Crazy 8

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this hairdo. I started out with a dutch braid along the front and added it into the first messy bun at the base of the neck. To learn how to do the dutch braid along the part, check out our tutorial here. My husband saw me do this hair do and I told him that it had 8 messy buns, which is a lot, and he said we should call it Crazy 8! Gotta love when he gets in on the creativity! After I did the braid along the front I just combed the remaining hair back and started adding little ponies. The first pony had the hair from the braid on the front added into it. I did 8 small ponies right along the base of her neck. I used the little clear elastics like always.

When you have all 8 ponies done just start doing messy buns! I like the hair damp and I use hairspray to keep it smooth and in place. Lately to make a messy bun, I just take the pony and split the hair in half. then I take the top half and fold it up and the bottom down so you have a loop on the top and bottom and put my hand around it and add an elastic. If the hair is long you should have lots of hair sticking out still. So I take another elastic and fold the hair that is sticking out and secure it. Keep doing this until all the hair is secure. I tug around at the loops on the bun until I get the shape and look I want, and add more elastics anywhere it needs one. For a big messy bun I use 6 or 7 elastics. For these little guys I probably only used 3 for each.

To finish it off I added this ADORABLE feather and pearl flower from snapbandz.com. I will be adding them to the site later this week and I have other colors too!

Dutch Braid Pony

I have been doing dutch braids a ton lately, or inside out frenchies as I call them. I love the way they look and all you have to do is add your braids sections "under" instead of "over." One hairstyle we do ALL THE TIME is this braid across the front of her head. I start by parting the hair from ear to ear across her head. I comb the hair forward and the rest I tie back out of the way like this. I always think it is easier to start with damp hair. I use the back of a plastic rattail comb to make the part...just "draw" a line with the pointy end and seperate the hair.

Next I comb the hair one direction...from one ear to the other the direction the braid is going to go. Then start the braid. To get this look where the braid stays next to the part rather than being in the middle of the hair you only want to add hair into the french braid from the front side. Get it? So your right hand will add hair but your left hand won't. I like to comb it as I go and add a little hairspray to make it smooth and to keep the little fly aways down. We have worn this hairdo a second day many times.

Then just keep braiding along. When you get to the other side make sure to keep the hair really tight. I usually sit on the couch to do this hairstyle and have my daughter lay her head on my leg and then tip her head the other way when we get to the other side of her head. I also do it standing up...just have her tilt her head one way and then the other. My daughter is 6 and I just tell her to put her ear on her shoulder. :) When you get the hair braided all the way across you can add a small elastic and finish the hairdo there. I like to add the elastic and flip the hair back under like you would with a topsy tail, but I just use my pinky finger. That way the hair from the little pony goes back instead of hanging down in the front.

I usually blow dry the rest of the hair, or wait for it to dry and curl the ends under or curl the whole thing. I also usually add a flower where the pony is. Super cute! Gotta love the snaggle teeth!

Or, if you want to, keep on braiding the remaining hair like this. I do it this way sometimes and just leave the braid down.

Or, pull the hair in the back up into a pony tail. Then take the long braid and pull it back and around the pony tail and secure it with an elastic. On this one I also took a piece of hair from the bottom of the pony tail and wrapped it around to hide the elastic. I used the little clear elastics...I like the ones from Sally Beauty Supply, but the WalMart ones are fine too. Take one of the elastics and wrap it around to secure the piece of hair that is hiding the other elastic and pull the pony tail tight. You can tug a little at the wrapped piece of hair and should be able to hide that last elastic. So many possibilites!