Hair Taping

I intended to post this about 4 days ago but sometimes the best intentions are waylaid by life.

I was watching YouTube videos on hair styles one day and discovered Rope Braiding. This is something I have seen on other people but never knew how to do it. So here is the video:

Taking that and combining it with this other video by the same person:

I created a way to make a crown braid for shorter hair. My youngest daughter The Spitfire has shoulder length hair and she looks down right adorable in this rope braid around her head.

Taping, as it was called in early Italian Renascence, is when you take ribbon and "tape" the hair down by going over the braid and tying it in place.

With my darling Book Worm I started hers on each side of her head and up kind of high to create a side braid on her head.

I then wrapped the rope braids up and pinned it on the inside of the other braid.

Then I wrapped the other one over the top of this one and pinned it as well.

Then I taped it into place with the pretty green ribbon.

I didn't get pictures of the Spitfire with her hair as I went but here it is finished.

As you can see her crown goes all the way around her head. I did this by doing a french rope braid and going all the way around her head starting in the bangs area and working around her head. Then I pinned the tail end right under her bangs.

To do the taping I started with ribbon that is about 3 lengths from arm to mid chest. yep do that 3 times and that's about how much ribbon I used. Then for The Bookworm I started at the back in the middle. I went from under the hair and pulled up a loop in the middle then I pulled the ribbon even and slipped the tails between the ribbon to secure it. I then took one side of one tail and wrapped it going up towards her forehead and then back down to the middle in the back. I repeated this on the other side and then tied it in a bow when I got back to the middle. This style held in her hair for 3 full days.

For The Spitfire since I went all the way around her head I started in the front and just wound the ribbon around her head, tying the ribbon down with each sew into her braid. when I got to the end of the braid I tied the ribbon in a bow. Because her hair is shorter and there are shorter pieces in there it did not last as long. If I wanted it to stay I would have to use a few short pins to secure it better and then I am sure it would last a good long time.

You will need 1 plastic yarn needle and ribbon to do the taping. You can find a yarn needle at any place they sell yarn and crochet or knitting supplies. Any Ribbon will do but try to use thinner ribbon that fits in the needle hole easier.

I hope that some of you will give it a try, it sure is nice and cool for the summer and helps distribute the weight of hair more evenly.

EDIT* adding pictures of the girls hair front view.

Book Worm, front view

Spitfire Front view

Sisters together.  

You will notice that the Spitfire has a hard time holding still in pictures. Its why she is my spitfire, the kid just can't sit still. Not that she wont or doesn't want to, its that she simply CAN NOT! :)

Hope that helps give you a better picture of what the styles look like. I also can picture these with adorable silk flowers pinned in the hair all around the braids. :)