Cross Over Braids

 This is a fun twist on an old favorite.  You can do this style with either French Braids or Dutch Braids but we have used French Braids here.

  Begin my making one part right down the middle of the head.  (Starting with wet hair usually works best.)  Now create two parallel parts - one on each side - about an inch from the original part.  You should now have two long and skinny sections. 

Separate the sections into small pieces that you will cross over the opposite side in an alternating pattern.  I used a couple of over sized alligator clips to hold the crossed pieces in place until I was ready to use them.  Once both parts have crossed through each other and are now on the opposite side of the head from where they began, you can start your French Braids. 

Start on the right side of the head and begin plating the hair at the bang line.  Add in the crossed over pieces into your braid every other time you plate on that side.  Pull them nice and tight.  Once you have added all the hair in, continue plating the braid down to the end and secure it with an elastic. 

 Move over to the left side of the head and repeat the steps. 

 This hairstyle can be a bit tricky when trying to keep the crossed pieces where they belong but the alligator clips worked well for me and I just removed them as I began plating my braids.  You can see that the finished product has a really cool visual effect. 

 Add some hair clips to the bottom of your braids and you're finished.