Tips on French(or Dutch) Braiding hair?

[iSuperHeroic]

I don't know how to do either, I've never been one to really DO my hair because I've never felt it was long enough to be able to make it look cute.

Right now my hair is shoulder length, but I have many choppy layers. I've seen SO many beautiful braids on LHC and I'm so jealous! I've tried, tried, tried, and tried again to french braid my hair and it doesn't even come out looking like a braid!

So can you give me some tips, tutorials, etc., on french braiding? Or dutch braiding, whichever you think would be easiest for me to learn.


Thank you! :smile:

[MegaMystery]

All i can say really is practice makes perfect. For me there's not special technique or trick to make a french/dutch braid. The only tip i can give you is to try it on dirty/oiled/damp hair when you're practising, and not on freshly washed hair. The oil in your hair will make the braid stay better :)

[Vanille_]

I actually find it easier to practice on dry hair. I saw a tip on a video that said don't add hair to the middle section. They said it made things easier. It doesn't make it easier for me, because I forget which is the middle section. But you could try it. I love dutch braids. Try fewer sections. Make the sections larger. Once you can master pulling from four sections, try five, and so on. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you are starting at the top of your head and only pulling small sections. Pull the section from above your ears and start from there. It will make the bread much less work. But the braid would have to be tight at that height or it would easily droop.

Honestly, it took me about two weeks of practicing a couple times almost every day to dutch braid. Now it is easy breezy. I just decided to style my hair in a dutch braid almost every day for almost two weeks. Each day, I redid the braid as many times as it took to look decent. It slowly took less times to get the perfect braid. But even to this day, it still might take me a couple of attempts.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8832&pictureid=122511

[blondie9912]

When French-braiding my hair, I always use my thumbs to 'scrape' sections from the sides to join into the braid. Don't know if that makes sense, but if you try it you'll see what I mean :)

[PlushMistress]

I taught myself to french braid using a YouTube video and lots of practice. It also helped me to lay down on my back on the floor so my arms wouldn't get tired. I recently learned how to do the two-stranded fishbone braid, and I found myself practicing on my daughter's Rapunzel doll since she's still too impatient to sit long enough to let me do anything more than a regular braid. Like others have said, practice makes perfect!

I'm actually about to head home from work so I can practice the Katniss dutch braid! Good luck! :)

[spidermom]

Practice without looking at yourself. It's easier that way.
Keep in mind what you're doing.
For a french braid down the center-back of head:
1) Gather up the hair from the top of your head down to temples area like you're going to make a ponytail with just that section.
2) Divide the gathered hair into 3 sections.
3) Cross right section over center section (the right section becomes the center section).
4) Cross left section over center section (the left section becomes the center section).
5) Cross right section over center section. Go out to the edge behind your right ear with your right index (pointer) finger and gather up the hair from that point in a horizontal straight line going toward the center. Cross that hair over the center section following the section you just crossed.
6) Cross left section over center section. Go out to the edge behind your left ear with your left index (pointer) finger and gather up all the hair in a horizontal straight line going toward the center. Cross that hair over the center section following the section you just crossed.
Repeat 5 and 6 until all the hair has been gathered. English-braid (3-strand plait) to the end; tie off.

The dutch braid is exactly the same except your cross UNDER the center section each time (instead of over).

[iSuperHeroic]

I taught myself to french braid using a YouTube video and lots of practice. It also helped me to lay down on my back on the floor so my arms wouldn't get tired. I recently learned how to do the two-stranded fishbone braid, and I found myself practicing on my daughter's Rapunzel doll since she's still too impatient to sit long enough to let me do anything more than a regular braid. Like others have said, practice makes perfect!

I'm actually about to head home from work so I can practice the Katniss dutch braid! Good luck! :)


Do you have a link to the youtube video you used?

[Becky9679]

I personally find dutch braids way easier than french now I've got the hang of them. When I first started out learning Torrin Paige's youtube vids were invaluable (she's also a member on here so thank you in case you see this!).

Here's her video for a single dutch braid: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Th69mzcBA&feature=plcp&context=C430b8bfVDvjVQa1PpcFPaIY3QVQ30w0jL-RrVcnJa4rL2wDx_ajM%3D)
And here's one for double dutch braids: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIsgDy50Cn0&feature=plcp&context=C437547dVDvjVQa1PpcFPaIY3QVQ30w82CNwH3XjNe isgI9u1H7ds=)

I prefer to do my double braids a little differently to her though - I only add hair from the outside of the braid (which is called 'lace-braid' style) because no matter what I do I can't get the middle bit to look neat if I add from both sides.

[PlushMistress]

Do you have a link to the youtube video you used?

