scarf braid tutorial ( for protective styling )

 SCARF BRAID



MY MOTIATION?

Pocahontas braids have always been my second go to style. I consider it more of a low manipulation style rather than a protective because the ends are not tucked away. For those of you that don't know, a low manipulation style is one where your hair requires little handing and keeps the hair from tangling, like braids, where as a protective style is one where your ends are tucked away. I really like braids as a low manipulation style, my only problem is that, especially when my ends aren't thick, seeing my ends loose always bothers me for some reason. Sometimes I braid down my ends and loop them before using a hair tie. Would this be considered more of a protective style? Maybe, kinda. But than I worry that the tension and friction from the hair tie directly on my ends isn't good. Am I worrying too much? Maybe, probably.

So this is how I came up with this idea of using a silk scarf so I could tuck away my ends. This, I would definitely consider a protective style. I've been using this as a protective style very often this month. Usually I have to redo it in the morning or every other day, but because it's also a low manipulation style I don't have to comb. I also sometimes do my hair in a single side braid using a scarf, but here is how I do pigtails.

TUTORIAL


• step 1- make sure you have a good sized scarf, the scarf I use is 60 inches long and 12 feet wide.
• step 2 - I fold the width of the scarf once or twice and place it on my head. I make sure the ends of the scarf are even and clip one side so the scarf stays put while I braid the other side. the clip in this picture is a little hard to see, it's pink.
• step 3 - I take three strands of hair, one of the sections will be braided with the scarf. I've tried only using two strands of hair and the scarf to braid, but didn't like the outcome. the result was too much scarf and not enough hair showing.
• step 4 - I braid my hair like normal. when reaching the part where I would normally end the braid with a hair tie I stop and envelop my ends with the scarf.
• step 5 - I twist half of the leftover scarf like shown so it's easier to ties into a knot.
• step 6 - I tie it off with a knot. you can also envelop your ends and use a hair tie, but I like the look of the knot better.
• step 7 - now you just un-clip the other side and redo the process... and you're done!