Braids are one of the most common hairstyles, especially among African American women. A popular example is crotchet braids, which are hair extensions that are braided into cornrows or crocheted into your natural hair to bring out a fancy, dazzling look using a latch hook hair tool. Crochet braids have been around since the 90’s as a popular hairstyle among the black women community, remarks LaceFrontier.com. However, modern crochet braid hairstyle has revolutionized a lot, both in terms of the type of hair used as well as styling and installation techniques.
The good thing about crochet braids is that you can literally install them yourself without much experience in braiding. As a matter of fact, according to hair expert, Monica Leftwich, crotchet braids work with all types of hair and to make it even more interesting, they can be done by anyone. All you need is the right tools and an informative guide and you’re good to go. Below is an informative step-by-step guide on DIY how to crochet braids.
What you’ll need
- About three packs of your preferred braiding hair
- A latch hook
- A pair of scissors (in case you have to reduce hair length)
- The guide below
Step #1: Lay a Braid Pattern with Your Natural Hair
According to the Beautified Designs, crochet braids are more of the method used in creating the style than the style itself. The first important step when installing crochet braids is to lay a foundation pattern with your natural hair on which the crotchet braids are going to lie. Your braid pattern matters a lot. For instance, you can braid your natural hair into cornrows. There are plenty of patterns and styles out there to choose from, and each pattern creates a specific effect and brings out a certain look. Whichever style or pattern you choose for the foundation, remember to ensure that the braids lie flat and that they aren’t too big, thick or bulky.
Step #2: Prepare the Braiding Hair
Braiding hair comes in various lengths and sizes in the packaging. If it’s too long for the appearance you want to create, you may need to cut it to reduce the length using a pair of scissors. You may also want to reduce the volume into manageable portions that your hands can easily work with.
Step # 3: Installing Your Crochet Braids
Take the latch, open it up, and slide it underneath your braid. The installation will typically depend on the style you want as well as the length you prefer to achieve. For short crotchet braids, you will want to keep the ends even. For longer hair, on the other hand, you will want to separate the ends of sides that are longer than the other. You can always fold the hair to the desired length.
After this, loop the hair into your hook, reverse it, and slide your hair underneath the braid. Then, remove your hook, and create a hole or opening in the loop using two of your fingers. Now, feed the ends of your hairs through the hole you created, and twist the loop, followed by more feeding of the hair ends into the loop.
At this point, you’re almost done. Pull and secure the loop after feeding the second time and separate the hair into two portions. Tie, pull, and secure the hair tightly. Now repeat the above installation steps until you cover the entire head, and you’re done!
When installing crotchet braids, just remember that there are plenty of styles out there that you can experiment on. You only have to ensure that you get it right when choosing and preparing your hair, and follow the expert guide to the letter when doing crotchet braids DIY.
