Cupcakes and Cashmere

Braided Hair Updo Tutorial

February 6th, 2013

opening2

I usually wear my hair down the majority of the time, but it’s fun to experiment with non traditional styles occasionally. In this recent post, I featured one of my favorite looks: the simple braided updo. I love this one because it looks intricate, but it’s actually really easy and takes only a few minutes to complete. Here’s how to do it.

items&step1

Items you will need: a comb, clear hair bands (2) and bobby pins. If possible, use bobby pins that are close to your hair color, so they camouflage a bit.

Step 1: Part your hair down the center all the way to the back of your head, separating it into two equal sections.

step2&3

Step 2:  Take one of the separated sides and secure with a hair band so it doesn’t get in the way.

Step 3: Braid the side of your hair not secured in the hairband. Don’t worry about making it too tight – it should be slightly loose, so it’s easy to work with.

step4&5

Step 4: Tie the end of your braid with a clear hairband.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other side, resulting in two Pippy Longstocking-esque braided pigtails.

step6&7

Step 6: Take one braid and bring it across to the other side, making sure it’s even and that it looks okay from the front.

Step 7: Secure braid with the bobby pins from the top and bottom. My rule of thumb: add one bobby pin each inch of the braid, tucked under so they’re not too visible. Repeat on the other side and pin the braid directly under the first, so they’re right on top of each other.

finalproduct

Take out a few loose hairs right along your hairline so the look isn’t too perfect. Stick a few bobby pins in your purse, so that if it becomes loose during the day, you can secure it easily.

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  • http://youngandimpressionablee.blogspot.com/ Jaeger
  • kim

    What is the nail polish color? Love it!

  • http://www.thepursesnatcher.net Sarah

    Very pretty!!!

    The Purse Snatcher 

  • amy

    Adorable and seems easy enough!

    coffeebeansandbobbypins.blogspot.com/

  • http://careertocouture.blogspot.com Jess

    Thank you so much for doing a tutorial on this!! I’ve been wanting to try just such a hairstyle for sooo long! Doesn’t look too hard :)

    Jess

    CareertoCouture.blogspot.com

  • http://kjandersen.wordpress.com/ Kajsa

    Wish I had thicker and longer hair seeing this :) Gorgeous look. http://kjandersen.wordpress.com/

  • http://rothaariges.blogspot.de/ Flora

    Such a nice idea. I will try it :)

  • http://joliejouel.blogspot.com Ashleigh @ Jolie Jouel

    It looks so beautiful from the back! The highlights really add another dimension too. Thanks! ~ ashleigh

    My jewelry blog: http://www.joliejouel.com

  • Beauty by MissAsh

    This is so adorable, I have to try this! Xo
    Check out my online beauty store: http://beautybymissash.blogspot.ca/

  • http://dcinstyle.com/ Elena

    Great hair do!!! I agree, braids always look interesting!
    Elena
    http://dcinstyle.com

  • http://www.whenwewander.blogspot.com Corey @ When We Wander

    Such an easy hair style (that looks much more complicated!) Love how heidi-esque it is !

  • http://www.cookingfortheotherhalf.com De @ Cooking for the Other Half

    This makes me wish I didn’t just chop off my hair! So beautiful!

  • http://kristinadoestheinternets.blogspot.com Kristina

    I always want to do styles like this, but my hair isn’t long/thick enough to look right. It’s very pretty on you though, something about braided updos is so romantic.

    Kristina

    Kristina does the Internets

  • http:/smartchicdietreadbooksandfly.blogspot.it Federica

    Emily, you have always nice and easy ideas !! You will write more of a book by your rich personality!!Federica
    Smartchicdietreadbooksandfly.blogspot.it

  • http://www.thekeypieces.co.uk Lou

    I love this, but it is something that I would end up trying to do for hours. Looks great on you Emily.

    Lou

    http://www.thekeypieces.co.uk

  • http://www.daisyroadsterandcoco.blogspot.fr/ Daisy Roadster and Coco

    That’s a lovely way to have a nice hair change. Wish I had long hair…

  • http://mylifewithvalentine.blogspot.fr/ Valentine
  • http://www.insparisian.com brooke

    i love the way the braids pick up the various color tones in your hair! it looks super chic and modern.

    http://www.insparisian.com

  • http://Light-andsweet.blogspot.com Filiz

    LOVE this do’. Love the color variation of your hair in the braids.
    x

  • http://dreamsinhd.blogspot.com/ Molly {Dreams in HD}

    love this! i am hair challenged, but will definitely be giving this updo a try.

