8th, 2012, 07:12 AM
When my hair was your length (and, actually, even now), the Pencil Bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k3dD4qX34) was my best friend (and still is). It is the easiest bun ever to do, but when your hair is on the shorter side, the best way to do it is to use two fingers rather than your whole hand to wrap the hair around. That's the secret!

For a hair stick to stay in, the bun has to be snug. You will also need to catch some scalp hairs, not just the hair in the bun, for the bun to be secure. If your ends won't stay under, don't worry about it for now. A slightly messy bun can look really cute. But if you truly want something neat and tidy, the ends should stay tucked under as long as your bun is snug enough.

bunzfan
March 8th, 2012, 07:18 AM
When my hair was your length (and, actually, even now), the Pencil Bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k3dD4qX34) was my best friend (and still is). It is the easiest bun ever to do, but when your hair is on the shorter side, the best way to do it is to use two fingers rather than your whole hand to wrap the hair around. That's the secret!

For a hair stick to stay in, the bun has to be snug. You will also need to catch some scalp hairs, not just the hair in the bun, for the bun to be secure. If your ends won't stay under, don't worry about it for now. A slightly messy bun can look really cute. But if you truly want something neat and tidy, the ends should stay tucked under as long as your bun is snug enough.

I second this its a great bun super easy and looks pretty, at apl i used the lazy wrap bun the most and the split bun but i think someone has already linked those. Getting used to using sticks and forks is also important it took me a while to realise that my bun would only hold all day if i really tucked in those ends, don't forget with forks you insert them in the opposite place you want it to be this video helped me lots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw1EsUPGY48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyuEIkHJ9o

HTH :flower:

einna
March 8th, 2012, 09:21 AM
Just had to chuckle at the last sentence :D....only at LHC can we get away with this ;).

Hahaha! I love those types of sentences to! Funny that I made one myself :D
My favorite so far is the thread called "in love with eggs". ;)

Justy
March 11th, 2012, 06:29 PM
My hair is APL and not very thick so I just can't figure out what the problem is. If anyone could give me some advise on making buns that stay or using hair sticks/forks it would be much appreciated!

The closest I have ever gotten is this:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8610&pictureid=128079
It was supposed to be a cinnabun...

I think maybe I don't know how to position the toy so that it traps the hair in? If you could somehow explain how that is done, maybe? It's possible I'm overthinking this....

That looks really close, I think you just put the fork in on the wrong side. The fork/stick has to go on the side where your twist starts, that is where it 'locks in' the bun best. If you twist your hair and loop it counter clockwise around your head, then you should be inserting the fork/stick on the right side of the bun and have it come out above any hair that wasn't able to be part of the bun. If your ends are just above the starting point then make sure that you 'capture' them when you do the turn to grab scalp hair, that way they won't unwind on you.

At upper back length I was only able to do a cinnabun with a fork, I'm almost at APL now and can finally use a single stick and have it last for a few hours.


The reason I asked for help was because I couldn't get my ends to tuck under the already bunned part. They would either flop back out or the whole thing would fall down.

In a situation like that do you wrap the ends under the fork or above the fork under the hair??
I don't try to wrap the ends around, I just make the best bun I can and keep twisting the ends to get them to be part of the bun as much as they can and then use the fork to 'capture' them either by putting part of the strong starting outer loop over top of them when I first put the fork in, or by making sure the fork comes out above them on the other side so that they can't escape.



So am I supposed to lift the already formed bun up and shove the ends underneath? I would think that would make it too loose and then the whole thing would fall apart. I guess I'm wrong about that?
Don't worry about lifing up the already formed bun, you should be winding the ends around as part of the bun and then use your hand to hold them in place as you insert your fork/stick. I think people in the videos are doing that, but you can't tell because their fingers are in the way and it's just second nature to them so they don't mention it. I had a really hard time getting the nack of it too.

excentricat
March 11th, 2012, 06:36 PM
A cinnamon bun is really hard to do with sticks. For me, it even goes in and out of easiness as my hair grows and the ends move. I'm going to add my recommendation to the pencil bun and nautilus done with a few fingers instead of whole hand, and also the lazy wrap. Those were all buns I could do at your length. Practice matters a lot too. It will help you understand how the stick and hair interact so that learning new buns will become easier in the future.

Lissandria
March 11th, 2012, 07:08 PM
I really like the Pha Bun. It is my favorite fork bun.

Here is a link to the video, I learned from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsF9Kp5W9Ig

I love this bun! I can do it! Thanks for sharing :)

Bedhead
March 12th, 2012, 09:30 AM
When my hair was your length (and, actually, even now), the Pencil Bun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k3dD4qX34) was my best friend (and still is). It is the easiest bun ever to do, but when your hair is on the shorter side, the best way to do it is to use two fingers rather than your whole hand to wrap the hair around. That's the secret!


Thanks for this! Now I have something where I can use my longer hair sticks and they don't fall out! And it so EASY. :)