French Fishtail

The New Braiding Handbook

Posted by Ulysses Press

About

You must be familiar with a regular Fishtail Braid to make any sense out of this tutorial. Once you get that, it’ll be easy peasy!

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You Will Need (1 thing)

  • Elastic

Steps (13 steps, 15 minutes)

  1. 1

    Gather a small section of
hair. Where you decide to gather this section is where your Fishtail Braid will start.

  2. 2

    Split the hair into two sections.

  3. 3

    Holding both sections in your left hand, section off a small piece of hair from the back of the right section with your right hand.

  4. 4

    Using your left hand, reach over the right section and grab that small piece of hair. Pull
it over the right section and combine it with the left section.

  5. 5

    Move both sections into your right hand and section off a small piece of hair from the back of the left section with your left hand.

  6. 6

    Using your right hand, reach over the left section and grab that small piece of hair. Pull it over the left section and combine it with the right.

  7. 7

    Now you’re going to start incorporating new hair. Note: You will be moving from the back to the front with these
new sections. The sections will be about half an inch thick depending on how textured you want your braid, and you’re going to sweep them down and over. So with your right hand section off a small piece of new hair.

  8. 8

    Sweep that section over the right section and add it to the left. Make sure you are pulling the strands tight. You can always go in and loosen things up afterward.

  9. 9

    Transfer both sections into your right hand and gather a new section with your left hand.

  10. 10

    Sweep the new small section over the left section and combine it with the right.

  11. 11

    Repeat steps 7–9.

  12. 12

    Right around here is where my arms start turning into jelly, so I move the braid forward onto my shoulder and start Fishtailing the opposite way.

  13. 13

    Tie off the braid with a clear elastic. Pancake the braid by gently spreading the sections. Doing this will make your braid look thicker and it will add volume and texture.