I’ve been playing with my hair for as long as I can remember. It’s so much fun to try different looks and I was always obsessed with Pinterest hair tutorials!
Braids have always been my favorite style because there are so many different variations. It can take a bit of practice to learn how to braid your own hair.
Braiding your hair is so easy! But I haven’t mastered all the different kinds of braids.
It’s almost impossible because there are so many different kinds!
But I really want to practice waterfall braids next. So I decided to do a little research on the different styles and the proper way to do a waterfall braid.
Since I was doing all the research I thought I’d share what I found along the way!
See also: How to Do a Crown Braid: 3 Simple to Follow Tutorials >
TYPES OF BRAIDS
First off, I wanted to start with a list of a few different kinds of braids. There are so many to choose from; you could literally do a different one every day! There are even a few different ways to do each different kind of braid.
So I’m not going to be able to cover them all, but I thought I’d cover some basics!
1. Three-strand Braid
This is the typical braid we all learn to do first because it’s the easiest one to learn. If you want to learn the basics of how to braid your own hair, this is definitely the place to start!
It’s also super simple to mix it up a bit.
You could do a single braid, pigtails, make a braid and pin up into a bun, or pretty much anything else you can think of! You just have to be creative!
2. French Braids
This is really just the same idea as a normal braid. The difference is that you can start smaller and add in hair as you go.
Slowly making your braid a little bit bigger.
I think this is my favorite type of braid because it is so easy to change it up a little and It holds together so well.
It’s perfect if you need to have a hairstyle that isn’t going anywhere while you’re being really active. Then you can leave it in overnight and take it out in the morning for gorgeous waves!
3. Fishtail Braids
Now, fishtails aren’t something I do very often. My hair is super thick and fishtails take a really long time for me.
But If you have thin hair and want to make your hair look a little thicker, a fishtail braid would be perfect.
I absolutely love the look of them!
All you have to do really is split your hair in half. Then you take a little piece from one side and add it to the other side.
You continue doing this back and forth until you finish. So that’s part of the reason it can time some time, but it’s so worth it in the end!
Waterfall Braids
I saved the best for last! The waterfall braid is absolutely gorgeous and one of the easiest braids to replicate.
It’s a little bit harder to understand the tutorial at first.
But once you get the hang of it, it’s such a breeze! I’m going to cover the tutorial a little bit later in the article.
First I wanted to mention that this is the perfect braid for just about any hairstyle. Long hair, short hair, or anything in between/ There are also a few different ways to do this braid.
I decided to give you the tutorials for the basic waterfall braid and the pull-through waterfall braid. That way you have two super simple options!
HOW TO WATERFALL BRAID: THE TUTORIALS
So like I said, I want to give you two different options. Hopefully, these quick tutorials will be pretty easy to understand.
But if you have any trouble, I would absolutely recommend jumping on Youtube to watch someone do it. I find that very helpful for visual learners.
1. Regular Waterfall Braid
So first, I want to start with a normal waterfall braid. I have a diagram to give you a visual of the individual waterfall braid steps.
I’m hoping this will be a big help while you learn how to do a waterfall braid! I’m sure it’s going to be a bit confusing at first!
Before you begin, I recommend brushing your hair to remove any knots.
Then part your hair and start in the front, where your hair part starts. Section out three 1”-2” strands.
Like you would for a normal french braid.
I know this diagram won’t make perfect sense until you get the hang of it. But the rule of thumb is that you will always drop the piece that is at the top of your head (the top strand on the diagram).
If you know how to do a normal french braid, this is the same idea.
If you look at the diagram you will cross the bottom strand over the middle strand, then cross the top strand over the new middle strand.
Then just release that top strand to become your first piece hanging down.
Now you will have only two strands in your hand.
Just pull a section of hair from underneath where you are working, this will be your new bottom strand.
Cross that over the new middle strand.
Then add a little extra hair to the top strand, cross it over the middle and release it.
Then you will have two strands again, add another piece from underneath and continue this process.
Once you’re done, you can just use a little elastic band or bobby pins to keep it in place.
Still confused? Totally understandable, this is a tricky one. It will definitely take some trial and error!
But I wanted to include this helpful video to watch in case you need to watch someone do it! But the nice thing about this style is the fact that you can make a waterfall braid work for curly hair, short hair, or even turn it into a waterfall braid updo!
2. Pull Through Waterfall Braid
The pull through waterfall braid is a little bit easier to understand, so I wanted to show you how to do that one as well! You won’t have the same beautiful cascading effect. The pull through waterfall braid is definitely easier to master for beginners. Not to mention super cute!
Other than videos, this is the only really great step by step pull through braid picture I could find.
Just imagine doing this, but only with part of your hair.
Instead of using all of it, you will just take a 2” section from where your hair parts in the front.
Around your temple is a great place to start.
You put a small ponytail on that section about two inches from your scalp so it’s nice and loose.
Then you take another section of the same size from right underneath of the first.
Then you just follow these steps with those two little ponytails.
You don’t have to add any more hair in.
You just repeat those steps until it’s complete.
Then you can pull on the loops that you made to give it that loose appearance and pin it at the back.
You could even do it on both sides and pin them together in the back for a half-updo!
It can be really hard to picture the steps, so I’m going to an instructional video here for this one! Watching someone do this style makes it very easy to understand.
You’ll be styling your hair all the time before you know it!
Time to Try it Out!
That’s all you need to know! I know my explanations might not be the easiest to follow. It can be hard to picture what you’re supposed to be doing without a visual guide.
So I also included diagrams and videos so you can also check out. Then all you need to do is practice.
With some practice, you’ll be able to braid your own hair easily!
Also, remember this isn’t an exact science. So feel free to play around and try out some different styles or even make up your own! Share pictures with us of your waterfall braid in the comments below!
Related Article: Learn How To Braid Your Own Short Hair in 3 Creative Ways
