DO we have any self-taught braiders here?

[landakaye]

I am thinking of trying to learn to braid hair so that I can do my own. How did you all learn.

 

[webby]

I am thinking of trying to learn to braid hair so that I can do my own. How did you all learn.

I learned how to braid and cornrow when I was really young. I used to watch my mom and by the time I was or 10 I was able to give myself Bo Derek style cornrows.

It really is a matter of thinking in terms of 3's. A typical braid has three parts and you alternate bringing each section over or under. It's the same concept with cornrows, except as you work your way down the section you are picking up a little bit of hair each time.

 

[Chakira]

Just braiding or braiding with extensions? I don't remember how i learned to braid, I'd been doing it since I was like 9 years old. I know that I played a lot in my hair, so I gues just lots of trial and error. I've never used a video or anything.

The same goes for extensions, the first ~5 times or so, they were absolutely horrible, but as time went on and I got better, you can't even tell that I did them as opposed to getting them done in a salon.

...Not very helpful I know, but thats my story!

 

[DelightfulFlame]

self taught...still can't do my own head...but haven't practiced either.

Can do other heads really well...learned plaiting when young, but learned cornrows on my daughter's head (lots of practice...especially good when they are young and don't know/care how it looks

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

Regular braiding-I learned that when i was around 6 or 7 just by watching my mom & sister braid.
Braiding with extentions-I learned by instructions on the net & by practicing on barbies two years ago. I havent mastered cornrows yet, still practicing.

 

[BLESSED1]

I can't remember how I learned to plait, I grew up in a house full of women so I think I must have just inherited it or something

As for extensions I started doing my own when I was in high school since I liked the look but couldn't afford to get it professionally done. I watched my aunt getting her extensions done by a friend of hers and she kindly let me observe while she worked. I'm the type of person who does better learning by observing then doing, so I just practiced on my own head and the more I did it the better I got. I do my own to this day I wouldn't go to the salon to get it done, too much $$$ for me!

The only thing I can't do is those fish braids though, I think you work with 2 strands of hair instead of 3 like for a regular braid. Oh and I'm much better doing my hair then other people's hair, I'm always afraid that I'm braiding to tightly even though they say it's not tight.

 

[quietstorm2832]

I learned when I was about 5 or 6 years old. When i learned to do extensions I was about 10. I use to be the braid queen, EVERYBODY use to come to me to get their hair braided. I can't get that fishtail braid either, I remember being taught how to do it but just can't remember. They use 4 strands of hair for the fishtail braids.

 

[sepiaamor]

regular braiding is like learning to breathe when you grow up in a black neighborhood. Now to braid with extensions I only learned that recently when my braids would come loose from my previous no good braider. And thanks to the advent of the internet, http://www.growafrohairlong.com/videoplaits.html, I have learned. But for my lazy bigheaded self I'll pay the initial $100 for a full head job and then not go back for 3/4 months just touching up randomly my loose braids.

 

[MeowMix]

Ok, I could not learn to braid for the life of me. My mother used to cornrow my hair when I was little. Do ya think she passed that on to me??… NAH!! It has been my life goal to braid. I mean I bought a head, checked out books from the library with diagrams (I’m that cheap) and still couldn’t do it. Well thanks to the ladies below, I have FINALLY learned how to braid.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MOOKS HAIR AND LADYKAYPNYC!! You ladies have given me an incredible gift.

http://video.fotki.com/Mooks-hair/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzgYVgSiMHI


I’m a visual learner so these really helped me. With a little practice you’ll be on your way. Good luck.

 

[baddison]

regular braiding is like learning to breathe when you grow up in a black neighborhood. Now to braid with extensions I only learned that recently when my braids would come loose from my previous no good braider. And thanks to the advent of the internet, http://www.growafrohairlong.com/videoplaits.html, I have learned. But for my lazy bigheaded self I'll pay the initial $100 for a full head job and then not go back for 3/4 months just touching up randomly my loose braids.

Yup....my avatar is all done by me!!! I'm so proud of myself, didn't think I'd ever learn to braid my own head with extensions. But thanks to the above mentioned site, I have been braiding my own hair extensions since May of this year when I joined the HardCore C&G challenge. Braids is making my previously damaged natural head, grow in leaps and bounds.

