This holiday season it’s easy to keep your little angel looking cute, coifed and camera ready with simple yet stylish hair looks featured on The Today Show from Cozy Friedman, author of Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls Hair.
The Must-Have Look of the season is…The Heart Braid!
What You’ll Need: Wide-tooth comb, fine-tooth comb, decorative hair clip, ponytail holders
Step 1: Starting with damp hair (either towel-dried or misted), use a wide-tooth comb to detangle the hair. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, part the hair down the middle of the head. Clip one side up right above the ear.
Step 2: On the other side of the part, use the fine comb to gather a thin section of hair from the crown. This section should measure about 2 inches from the hairline to the top of the head.
Step 3: Divide this section into three, and begin a French braid starting at the crown and curving toward the temple, then toward the back of the head, like the top lobe of a heart. You will be lifting hair into the braid only from this side of the part. Leave no loose hair in front of the ears.
Step 4: When you reach the center part at the back of the head, secure the braid with a ponytail holder. If the hair is very long, end the braid about mid ear; the ends will hang down the back.
Step 5: Unclip the hair on the other side of the part and repeat the process. Secure with a ponytail holder.
Step 6: Join the ends of the braids together in the back with a decorative bow or ponytail holder to form the bottom point of the heart.
How to do The Present Bow Hair Braid.
What you’ll need: Brush/wide-tooth comb, spray bottle of water, fine-tooth comb, hair spray, spray-on hair glitter, hairpins
Step 1: Starting with dry hair, brush or comb the hair to smooth and detangle it. Lightly mist it with water so it is slightly damp. Using the fine-tooth comb, part hair in the center.
Step 2: On one side of the part near the hairline, pick up a 1-inch section of hair to create a long strand.
Step 3: Repeat on the other side of the part, to create a second strand of hair. Join the two strands together by creating a loose knot. Spray the knot and pin it in place. Then loosely create the perfect bow, tying the two strands together. Pin each bow in place and spray with hairspray to secure the bow. For a finishing touch, cover the bow with spray-on hair glitter; be generous with the glitter if you really want your bow to sparkle!
The French Braid Headband is a great way to keep hair off the face, plus this braided headband makes its own accessory. Girls can wear it with their hair hanging down in back, or with a ponytail.
What You’ll Need: Wide-tooth comb, fine-tooth comb, ponytail holders, jaw clip, decorative bobby pins
Step 1: Start with damp hair (either towel –dried or misted) and use a wide-tooth comb to detangle the hair.
Step 2: Use a fine-tooth comb to draw a horizontal line across the crown from the top of one ear to the top of the other ear. From the line, comb the hair forward to the face. Pull the hair in back of the line into a ponytail holder or jaw clip so it stays out of your way.
Step 3: Choose which ear you want the braid to start from. Tilt the head so the ear you’ve chosen is facing up toward the ceiling. With your child’s ear tilted up, being making the braided headband using the hair in front of the part.
Step 4: Once you’ve reached the other ear, secure the braid with a ponytail holder. If you like, tuck it behind the ear and pin it in place with a few bobby pins. Remove the ponytail holder or jaw clip use in Step 2 and style as you like. Finish by adding sparkly or decorative hairpins through different parts of the braid.
The Braided Bun. This simple way of scooping hair up always makes girls feel grown-up. And the braided bun is extremely versatile – it can be adorned with a fun clip or headband to dress it up, or worn alone as a stylish and effective way to keep hair off the face.
What You’ll Need: Ponytail holder, bobby pins, beaded/decorative pins, decorative hair band.
Step 1: Gather hair in a loose ponytail. Make a braid with the ponytail, tying it off with a ponytail holder.
Step 2: Twist the braided ponytail into a tight rope, coiling it around itself at the base.
Step 3: Tuck the ends of the coil into the ponytail holder at the base. Then secure the bun by pushing bobby pins into the hair at the bun’s base on all sides. Lightly spritz the bun with hair spray or spray-on hair glitter to lock in the style.
The Quadruple Twist. A quick flick of the wrist creates this cute coif that only looks complicated. You can fancy it up with pretty beads or barrettes to go with your child’s holiday outfit.
What You’ll Need: Spray bottle, fine-tooth comb, hair clip to section hair, small ponytail holders, mini- clips, hair gel or light styling cream
Step 1: Mist the hair with the spray bottle to make it damp but not wet. Part in the middle with a fine-tooth comb, and gather a section of the hair on one side of the part, from the part to the outer eyebrow.
Step 2: Divide this section in half, with one half near the part and on half away from it. Clip the half closest to the part out of the way.
Step 3: Hold the remaining half and begin twisting it on a diagonal path toward the part. Twist firmly, gathering additional hair as you twist, but not so tightly that it hurts. Twist till you reach the part, then secure the end with a ponytail holder, letting the excess hair hand down.
Step 4: Unclip the half-section closest to the part and mist again. Using the same method, twist this section firmly in the direction of the part. Secure with a ponytail holder.
Step 5: Repeat the process on the other side of the part to create tow more twists, for a total of four.
Step 6: Attach pretty clips to the ponytail holder on each twist, be creative with these as it’s a holiday style. Rub a pea-sized amount of gel or light styling cream between your palms and scrunch the curls to finish.
See Cozy talk about these fabulous styles on The Today Show
Learn more about Cozy Friedman and So Cozy products
Buy Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls Hair book
Bonnie Fisher says
I love the Holiday Hairstyles especially the The French Braid Headband. My granddaughter would look great with it