let's go for a star...again

I know I've already done a star - but we're just so excited for the fourth. If it looks a little lopsided to you on the left - it is:) We're not always perfect!! There are lots of pictures for those of you who are going to attempt this in hopes to making this easier on you.
This parts similar to the last star that I showed but you only need an elastic for each point of the star. Start out in the very front making a smal triangle for your point of your star.

Make the next 2 points by making a triangle off of the front point.

Add that front hair to your next set of points.

Here's a side view of what we've done so far:

So now, we need to bring our side back towards the center so just part the hair from the middle toward just an inch or two under the hair (look at picture)

I just sectioned the last 3 elastics off of the middle part. This might sound confusing but I'll try to explain my best. See right in the center - I parted a triangle - that is what where my bottom-middle point is going but before I put my elastic in - I need to do that right bottom point. So section off your triangle & clip back. Then part off from the triangle a small section of hair so you can add your elastic. Then bring that hair up & add to the triangle & add elastic there also. Make sense?

Mirror the same thing for the left bottom point (this is where I didn't even mine so much with the right bottom point - do better than I did:) Then bring ALL of the hair & what is left into a side pony - not necessarily making it even for that last point because a messy bun goes here & hides it.

To make the star stick out, we grabbed some ribbon, thread it on a very thick needle (you can also buy scrapbooking needles - it works perfect) & start at the very top point. I pulled more than half of the ribbon through the elastic to hold it in place - then just start wrapping around the hair all the way down to define your star. As you go around the elastics, wrap around them to also hide the elastics. End on your side pony.

Go back, do the other side the same way, also ending on your side pony.

Once I got to the end with both sides, I just tied a cute little bow around my messy bun.

Here's a side view from the bun.

Front view (for those who keep asking for a front view & I'm so bad at doing:)

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another short style

My niece slept over the other night & the girls wanted twinner hair (is twinner a word?). My little niece's hair isn't long & it's very thin - so I was thinking what can I do for both of them with their hair up & out of their way - since they were on their way to gymnastics.
Here gives you an idea about how long her hair is:

We started from the bottom, making our way up. Just add 2 elastics. On short hair, this works AWESOME because it keeps the hair up all day long, instead of little whispies falling down & having to clip them up.

Do your next row & adding 3 elastics & dividing the first row of hair to go into each of the 2nd row of elastics.

Now pull the rest of the hair into 2 piggies. Make sure to remember to include the hair from the 2nd row, as shown. Once you have your 2 piggies in, do a tuck under knot or whatever you call it - & so the hair is flipped on top of the pony.

Curl the piggies

& you are finished!! If you were ambitious - you could do one more row of elastics before adding your piggies but since I had 2 girls hair to do - we didn't because of time.

So here's the long version. This is my girlie. The only difference that we did was with each elastic, we did a tuck under knot with it.

Here are the 2 little girlies together (of course the onery one is mine:) Same style - but looks different because of the length of the hair.

view from the back:

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blooming flower

My little girl has been asking me to do a flower in her hair for the last week. I had to get creative & use some pipe cleaners to help out but it turned out darling. We went to Wal-Mart & I had several moms come check out & ask how we did it. These pictures don't do it justice. Super easy to do though!!

I started by pulling all the hair straight back in a higher pony tail. To keep the hair in a perfect bent shape to make a petal, I braided pipe cleaner into each braid. I stuck the pipe cleaner under the elastic, just enough to keep it still, section my 3 strand braid & add the pipe cleaner to the middle strand & begin braiding.

This is what it looked like when I was finished. Cut the pipe cleaner to the end of the braid so it's not sticking out. Also, try to match one closest to your girlie's hair so it blends better. We probably could have gone with an even lighter color.

I did 5 braids on the outside of the pony tail so you have a section of unbraided hair in the middle section that will be your center of the flower.

Bend the braid, starting with the top middle, into a petal shape. It's okay if hair is sticking out in the middle, you are going to curl it anyway. I really only ended up using about one bobby pin per petal to hold the flower down at the base, but this one kept sticking up right in the front, so we put a pin in to keep it from doing that.

Make your head around the pony tail & you can see the shape of the flower.

That hair that is left in the middle, curl all of it.

I added an elastic to bunch up her curls so that it wasn't so long - if your girlie's hair isn't as long, you wouldn't need to do it. I did this just for the purpose that you can actually see the flower.

