An Experiment, With Results

[masterofmidgets]

I've always wanted to try hair-taping, because it sounds like a cute, practical hairstyle, but for one reason or another I never got around to it. Well, tonight I was watching Due South and I started thinking, you know, I've got first day hair that looks like rubbish, it doesn't matter if I play with it - maybe I should try hair-taping. So I did!

Steps to Hair-Taping (also known as Italian hair-taping, Elizabethan hair-taping, and Crown Braids For People Too Lazy To Hold Their Arms Up That Long)

1. Secure hair in low ponytail. Skinny ponytail holders are good if you don't want it to show; I used a scrunchie.
2. Divide hair in two. Braid each segment all the way down to the end and secure with hairties. The tiny silicon ones are really good for this, although I am terrible at using them. Any kind of braid is cool - I did a boring English braid, but this looks really neat with a rope braid.
3. Take a veeery long length of ribbon. Bring it up under your ponytail holder and wrap it around a few times. Leave one shortish end (you'll need a few inches later, but not much), and one very long end. Just leave it for now.
4. Take your braids and wrap them around the crown of your head, securing them with small claw clips or something of the sort. Tuck the ends under so they can't be seen.
5. The fun part! Also known as the part where you sew your hair to your head. :D Thread the long end of the ribbon onto a blunt yarn needle (I bought mine at Wal-Mart). Bring the needle up under the braid and through your hair, pulling the ribbon all the way through. Repeat all the way around your head. When you get all the way back to your hairtie, take the needle off, and tie off your ribbon by tying it in a bow with the short tail end from before. Ta da! You now have a neat looking hairstyle that won't pull or give you a headache and that holds like a fucking rock.
6. (If you're still confused, there is a great written tutorial here, and a totally awesome video tutorial here.)

My Results: I love how this turned out. It's still a little rough because this is the first time I've ever done this, but I think with a little practice I'll get a lot better at it. And it still looks pretty nifty!