How To Make A Graduation Lei Using Gummy Worm Braids!

How to make a cool lei for graduation, a luau, or other celebrations using gummy worm candies!  This is an easy, inexpensive, DIY, homemade graduation gift that every graduate would love to wear... and eat!

Our oldest son is graduating from High School today actually. (Congratulations class of 2018!) So, we wanted to share a fun Hawaiian and Polynesian inspired candy lei we chose to make him for his graduation ceremony.  And since this is normally a braiding website, we thought this would fit right in!

Graduation Candy Lei Using Gummy Worms Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




The awesome thing about gummy worms is that they come in all different colors and varieties, so you can pick out the worms that match your school colors or event.  You could also make a pretty multicolored lei using random colors if you want.  These necklaces would be great for both boys and girls.

Supplies needed:

*Plastic wrap / Saran wrap.  2 pieces, 40-80 inches each (depending on how long you want your lei to be.)

*Gummy worms.  We only needed one bag.  If you are going to be picking out certain colors from a multicolored bag, you will probably need more than one.

*Scissors

*Ribbon (Matching your school colors.)

*One clear elastic, or you can tie the plastic wrap in a knot if you prefer.

We want to thank our friend who showed us how to make these fancy leis several years ago.  We have used them for several parties since!  

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Greek Goddess Ladder Braid, Wedding and Prom Hairstyles

Today we are sharing a beautiful "Greek Goddess" inspired hairstyle tutorial featuring braids, twists, and curls, creating a lovely Princess Hairstyle!  This would be a pretty hairstyle for weddings, Prom, Homecoming, recitals, school dances, church, communions and other special occasions.


Greek Goddess Ladder Braid, Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




We have combined a lace french braid feathering technique with rope braids (or twist braids) to create the vertical ladder braid on this half up hairstyle. We love how simple and elegant this style turned out.

As mentioned in our video, we used our curling wand to create her loose curls for this hairstyle. Click here for our curling wand tutorial.  You could also crimp or wave your hair if you desire to achieve texture and volume. If you want your style to be more voluminous, you could tease her hair before placing the ladder braid.  A bubble effect between the braids could be achieved by using a rat tail comb as shown in our video tutorial (above.) Bobby pins placed under the twists would help to hold your bubbled hair in place if you decide to go for that look.

Supplies needed to recreate this hairstyle:

• 1 medium size, clear hair elastic
• Several clips or hair ties to temporarily section and hold the hair while you are working.
• Finishing hairspray 
• Curling wand, crimper, waver, etc. (affiliate)

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Braided Bow Fan Bun - Easy Messy Bun Tutorial

This easy bun is so simple and quick to make, you'll love it! A dutch braid, combined with a popular fan messy bun technique gives this standard rolled double bun a fun bow look!

This cute hairstyle could be worn for casual occasions, or for more formal events.  It would be great for cheer leading, dance, gymnastics, soccer, track, etc.

Braided Bow Fan Bun Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




My daughter often wears this tucked bun (without the braid) as a quick hairstyle for school. It is a great option for second day hair, or hair that isn't looking so great and is perfect for putting your hair up quickly for after school sports.  But recently she was wearing a dutch braid (as shown at the first of our tutorial) with her hair down. When she pulled her hair up into her "go to" bun after school, this cute style was created.  We both noticed the top of the bun looked adorably like a bow with the braid in the center!

If french braiding or dutch braiding isn't your thing, or you don't have time for that... You could start with a standard ponytail and add a regular 3 strand braid accent before making the bun for a similar look. And, as mentioned in our video, you could place the braid so that it shows in the bottom layer of this bun as well for a double braid look. This bun can be made to look sleek and smooth or more rough and messy, depending on your event and preference. 


Supplies needed to recreate this hairstyle:

• 1 medium size ponytail holder or hair tie (similar to your hair color would be best.)
• 1 small hair elastic for the bottom of the braid.
• Bobby pins (optional.)
• Finishing hairspray (optional.)

