Double Lady Ga Ga's

Lady Ga Ga made this "hair bow" popular so that's the reason for the name.  :)

Begin by parting the hair down the middle using any part you like.  (You can find ideas for various parts here.)  Secure each side with an elastic so that you now have two piggies.  Make sure the hair in the piggies is damp so that it is easier to work with. 

These hair bows can be created in several different way but this is that way that worked best for us.  Grab a small section from the top of one of your piggies.  Shape one "hump" of your bow and tie an elastic around it to hold the hump in place.  Create the other hump with some more of that section of hair  - leaving about 2 inches of hair still out.  Secure that hump with another elastic so that you now have 3 elastic all close together on top of your piggie.  (One from your original piggie and two from each hump.) 

  Divide that extra hair that you left out of your small section into two equal pieces.  Wrap the left piece up behind the left hump and the right piece up behind the right hump now criss-cross the two pieces over each other - hiding the elastic - and wrap them back behind the piggie. 

You're going to tuck those ends into the main elastic holding your piggie.  (Do this underneath the piggie so that it's concealed.)  Repeat these same steps for the bow on the other piggie as well. 

 It may not be necessary for you but I did make sure the bows were lying flat against the head by making a "X" with two bobby pins attached to each bow. 

 

You can choose to leave the piggies just straight or finish them off with any braid that you like.  We've done a Flat 4-Strand Braid here.  There's no need to add bows to this one because you already have them!  She got lots of compliments at school and I do have to admit that it's quickly becoming one of my favorite styles!

Faux Hair Fun

We've done several posts using these faux hair clips that we found at Sally Beauty Supply and my daughter absolutely LOVES them. 

They happen to be just the right length for her hair but you can always trim them up if you need to.  This is just another style using those fun clips.  Grab a small section of hair right from the middle of the hairline, up by the forehead, and secure it with a small clear elastic.  Now clip your faux hair in right over the elastic. 

 Grab a section of hair from each side of your original section and have your princess hold those for you for just a second.  Create a part just behind your original section that is right in the middle of the head and is about 2 inches long.  Now section out the hair from that middle part down to the ear on each side - giving you two new sections. 

You'll want to grab the right section that your princess is holding and bring it right over the faux hair clip and add it in with the new left section with an elastic. 

 Repeat on the other side by grabbing the left section that your princess is holding, place it over the faux hair clip as well and add it in with the new right section with an elastic.  (You're original ponytail and fax hair should not be added into these two new elastics.) 

 Create a braid out of each of those two new ponytails.  Your braid will only need to be about 3 inches long. 

 Have you princess hold those two braids while you part the remainder of the hair right down the middle.  

  Move back up to your very first ponytail with the fax hair and separate that into two sections - making sure that the faux hair is evenly divided and clearly visible.    Take the right section and the right braid and combine them together with all the hair on the right half of the head with an elastic.  Do the same on the left side as well. 

Remember to have your colored hair on top so that it's easily seen.  Add some hair clips to hide your bottom two elastics to complete the whole look. 

Straight "A" Student

My princess was so excited about her straight A report card that she wanted to do something fun with her hair to celebrate.  Her name happens to start with the letter "A" so we've done variations of this hairstyle before but never posted anything. 

 Start by pulling the top half of the hair up into a ponytail.  Separate that ponytail into two sections and create a regular 3-Strand Braid out of each section.  Secure the bottom of the braids with elastics.  Have your princess hold those two braids out of the way while you move down to the bottom half of the head. 

 Part the remainder of the hair right down the middle and secure each side into a low ponytail.  Braid those two sections into regular 3-Strand Braids as well.  Secure the bottom of those braids with more elastics.  Now this next part will vary depending on how long your princess' hair is.  I will give the directions for what we've done here but you can modify it if you need to.  Pull the bottom braids up behind the their starting elastic using a Topsy Tail.  Let the ends of the hair just flair out. 

