A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Simple French Braid
While we all know about the versatility of a French braid—you can spot them everywhere from elementary school classrooms to the red carpet—one thing the style is not exactly famous for is ease of execution. But surprisingly, this hairstyle is much simpler to achieve than it appears.
Below is an easy to follow, step-by-step breakdown of a classic French braid.
01 Gather Supplies
All of these supplies are optional except for the elastic. Regardless of if you plan to use them or not, I recommend having them nearby so they're easy to access should you choose to rely on them as you go.
- An elastic band
- Japanese hair pins: these have ridges along the pin that help them stay in the hair without slipping.
- Matte bobby pins: they come in all natural hair colors and become invisible in the hair.
- A comb or detangling brush; choose a favorite based on your hair type.
- Dry texture spray or hair spray
02 Comb the Hair
Comb through your hair to get rid of any knots or tangles. If you have finer hair that's prone to tangling, you can use a detangling brush like the Wet Brush or a Tangle Teezer. I have thicker hair that I'm not used to brushing, so I opted for a wide tooth comb. Starting off here will help you grab sections of your hair easily as you braid.
03 Create Three Sections
You're going to create three sections: one from the left, one from the center, and one from the right. You can start wherever you'd like. For a tighter, more secure French braid, I'd suggest starting right on top, in the center of your head (just above your forehead). A tighter look won't have any parting visible.
For a looser French braid (which is what I've decided to do here) you can start right above the ears and keep your natural parting as is. It's easy to grab the side sections above the ear as if you were doing a half-up style. When grabbing hair from the center, try to feel it out and keep it roughly the same size as your side sections.
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