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Flower Girl Hairstyles! 5 Braided Rose Hairstyles, Part 2

Today we are sharing 5 more cute hairstyles using braided flowers! We didn't realize how many hairstyles using flower braids we had done until we started looking through our blog, and we didn't want to leave any of these out. So we decided to make a part 2 of our braided flower hairstyles series! If you missed part 1 (which includes 5 more hairstyles) you can find that here: Braided Flower Hairstyles, Part 1.

We thought all of these styles would be so cute for Spring (or any time you want to wear gorgeous rosettes in your hair!)  These would be great hairstyles for flower girls, brides, the Prom, Homecoming, recitals, school, church, communions, etc.

5 Braided Rose Hairstyles (Part 2) Video Tutorials: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)



These hair tutorials are a compilation of flower braid hairstyles we have shared in the past on our channel (some are fairly recent and some date back several years.) We love going through our hairstyle archives, as I'm sure some of you have forgotten about these styles, or have never seen them. We like to group similar styles together to make it easy for you to find that perfect hairstyle for your special occasion!

Hairstyles included in this video (with timestamps)

#1 Double Twist Top Knot With Rope Braid Flower 0:07

#2 Dutch Braided Rose Hairstyle 1:11

#3 Romantic Side Swept Braided Rose With Curls 2:24

#4 Braided Rosette Half Up Hairstyle 4:03

#5 Winding Lace Braid With Rosette Accent 5:18

All of the hair flowers in this video are made basically the same way... by rolling up a standard braid into a rosette bun. But as you can see, the variations of what you can do with these roses is endless!  These hairstyles will work best with long, or medium length hair.  Hairstyle #1 can be done on fairly short hair.  

P.S. If you would like more detailed tutorials for any of these hairstyles, we do have the originals on our YouTube channel (which are slower and each step is explained using commentary.)

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5 Braided Flower Hairstyles For Spring!

Today we are sharing 5 of our favorite hairstyles using braided flowers, or flowers made from hair! We thought all of these styles would be so cute for Spring (or any time you want to wear gorgeous rosettes in your hair!) These would be great hairstyles for Flower girls, brides, the Prom, Homecoming, recitals, school, church, communions, etc.

5 Flower Braid Hairstyles, Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




These hair tutorials are a compilation of flower braid hairstyles we have shared in the past (some are fairly recent and some date back several years.) We love going through our hairstyle archives, as I'm sure some of you have forgotten about these styles, or have never seen them. We like to group similar styles together to make it easy for you to find that perfect hairstyle for your special occasion!

Hairstyles included in this video:

 #1 Side swept french braid flower

#2 Triple rosette half up hairstyle 

#3 French braid top knot with braided flower 

 #4 Double lace braided roses hairstyle

#5 Braided flower updo 

 All of the hair flowers in this video are made basically the same way... by rolling up a standard braid into a rosette bun and pinning it. But as you can see, the variations of what you can do with these roses are endless!

 If you love these hairstyles, be sure to check back next week as we have 5 more super cute braided flower hairstyles to share with you!

 P.S. If you would like more detailed tutorials for any of these hairstyles, we do have the originals on our YouTube channel (which are slower and each step is explained using commentary.)

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3 Strand Pull Through Braid Tutorial And 5 Ways To Wear It!

Today we are showing how to make a 3 strand pull through braid and 5 cute hairstyle ideas for finishing the style. We have shown a standard pull through braid tutorial as well as the reverse braid on our blog in the past, but have not filmed this 3 strand variation up until now. We first saw this awesome and original braid by @prettylittlebraids on Instagram. This is probably our favorite variation of the pull through braid since it looks so full, gorgeous, and voluminous! This edgy braid has the look of a "faux hawk" and would be great hairstyle for dance competitions and other sports. Since this braid is tethered with elastics all the way down, it holds up really well to most activities.

3 Strand Pull Through Braid Video Tutorial & 5 Ways To Style It: (Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)




This braid could be used to create many different hairstyles and can be worn along the scalp in a "french braid" look, or in a ponytail without adding in hair from the sides of the braid. We have included 5 tutorials in our video (above) for some of our favorite ways to wear this braid: 

 1. 3 strand pull through braid faux hawk with ponytail.