It was a while ago so I have NO idea what video I used, but I stumbled upon this particular person's account today and I really love everything she's posted so far, and her tutorials are awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CuteGirlsHairstyles

[iSuperHeroic]

I personally find dutch braids way easier than french now I've got the hang of them. When I first started out learning Torrin Paige's youtube vids were invaluable (she's also a member on here so thank you in case you see this!).

Here's her video for a single dutch braid: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Th69mzcBA&feature=plcp&context=C430b8bfVDvjVQa1PpcFPaIY3QVQ30w0jL-RrVcnJa4rL2wDx_ajM%3D)
And here's one for double dutch braids: Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIsgDy50Cn0&feature=plcp&context=C437547dVDvjVQa1PpcFPaIY3QVQ30w82CNwH3XjNe isgI9u1H7ds=)

I prefer to do my double braids a little differently to her though - I only add hair from the outside of the braid (which is called 'lace-braid' style) because no matter what I do I can't get the middle bit to look neat if I add from both sides.

Oh thank you!

[Madora]

Before attempting either French "English" or French "Dutch" braids, be sure you are thoroughly familiar with the ordinary "English" and "Dutch" 3 strand braid.

The French "English" braid (overhand method) sort of melts into the hair.
The French "Dutch" braid (underhand method) leaves a ridge on your scalp.

For effective French braiding of any sort, it is imperative that the strands be kept tangle free every time you make a cross over.

You do this by holding the braid in one hand, and using the outspread fingers of your other hand to slowly go down all 3 strands to make sure they're separate. This takes a bit of practice but really helps in the overall braiding procedure. It can be frustrating as hell when the ends "braid" themselves together when you're french braiding. That's why it helps to keep them separate at all times to avoid braiding frustration.

It also might help if you speak the directions outloud:

right section over center and hold *
left section over center and hold *

add hair to right section *
take right section over center and hold*

add hair to left section *
take left section over center and hold *

and so forth. The * means to detangle with your hand all the way down the strands

Before beginning to braid, be sure your hair is completely detangled.

Above all, have patience! Happy braiding!

[iSuperHeroic]

Before attempting either French "English" or French "Dutch" braids, be sure you are thoroughly familiar with the ordinary "English" and "Dutch" 3 strand braid.

The French "English" braid (overhand method) sort of melts into the hair.
The French "Dutch" braid (underhand method) leaves a ridge on your scalp.

For effective French braiding of any sort, it is imperative that the strands be kept tangle free every time you make a cross over.

You do this by holding the braid in one hand, and using the outspread fingers of your other hand to slowly go down all 3 strands to make sure they're separate. This takes a bit of practice but really helps in the overall braiding procedure. It can be frustrating as hell when the ends "braid" themselves together when you're french braiding. That's why it helps to keep them separate at all times to avoid braiding frustration.

It also might help if you speak the directions outloud:

right section over center and hold *
left section over center and hold *

add hair to right section *
take right section over center and hold*

add hair to left section *
take left section over center and hold *

and so forth. The * means to detangle with your hand all the way down the strands

Before beginning to braid, be sure your hair is completely detangled.

Above all, have patience! Happy braiding!
Thank you!

[shazzshazshz]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8832&pictureid=122511

What a gorgeous dutch braid! Shiny, thick... It's perfect :flower:

[shazzshazshz]

@OP, you might need to wait until your choppy layers grow a little longer. I remember trying to do french braids with short layers, it always sucked when the braid just fell apart :( but keep trying and I guarantee once your hair gets a little longer you'll start to be able to make better and better french/dutch braids! Keep practising and before you know it they'll stay well etc. I learnt how to french braid on a Barbie doll when I was five-years-old :D Unfortunately it is one of those things I think that needs a little longer hair. Good luck growing hun :)

[tambalina]

Braiding with layers isn't impossible!! I found that as my hair was in-between stages, pigtail dutch braids were the easiest to accomplish. You have more "bumps" for each braid, which keeps your layers in check. HTH!

[shazzshazshz]

Braiding with layers isn't impossible!! I found that as my hair was in-between stages, pigtail dutch braids were the easiest to accomplish. You have more "bumps" for each braid, which keeps your layers in check. HTH!

Interesting! Mine always just fell out, especially the layers. Perhaps it was more due to the smoothness of my hair rather than length or layers. Not sure how long your layers were, but the OPs layers are shoulder-length or shorter, which is why I suppose might make it more difficult. I certainly wasn't able to attempt a French braid until my hair really started getting "long".

[DancingQueen]

Well, practice. And look at videos on youtube, torrinpaige have two good videos of how to french braid. Also, maybe a little patience. I was not able to french braid my hair until almost APL (although that might be due to my bad hairstyling skills). But keep trying and practicing, and it will come at some point. :)