In this article, you will find instructions for basic step-by-step cornrows. Once you know how to do standard cornrows, you will be able to braid many beautiful designs in a person’s hair.
Step One: Gather Your Tools
Before you begin, you should map out the design on a piece of paper. This way it will be easy to stay true to the design that has been chosen. You will also have to get all of your tools ready. Make sure to have a spray bottle with a mist setting, wide tooth come, a comb with a pick at the end to easily separate hair and elastics to secure the finished braid.
Step Two: Prepare the Hair
You will first want to dampen the hair with the mist setting of the spray bottle. Then while hair is damp, comb all of the tangles out with a wide-tooth comb. You should never use a brush on wet hair.
Step Three: Begin Braiding
Part the hair where you want to begin braiding. You should use the pick end of a comb for this step to ensure you part the hair in an even straight line. If the parts are not even, the overall look of this hairstyle will be compromised.
Once you have gotten the hair parted, clip the hair that you are not braiding out of the way. You do not want to accidently get any unwanted hair mixed into the braid, it will mess up the look of the part. Separate the top section of parted hair into three strands, and braid one or two stitches to get started.
Step Four: Continue Braiding
Continue the braid in the same way that you would a French braid by adding small pieces of hair to each strand as you braid. If you are familiar with a French braid this will be easy, but if you are not then you should find instructions for a French braid and practice that first. You will be making a bunch of small French braids all over the head.
Step Five: Finish the Braid
When you have braided to the nape of the neck, keep braiding the hair as you would a normal French braid. When you have come to the end of the braid, secure it with a small elastic band. Clear ones work best because they are almost invisible in the hair, but you can spice up this hairstyle with multi-colored elastics as well.
Step Six: Finish the Rest of the Braids
Continue braiding the rest of the hair in the same way that you just did braid number one. For each braid start with step two and complete each step after that. Doing zigzag cornrows is a bit more difficult and the instructions are a little different as well. However once you get the basic idea you should be able to complete any design the person wants.
Very informative article. I would like to know where I’d be able to purchase the apparatus used in the picture above. Thanks!