Advanced plaiting and Braiding

You will need:

Hair ties
Sectioning Clips
Pintail comb

5 Strand plait

1. Section the desired piece of hair into 5 even sections.
2. Taking the outside strand of hair begin moving the stranded under and then over on this left hand side repeating this step on the right hand side and continuing in an 'under, over' movement as if you were working with a normal plait.
3. Secure with hair band.

8 Strand Plait

1. For this plait you'll need the 5 strand plait done and out of the way.
2. Start a normal 3 strand plait as you normally would but each time you need to pass hair over to cross it over the normal plait, pass it through the loop from your 5 strand plait to connect the two together.
3. Repeat this step every time the left hand strand goes over the top of your three strand plait passing it through the loop each time.
4. Continue this until you reach the end of the hair and secure with a hair band.

11 Strand Plait

1. Repeat the same steps as the 8 strand plait adding in hair into the loop of the 8 strand plait as you go.

Waterfall Braid

1. Begin plaiting the hair at the front of the head once, but when you go to take the section from the left hand side over to the middle, instead let it fall replacing it with a piece from hair closest to the parting creating almost a french plait with the hanging pieces of hair.
2. Continue this plait, each time leaving that one section of hair out and secure with a band wherever you wish.



Ladder Braid

1. This braid incorporates the waterfall braid and again you will start plaiting as if you were creating a normal 3 strand plait below your waterfall plait.
2. When you take new sections of hair for your plait on the right you will instead add in the falling hair left out from your waterfall plait.
3. Continue this pattern until you reach the end of the hair making sure to guide the distance left between the waterfall braid and the ladder braid making sure it is equal.
4. Secure with a hair tie.

I found these braids really interesting to complete although I struggled at first with the concept of having to remember what sections of hair go where. It made me think alot! However with these braiding techniques learnt it becomes easier to understand how to achieve certain hairstyles and you can be really experimental with different hairstyles!