I pinned the curls so it looked like a curly little ball in the middle to make the center of the flower. I had a mom email me & ask to explain how I pin up her curls - if you already know - skip this - I put the bobby pin in about 2/3 of the way down on the curl & then I just stick it into the bun. As simple as that!!

I thought I had the whole picture flipped thing figured out - but I guess not. Sorry!! Here's the finished product. We actually ended up putting a small bow in on the side.

Here's the best shot I could get with the entire flower.

**I failed to mention for the post below: I know you are all looking at it & thinking I do not want to take those elastics out. If you haven't figured this out - try it next time: a SEAM RIPPER. Works awesome!! & it's quick - just be careful not to "rip" or cut any of her hair out. It's soft on her head & fast. If you are nervous you are going to cut her hair then use the tail of a comb to lift it up & then rip through the elastic.

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going 4th of July style today...a star

Since the 4th is coming up in the next few weeks - thought it would be fun to do things they can wear for that day.

Start by parting the hair straight down the middle. About 1/3 of the way down go off the part down to the ear. This is what the top of the star goes off of.

I sectioned this into a triangle & clipped the rest of the hair back. What was in my triangle, we added to make the first part of the star. Make sure you don't have it going straight down but on an angle.

Now, the hair that was left out of the triangle is going to be added to the side of the star. So turn the puff braid so it is going toward the ear now & add the hair from the top of the head.

Section your next triangle, not going quite half way & start adding your next row of elastics, going toward the ear, once again. Once you get to the end, bring the 2 ends together into a pony tail.

Next, I parted the rest of the hair straight down the middle. With this, you have to make 2 more triangles to make the bottom part of the star. & bring them together into a pony tail just like the last pony tail.

Mirror on the other side.

Add some fun ribbons

Curl the pony tails that are left out.

& there you have your fun 4th of July style.

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short hairstyle

I often get emails or comments that they wish their daughter's hair was longer or thicker or not so much in the mullet. Most everything I post - you can do on anyone - although some things you may have to simplify. I watched my little niece the other day & she did not want her mom to do her hair but when she was over, I asked if I could do it & she said yes. I thought it was a good chance to show a little girl with short hair & something fun you could do with it.
First, I wanted to show you what I was working with.

I started by parting her hair on a side slant. Going off of that slant, I sectioned the top half into piggies (scroll up to the top picture to see how I parted going off the side slant part)

Now go back & decide what side you want to start on & begin to make piggies directly underneath the first row of piggies. As you go along, cross over the top piggie, doing this all the way across.

When you get to the end, just bring the ends both together to make your side piggie. We didn't pull her hair all the way thru but then pulled strands just to give it a messier look.

Here's the front view. She would not smile normal so you get the pirate eye.

So now here's how my girlie's hair ended up being with this same style:

We did the exact same steps as I described but added a little "twist" to it. As you cross over each piggie, just twist over each other & pin one side while you are securing the other with an elastic.

Don't mind the very ornery face (she wanted to turn the camera on by herself so I don't get a smile) We left the pony tail down instead of pulling it into a messy bun & curled. Super easy - but a little different than the first!!

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a french braid on it's side

If french braiding doesn't come very easy to you - this is a simpler way to french braid. You only take strands from one side, instead of both, making the braid look like it's leaning on the side instead of flat. It's a fun little twist to the normal french braid.
I started by sectioning what I wanted in the braid & clip the rest back so it doesn't get included. I failed to show that I brushed the hair that was going to be included in my braid forward since you are only taking from one side. Makes it much easier - you'll see once you get going.

I realize this isn't a very good picture but just wanted to give you an idea how the braid goes. Start with your regular 3 strand braid. When you come around to the RIGHT side, grab a strand from the hair brushed forward. DO NOT grab anything when you get to the left side!! Keep going until it's the right side's turn again & just keep grabbing as you go along only from that right side. Make sense?

From the front, this is what it looks like. Add an elastic to secure the braid.

I pulled the rest of the hair up into a side pony, including the braid. This is what the braid looks like from behind, you can see how it looks like it on it's side. If you wanted, you could only grab from the left side & this would be in the front. Up to you!

front view of braid

I wanted to show that you could do it on 2 side by side braids, also. But when you do the left side, only grab from the left. When braiding the right side, only grab from the right. You can go as far down as you would like.

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