-
Place
your thumbs above and slightly behind your
ears. Draw them slightly back and upward,
gathering hair that meets at your crown
into a ponytail. Don't anchor it.
-
Fashion one English plait, crossing the
left strand over the centre so that the
two strands trade places, then the right
strand over the centre so that those two
strands trade places.
-
Hold the plait in your right hand, separating
the three loose strands below it with your
fingers. Place your left thumb above and
behind your left ear and use it to draw
a strand half as thick as one of the original
strands towards the ponytail.
-
Add the newly gathered hair to the left
strand and cross this increased strand over
the centre, taking the centre strand to
the left as in ordinary English braiding.
-
Hold the plait in your left hand, separating
the three loose strands below it with your
fingers. Place your right thumb above and
behind your right ear and use it to draw
a strand half as thick as one of the original
strands toward the ponytail.
-
Add the newly gathered hair to the right
strand and cross this increased strand over
the centre, taking the centre strand to
the right as in ordinary English braiding.
-
Continue gathering hair from the left and
right and adding it to the strands just
before you cross them over the centre.
-
After several plaits, there will be no loose
hair left to gather. English-braid the remaining
strands and fasten the end of the braid
with a covered band.
-
To give the French braid a different look
you can also tuck the remaining hair under
the braid and pin up the tail so that it
is not seen. You can also decorate it with
jewelled pin, tiny flowers, beads or other
hair accessories.