How to French Braid Your Own Hair

By Lee Funke

Published 7/2/2018 • Updated 10/3/2018

Email Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Girl, jump on the French braid bandwagon and learn how to French braid your own hair. Check out this tutorial on how to French braid your own hair. I’ll walk you through it step by step as I do my own hair in pigtails.

email me this recipe

Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Send Recipe

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”KJCtS5rA” upload-date=”2018-07-02T09:00:00.000Z” name=”How to French Braid Your Own Hair” description=”Girl, jump on the French braid bandwagon and learn how to French braid your own hair. Check out this tutorial on how to French braid your own hair. I’ll walk you through it step by step as I do my own hair in pigtails. “]

Please tell me I wasn’t the only little girl who laid on the floor for hours and hours learning how to French braid my own hair? I taught myself when I was in 3rd grade and never looked back. In middle school and high school, I was dubbed the “braid girl” because I braided EVERYONE’S hair for every dance (cornrow phase) and soccer game known to man. I’ve always loved doing everyone else’s hair…and my own! Once I hit college, I stopped with the braids because it wasn’t trendy. Lucky me, 8 years later…it’s back in style! I think we can thank Kylie Jenner for that one. JK, but seriously.

Our good friend Laura, who is also the manager at ModernWell is really the one who inspires Linley and me to get creative with the braids in our hair again. She is the KWEEN of French braids. Praise be that French braiding your own hair is a learned behavior because after 8 years I still remember how to do it! Now…I do it almost weekly and love it every time.

How to French Braid Your Own Hair

French braiding your hair into pigtails is very simple! All you need is a comb and 2 hair-binders. Check out my video above and a step by step below!

1. Part your hair down the middle of your entire head.
2. Your hair is now in 2 sections. Tie one side up with one of your hair-binders.
3. Start at the crown of your head and grab a small chunk of hair. Separate it into 3 equal parts and perform a braid.
4. Then, “grab and grab” as I like to say. Add on to your braid on both sides by picking up another little chunk of hair and then performing another braid.
5. Repeat step 4 all the way down your head.
6. Secure your pigtail with a hair binder. PS: THESE are my new fav.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 on the other side of your head.

French braiding takes practice. The more you do it to yourself the better you will get! Once you’re comfortable with braiding your own hair, you can start playing with sizing. The bigger chunks you take, the looser and chunkier your braid will be. You can also have fun with the bottom of your braid. For example, you can go right into a normal braid, or you can do two messy buns or even braid them into one pony! My last piece of advice: watch tutorials. I literally watch hair tutorials all the time on Youtube. I get lost reallll quick in that shiz.

Why French Braids

French braids are amazing and for so many reasons. I mostly throw them in on day 3 or 4 of very dirty hair. It does wonders for covering up grease and girl, you don’t wany a greasy lookin’ head now do you?

• Working out
• Dirty hair
• Travel
• Natural looking waves

Tell me! Do you know how to French braid your own hair? If so, when did you learn!?