Tutorial 9: DIY Fishtail Braid/Plait

Braid it 'til you made it!

Fun Fact: Did you know that women have been styling their hair in braids since as far back 3500 BC? There are quite literally hundreds of different styles and looks that range from your simple 3 strand plait to Chinese staircase braid and all sorts of lovely complicated styles. Braids are fantastic for those days when you're in a hurry to get out the door and they can also be worn for casual or professional settings. Here I will show you how to make a fishtail braid suitable for the workplace :)

Difficulty: 3 out of 5

Duration: 10 mins

Step 1. You can either start with putting your hair in a side pony tail or leaving it down. 

Separate your hair into 2 sections.

Step 2. Grab a section of hair from the back/bottom layer and pull it over the outside of the section and pull it into the divide and grab it with the other hand so it is now part of the other section. 

Step 3. Grab a piece of hair from the back of your second section, and pull it over the outside of the section and grab it so it is now in your other hand.

Step 4. Repeat. So remember you are grabbing a section of hair from the back pulling it around the outside of that "half-section" and grab it with the other hand so it joins the other half section. 

In simpler terms this action could be said as:

Pull the piece around to the front then grab with the other hand. 

Step 5. When you get to the end finish with a hair tie. 

Step 6. Pull the sides to loosen the braid. Works well for more casual styles when you don't start by tying your hair up in the first step

Final Result!

Lessons Learned/Tips:

• Tie it up before you begin for a neat braid (more professional)
• The first few times you do steps 1-4 may feel messy but as you continue the stands of hair you should be grabbing will be the highest strands stick out of the back of your braid then it will get  less messy underneath