Believe me....now all my family members want me to braid their hair for them too. And the money I am saving by doing it myself is sssoooooo worth the effort to learn.

 

[Kneechay]

I definitely was happy when I taught myself with this video, http://www.growafrohairlong.com/videoplaits.html, I had a hard time doing it on myself, but eventually, I'll perfect it. I wanted to learn so I could start off the base for kinky twists so I could do these: http://public.fotki.com/BeautifulBrownBabyDoll/all-about-me-and-my/my-version-of-the-2/

Great tutorials. I learned, but I'm so slow doing them on myself that I went to someone else to install them. If you do plan on teaching yourself, designate an entire weekend...

 

[NuBraveHeart]

i learned to cornrow in college when i started wearing my hair natural (i am now texlaxed). i was spending money getting cornrowed extensions and was going broke. so i just started experimenting by taking a side cornrow down and redoing myself to freshen the look. i eventually made it all the way across my head and it looked pretty good. been doing my braiding ever since.

it helps to pay attention when you have a braider do it. then when they start getting older, try to do a couple yourself cuz the part and the adjoining cornrows are already there. good luck.

 

[kblc06]

I am thinking of trying to learn to braid hair so that I can do my own. How did you all learn.

I pretty much learned watching others and practicing the braiding pattern on myself. It took me a while to learn how to part...I think this was the most difficult aspect

 

[discobiscuits]

Watching others, self-taught (trial & error), & it all started in summer camp when one of my mates taught me to french braid.

 

[marla]

I watched my Mom, then I practiced on dolls and now I know how to do my own and others.

 

[Monigirl]

I am self taught. I learned how to do my own braids last year with the help of grow afro hair long free web video. First time I did them it took me 18 hrs and now I do them in 10 hrs.

Here is a pic of my results:View attachment 20673


I only braid my hair with kanekalon hair. So easy to seal that type of braid hair with warm water. I section/part my whole entire head into small squares. To keep squares apart I braid my hair and check for neatness. When finish parting I go back, unbraid my hair and add the kanekalon hair to my pre-sectioned sqaures across my head. Example pic:

 

[Tamrin]

I learned by watching youtube videos. I have done my kinky twists myself 3 times now. Growafrolonghair site helped a lot also.

 

[discobiscuits]

Monigirl....thanks! I TOTALLY forgot about http://growafrohairlong.com/crownandglory.html

landakaye, visit that site. it has video and pix and it is soooo easy to follow.

 

[RosesBlack]

I am trying. I watch youtube videos and had the Braids by Breslin dvd(boyfriend lost it). Now I just try to practice.

 

[asummertyme]

i have been briading forever..cant remember how i learned but i can assume from watching my sister do it..i guess..

 

[bravenewgirl87]

The best person to ask is Mook's Hair. She's brilliant and she has a Youtube video.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

Self-taught braider checkin' in!

I learned by getting instructions of the internet and practising on my own head. Now it's easier for me to do my own braids than someone else's.

The first several times my hair was looking so NOT hot. But I stuck with it. That's the key.

 

[Nonie]

Self-braider checking in.

Learned by watching people getting their hair done at the salon while awaiting my turn. Practiced on my dolls and my baby sister till I could braid someone else. I don't remember when I started cornrowing or square braiding my own hair w/o extensions.

With extensions, I began to practice on myself by undoing professionally done braids--just one or two at the back--and then re-braiding them when I was a teen. In time, I could do them firmly at the base without pulling tight.

 

[glamazon386]

I taught myself to braid my own hair.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I just want to learn how to braid my hair without extensions. Is there anyone who can help me learn?

 

[curlcomplexity]

I taught myself, I've been braiding since I was 9. I learned by taking out braids that my mother or a stylist put in, and replacing them. Eventually I got good enough to do a full head

 

[Belle Creole]

I'm self taught and do both extentions, cornrows

 

[Ivonnovi]

I'm just soooo happy to see that I'm not the only one that enjoys bumping old threads. This is the 3rd one i've seen this week. Oh and I'm a self braider too!


I learned as a child on one of those big ole Barbie heads. I really upped my game when the movie 10 came out. Bo Derek had all of us sportin beads.

 

[VettaVetta]

Braiding my son hair when he was a baby got better once I had my daughter.