    Molly {Dreams in HD}
    http://dreamsinhd.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.erinscurrentlycoveting.com Erin

    Gorgeous! And it looks super easy!

    xx,
    E
    Currently Coveting

  • http://strawberryleopard.blogspot.pt/ Ana F.

    When i fisrt saw i thought it would be something really hard to do but its amazing how simple it is!

    http://strawberryleopard.blogspot.pt/

  • http://www.livingnotesfromnyc.com Olya

    cute! now this is where i wish my growing bangs have already grown out ( or i never cut them. ever… )
    http://www.livingnotesfromnyc.com

  • http://mochaandmoccasins.blogspot.ca Monica

    I’ve seen this hairdo on tumblr a lot, but it always looked so hard to do. Thanks for the tutorial, I think I could give this one a try :)

    M.

  • http://MamaInHeels.com Janise

    Looks effortless. Thanks for showing.

    http://MamaInHeels.com

  • http://www.thewrittenrunway.com Ambyr

    I also wear my hair down about 99% of the time but always see such cute updos. I really like the braiding in the back. Really cute!

    xoxo
    http://www.thewrittenrunway.com

  • http://poorlittleitgirl.com Cathy, your Poor Little It Girl

    This is such a cute look…I will def be trying this out today!

    xoxo
    Cathy, your Poor Little It Girl
    http://poorlittleitgirl.com

  • http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/ pretty little things

    just gorgeous! you have such pretty hair! xo

    http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/

  • http://lipglossandbows.blogspot.com Mallory

    Adorable. I love your current hair color, it’s really cute – as always! :)
    xo-Mallory

  • Denisa

    That looks so nice but for me a little difficult. Have a nice day.

    http://www.fashiondenis.com/

  • http://www.mahcollection.com Ondina

    This looks great . I will definitively try it now that my hair has got long and I can manage it …

  • http://www.alinaloves.com AlinaLoves

    I am a massive fan of braided hair – so much so that I had two French braids on each side of my head on my wedding day! I love this hairstyle, so romantic and pretty – and very feminine! This tutorial looks very simple indeed – I now need to grow my hair back to give it a go!

  • http://THEURBANPROMENEUR.blogspot.com The Urban Promeneur

    Love this. So easy and so beautiful.

    http://THEURBANPROMENEUR.blogspot.com

  • http://norebeccaforayear.blogspot.com/ Cassidy Short

    Love it, thanks for this tutorial! I love simple updos :)

    xoxo
    Cassidy

    http://norebeccaforayear.blogspot.com/

  • Hannah

    That’s so cute! I always try your tutorials..but they never turn out the same :’(

    xxHannah

    http://www.thesoftoptimist.com/

  • http://ishowedupinboots.com I Showed Up In Boots

    I can´t wait to try this! Thank you so much for the tutorial. Definitely a different look from a topknot or wearing my hair down.

    http://ishowedupinboots.com

  • http://www.365til30.com Kate365til30

    That’s so gorgeous!!!
    xo
    Kate
    http://www.365til30.com

  • http://razzdazzle.blogspot.mx/ Mia@Razzle Dazzle Rose
  • http://www.anightinnyc.blogspot.com olga

    OMG I’ve been eyeing this look for so long and was wondering how to do it. Thanks so much for this, can’t wait to get home and try it!

    http://www.anightinnyc.blogspot.com

  • http://www.whenwewander.blogspot.com Kait | when we wander

    I’ve found this to be the perfect way to pull hair up in a sophisticated way on the days I don’t wash my hair. It’s so pretty and easy!

    http://www.whenwewander.blogspot.com

  • http://www.oreliamae.wordpress.com Julie

    Love it!

  • http://www.flowerofpassions.blogspot.com Radka

    Very easy but lovely. :-) I like it

    http://www.flowerofpassions.blogspot.com

  • http://www.flowerofpassions.blogspot.com Radka
  • http://herestohappinesses.blogspot.com/ Amie

    Super cute & simple to do, I love those types of hairstyles!

  • http://likestosmile.wordpress.com/ Stacey

    Can’t wait to try this!! Thanks for the tip!

  • Anon

    This is a total rip off the exact same hairstyle posted on Cup of Jo a year and a half ago

  • http://www.principessagabriella.blogspot.com Gabriella

    This is so cute and simple, Ill be trying this out soon! I love playing with different hair styles every so often so I don’t get bored. :)

    ♥ Check out my blog: http://www.principessagabriella.blogspot.com/

  • http://gbofashion.com Shannon

    Such a cute hair idea! I’m always looking for a good new do!

    GBOfashion.com

  • http://beancakes.wordpress.com/ Kristina

    Really cute hairstyle Emily, I do this one sometimes as well!

  • http://www.unacolombianaencalifornia.com/ Cristina