 2. 3 strand pull through braid and flip braid combo.

 3. Pull through and fishtail braid combo.

4. Pull through ponytail with micro braids.

 5. Standard 3 strand pull through braid from top to bottom.

A few tips and tricks: If you prefer to use less elastics, it is possible to gather a new section at the same time you are securing the 3 strands. But, I have found it much easier to make all of the ponytails first and then double up on the elastics as you make the braid. Everything seems to turn out neater and smoother when I do it this way. Also, as mentioned in our video, the braid turns out better for me when I stretch out each individual section before moving on to the next (as it prevents the layer beneath the one you are working on from being disturbed as you are stretching the strands out.)

Supplies needed to recreate these hairstyles:

• Several medium size, clear (or similar to the color of hair you are working with) elastics.  The amount will depend on the style chosen and the length of hair you are working with. 
• Hairspray, gel, hair wax, etc. to help control flyaways.

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Hair Hack! Make A Pull Through Braid Using Half The Elastics

Hey guys! We love the look of the pull through braid... but hate taking out all of those elastics at the end of the day.  Today's tutorial or "hair hack" shows how to make a pull through braid ponytail hairstyle using only 1/2 of the elastics you would normally need!  This will hopefully save you some time, frustration, and damage to your hair the next time you want to wear a pull-through braid.

How To Make A Pull Through Braid Using 1/2 The Elastics, Video Tutorial: Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.

The trick to this hair cheat is adding elastics to only one strand of the braid instead of both strands (like you normally would.) As mentioned in our video (above) you will need to be careful to keep your strands separated and on the same side of the braid from the top to the bottom, or this will end up looking more like a regular 3 strand braid, and less like a pull through.  We recommend stretching the sides of this braid for a more voluminous and glamorous look. 

Hope you love this hack!

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Half Up Hairstyle For Long and Medium Hair - Swirling Braids!

For today's hairstyle tutorial, we have combined a simple knotting technique and some braids to create a gorgeous and unique braided half up hairstyle for long and medium length hair.

We're loving the intricate "criss cross" look of these swirling braids!  I could see this working as an everyday hairstyle for school, or for special occasions (Prom, Homecoming, recitals, church, weddings, communions, etc.)

Swirling Braids Hairstyle Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




This style is surprisingly easy and fairly quick to make and should hold up decently well, since it is secured with braids on both sides of the delicate knot.

As mentioned in our video tutorial (above) the trick to getting this hairstyle to look nice and to stay in place, is all in how you tie the knot and cross the strands underneath before you start braiding.  We also suggest stretching the strands in the knot for a more voluminous and elegant looking style. 

Supplies needed to recreate this hairstyle:

• 2 small hair elastics (preferably clear or similar to the hair color you are working with.)
• Temporary clip to hold hair while you are braiding.
• Depending on the texture of hair you are working with, you may want to add hair product before you start braiding to help prevent flyaways.

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7 Prom Hairstyles!

Today we are sharing 7 hairstyles for Prom (or your next formal dance!)  A compilation of easy and elegant updos, half up hairstyles, and side swept hairstyles for special occasions. We have pulled together some of our favorite romantic hairstyles with twists, braids, and curls which are glamorous, sophisticated, and fancy. These styles are similar to something you might see on the red carpet, but can be created quite easily in your own home! These gorgeous styles would be great for many occasions such as Prom, Homecoming, Weddings (bridal, bridesmaids, and flower girls) recitals, communions, holidays, date night, Instagram photos, etc.

7 Hairstyles for Prom, Video Tutorials: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




In our step by step hair tutorials above, we use a topsy tail for a few of the styles.  These tools can be found online here: Topsy Tail (affiliate.) This tool is optional, if you do not have a topsy tail, the twists can be made by pulling the hair through with just your fingers, although the tool does make it easier.

We used a reverse curling wand to create the curls shown in a few of the styles which can be found here: Reverse Curling Wand (affiliate.)    Of course, you can also use a regular curling iron, heatless curls, or natural curls... whatever you prefer!

