Double Trouble with Braids
This week had many ups and downs with my braiding progress. I have been really enjoying the process of watching tutorials and reading websites about tips and tricks to help improve my braids. The website I used this week was the Instructables website. This website is super cool because it shows you pictures and words but also has a video that you can watch. I have realized that all videos and tutorials will be tricky because when you are braiding your hair it is really hard to see what you are doing. I tried to use a mirror but then my hands were moving in the wrong direction because of the reflection of the mirror. I have learned that instead, you need to just get used to the feeling of how your hands and fingers should move and then hope that with practice it will look better. The goal is for the braids to be tight to my head and feel secure.
The ultimate goal for the braid – Image from Instructables
Using the Instructables website I was able to do double French braids. One of the highlights this week was that I was able to do two braids on my hair. However, there are areas I want to improve on in the next week. One of the issues with my braid this week was that it was very loose. Moving forward I realize that I need to pull the hair tighter for it to be more flush against the top of my head. Another area I want to improve is that the back of my hair did not have an even part. This means that the braids were not completely even and the hair from the left was sometimes dragged onto the right side and vice versa. These were the two big things that I want to work on again this week to improve my French braids.
As you can see above, my braids are not perfect. Yet I am still happy with them. It was a success for me that I was able to complete the two braids and now that I know I can do it, I just have to improve the skills. Practice makes perfect. Instead of moving on to the Dutch braid this week, I am going to use another resource and try to improve my French braiding skills. I love the way French braids look and I think that with more practice and tips and tricks I will be able to improve these and have them look cleaner, smoother, and flatter to my head.
Check back next week to see my progress! Thanks for reading!
Stella, your skills are coming along great! Three of my kiddos are girls, and I am still working to improve my braiding skills. I always look for tips and tricks to make gymnastics season easier for me (sooooooo many Dutch and French braids). I want to see what resources you use next to continue your learning journey.
Thanks, Sabrina! It is so hard to do! My whole life I had just asked my mom to help me but as I start to get older I want to be able to do it for myself! I have a bunch of super good links coming up hopefully some of them can help you with braiding your daughter’s hair!
Hey Stella!!
I have loved seeing what you are accomplishing for this project. Braiding is so hard to do on yourself but you are making really great progress. When I braid my hair and need to part it I use a knitting needle or a sharp pencil to split it evenly. I also put half of my hair in a clip that way I don’t accidentally pull from the wrong side when braiding!!
I can’t wait to see the results next week!
Thanks Sarah! I tried using a pencil in my next trial and it worked great! So thank you for that tip! These will definitely come in handy as I continue on.