Terms to Know: To cut out wordiness, I have decided to name the webbed area between the fingers.
- Slot 1 is between the thumb and index fingers.
- Slot 2 is between the index and middle fingers.
- Slot 3 is between the middle and ring fingers.
- Slot 4 is between the ring and little fingers.
Right and left hands will be denoted by a capital R or L after the slot number. For example, 1R is between the thumb and index finger of the right hand.
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Directions: - Separate a lock of hair from the rest of the hair at the place where you want to begin the braid.
Note: It's a good idea to make the part V-shaped, with the point of the V towards the back of your head.
| ![]() | Directions: - Separate a lock of hair from the rest of the hair at the place where you want to begin the braid.
Note: It's a good idea to make the part V-shaped, with the point of the V towards the back of your head.
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- Hold the lock of hair in one hand and use the index and middle fingers of the other hand to separate it into three strands.
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- Hold the left-hand strand with your left pinkie while moving the right-hand strand from 2R to 3L.
- Shift the new right-hand strand (used to be the middle strand) from 3 or 4R to 2L.
| ![]() | - Cross the right-hand strand over the middle strand.
- Hold all three strands in separate slots of your left hand.
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- Use your right index finger to pick up a section of hair from the right side of the head, adding it to the right-hand strand currently held in 2L.
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- Grasp the right-hand strand with your right pinkie, then rotate your left hand so that you can grasp the left-hand strand in 3R.
- Shift the new left-hand strand from 3L to 2R.
| | - Cross the left-hand strand over the middle strand.
- Hold all three strands in separate slots of your right hand.
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- Use your left index finger to pick up a section of hair from the left side of the head and add it to the left-hand strand in slot 2R.
Note: In this picture, the right-hand thumb is sweeping beneath all three strands simply to aid in gathering the new section.
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- Grasp the left-hand strand with the left pinkie, then rotate your right hand so that you can grasp the right-hand strand in 3L.
- Shift the new right-hand strand to 2L.
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- Use your right index finger to pick up a section of hair from the right side of the head, adding it to the right-hand strand currently held in 2L.
| ![]() | - Pick up a section of hair from the right side of the head and add it to the right-hand strand..
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- Grasp the right-hand strand with your right pinkie, then rotate your left hand so that you can grasp the left-hand strand in 3R.
- Shift the new left-hand strand from 3L to 2R.
| ![]() | - Cross the left-hand strand over the middle strand.
- Hold all three strands in separate slots of your right hand.
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- Use your left index finger to pick up a section of hair from the left side of the head and add it to the left-hand strand in slot 2R.
| ![]() | - Pick up a section of hair from the left side of the head and add it to the left-hand strand.
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- Continue instructions 9-14 until there is no more hair to add.
- Continue braiding as for simple 3-strand as far down as you can reach.
| ![]() | - Continue instructions 9-14 until there is no more hair to add.
- Continue braiding as for simple 3-strand as far down as you can reach.
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- Grasp the right-hand strand with your pinkie, the middle strand in 4R, and the left-hand strand in3R.
| ![]() | - Shift all three strands into one hand (in this example, in the right).
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- Bring your right hand forward over your shoulder.
Note: you will now seem to be braiding in the opposite direction. Instead of folding the strands towards you, you will be folding them away from you.
| ![]() | - Bring the braid over your right shoulder (or your left, if you choose to hold it in the left hand).
Note: you will now seem to be braiding in the opposite direction. Instead of folding the strands towards you, you will be folding them away from you.
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- Shift your hands (not the braid!) so that the palms are facing outward, the left-hand strand is in 2L, the right-hand strand is in 2R, and the middle strand is in slot 1 of whichever side needs to cross over next to continue the pattern (in this example, it was in 1R).
- Rotate your right hand and move the right-hand strand to 1L.
| ![]() | - Shift your hands so that the palms are facing away from you before crossing over a strand, and the palm faces you only while it is crossing over a strand.
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- Rotate your left hand and put the left-hand strand in 1R.
- Continue instructions 20-21 to the end of the braid.
| ![]() | - Continue braiding in pattern to the end of the braid.
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- Tie off the end of the braid.
| ![]() | - Tie off the end of the braid.
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Voila! You've French braided your own hair. | ![]() | Voila! You've French braided your own hair. |