 Now grab your original two braids and pull them down in the middle of the head and then wrap the left braids around the junction of the lower left braid.  Do the same with the right side as well.  Pull each side up and around the junction, covering the elastic, and pull it across to the braid junction on the opposite side of the head. 

 Pull the last little bit of the braids through those opposite sides using the Topsy Tail again.  (So that the elastic securing the braid is hidden underneath the hair.) 

Add some bobby pins at both braid junctions just to secure everything nicely and you're all finished!  Again, don't be afraid to change it up according to the length of hair you are working with!

Netting Updo

Here's a pretty one for church or a special occasion. 

You will want to work with wet hair and create 5 vertical sections - making sure that you have one directly in the middle and two on each side of that.  Secure each section with an elastic back in the middle of the head.  You should now have 5 ponytails. 

 Separate each of the ponytails into two sections (except for the two outside ponytails) and combine one section from one ponytail with one section from the adjacent ponytail. Do this for each of the ponytails.  Your two outside ponytails will be added in with one section from their adjacent ponytails.  Make sure that your elastics combining the section are about 1.5 inches below the first elastics. 

You should now have 4 ponytails.  Tuck all of the netting up underneath itself so that the 4 ponytails are line up with the outside 4 original sections. 

Using a Topsy Tail, pull the 4 ponytails through those 4 sections.  Create a Barrel Roll out of each of the 4 pieces of hair and secure them over the original elastics with bobby pins.

  Add a hair clip over the middle elastic and spray the hair for a nice tight hold. 

Flashback Friday: Princess Hair

So at this point we were really trying to get creative with the growing bangs because we were getting sick of the same old hairstyles all the time.  This one is just a simple French Twist but it's perfect for pesky bangs.

 

Start with wet hair and comb the bangs right down into the face.  Create a part right in the middle about three inches long.  (Behind the bangs.)  Now begin your French Twist with the bangs and continue adding in hair as you work to the right, along the scalp line. 

 When you get over to the left ear and have added in all the hair.  Secure it into a ponytail with an elastic.  Add a flower clip to his the elastic.  Those bangs will be out of the way for the whole day!

Abby Cadabby

My princess is a little too old for Sesame Street but she still loves Abby Cadabby.  After all, what girl wouldn't love a darling little pink fairy with awesome hair?

  

 This is our version of her cute hair.  We started by parting the hair right down the middle and Pulling each half up into a piggie by securing it with an elastic. 

 Next we created some Kissy Lip Buns.  Basically they are Messy Buns for longer hair.  Grab another elastic and wrap it around the piggie again until your last chance to wrap it when you will want to only pull the hair half-way through.

  Now puff the bit off hair that is still hanging down up under the top poof and grab yet another elastic.   Wrap it around both poofs as tightly as you can until it is secured. 

 Now tug at each poof a little bit and make it look a bit disheveled.  Repeat the same steps with your second piggie. 

 Add some hair clips underneath the Kissy Lip Buns and you have your Abby Cadabby hairstyle! 

We also used a variation of this for my princess this last weekend because she was in our local St. Patrick's Day parade. 

 We wrapped some clover garland around the outside of the buns with some gold coins inserted on top. 

 We also stuck a leprechaun hair clip in the middle of each bun. 

And it wouldn't be a performance without TONS of spray glitter!  :) 

(Click on this picture to enlarge it and you'll see what I mean!)

Slanted

This is one that we've done several times but never actually posted. 

It's very straight forward and simple as long as you know how to do either a French Braid or a Dutch Braid.

  Begin on the top-left side of the head and start your braid. 

 Gather in hair as you slowly move toward the middle of the head. 

 Continue adding hair into the braid as you move toward the bottom-right part of the head. 

 Once all of the hair has been gathered you can finish plating the rest of the hair and secure it with an elastic.

  I remember my first time doing this braid and feeling strange because I was so used to braiding straight but it will get easier with practice!