Hairstyle ideas included in this video w/ timestamps:

#1 Romantic Twist Half Up 0:04
#2 Easy Twist Updo 1:50
#3 Scalloped Princess Braids and Curls 3:27
#4 Romantic Updo With Twists And Braids 4:50
#5 Braided Flower Updo 6:34
#6 French Braid Tuck 8:01
#7 Side Swept Braided Rose Hairstyle 8:59

We hope you enjoyed these fancy formal styles.  Now all you need is a dress!

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Quick and Easy Hairstyle For School - Simple Gathered Braids Tutorial

We love easy school hairstyles and hope you'll like this super quick "gathered braids" tutorial. (No french braiding skills required.) Braids are trendy and popular and so cute for elementary, middle, jr high, and high school students right now! 

I have realized over the years that we sometimes forget to post some of our favorite and most simple hairstyles! We know many of you are always looking for back to school hair ideas and this is one that my daughter has been wearing for years.

Gathered Braids Video Tutorial: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)




This is a great DIY hairstyle for beginners. She has been able to do this style on herself since about middle school age.  Nothing super creative or extravagant, but a fun every day style for busy school mornings.  This style is also versatile in that it can be changed up if you know how to do different braids.  You could use rope braids, fishtail braids, 4-strand/5-strand etc. (Instead of regular 3 strand braids). You can also stretch the braids out for a fuller/more voluminous look if you desire.  My daughter's favorite way to wear this style is to add some curls in the hair underneath the braids using her curling wand.  Since her hair is so fine, the curls help to make her hair look thicker when she wears her hair half up like this.

Supplies needed to recreate this hairstyle:

• 5 small/medium hair elastics. (Preferably clear or similar to your hair color.)
• Hairspray, gel, hair wax, or other product to help prevent flyaways.

Hope you enjoyed this princess hairstyle!  See you all next week.

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Testing The Faux Hawk Kit! Is It Actually Quick And Easy?

We recently purchased this "FauxHawk Kit" made by Goody and wanted to give it a try, so we decided to do a tutorial and review/first impression for you. My daughter has worn a faux hawk hairstyle quite often in the past as her dance team used to use it as their competition hairstyle.  She also will occasionally wear the style to school or church.  But, as much as we love the edgy yet glamorous look, the traditional way to make a faux hawk hairstyle (using messy buns) can be quite time consuming.  And on school mornings, we are all about quick! We wanted to see if this tool actually would make the process faster and easier with the same cute result!

Faux Hawk Kit Review, Tutorial, and First Impression Video: (Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.)



This kit comes in several different colors.  I would recommend looking for the one that matches your hair the closest.  We found ours at Walmart and I'm guessing it can be found in most discount and drug stores for around $5.

This hairstyle would be great for all ages... teens, little girls, and moms. I could see this working for casual as well as formal occasions. This style could even work for Prom, Homecoming, church, recitals, weddings, etc.

You can choose to leave this the braided faux hawk sleek and neat looking, or stretch it out and deconstruct it a bit more for a messy and voluminous look. You might notice in our photos (above and below) that one side is messier than the other (below.)  We purposely deconstructed one side after the tutorial to see if the messy look was possible with this tool and it is... it just takes some work to mess the braid up a little more.

After looking over the instructions for a second time, I'm pretty sure a hair elastic was not meant to be used at the top of the ponytail before placing the tool in her hair (as we demonstrated in our video.) But, we found that this "misunderstood hair tie" actually helped to hold the hairstyle in place very securely in her fine and slippery hair.  We tried the style again without the elastic and it did not hold well at all. If you have textured or thick hair, the tool will probably work just fine without adding a hair tie.

This tool will work best with at least medium length or long hair. I think it would look adorable with curly or wavy hair as well as straight.

If you are wanting to make a faux hawk the traditional way, we do have a few tutorials on our blog showing how to do that:

Messy Bun Faux Hawk

Topsy Tail Faux Hawk

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