If you are confused about different types of braids, let HTHG help you clarify. Let’s take a sentence to go back to the beginning of braids. The French stole the idea of braiding from the Africans, and then the Dutch put their own unique spin on it. Here is more on the origin of french braids.

French braids and dutch braids are basically an inside out version of each other. A french braid involves 3 pieces of hair like a regular braid, but hair is added to each side as you overlap them OVER the center strand. With a dutch braid, you UNDERLAP.

A french braid looks like this…

A dutch braid looks like this….

I am a bit embarrassed to admit to you that it took me until LAST MONTH to do a proper dutch braid. It was just one of those things that slipped me by!

This is blasphemy because I am a life long hair dresser. When I am bored or restless, I braid. Also, I am Dutch. My middle name is VanderStoep which I am proud to share with you means ‘from the gutter.’

Anyhow, I was inspired by the pretty pretty braids over at www.hairromance.com and she seems to always use dutch braids. So I spent a nap-time sesh practicing, first in the mirror and then by feel. I’ve got it down.

I can’t believe it took me so long to master dutch braiding! I made a little video for you to help you master your french braiding techniques, so that you can follow be through a world of awesome and inspired braided DIY hairstyles. Learn from my mistake and don’t get caught without these valuable tools in your #DIYhair tool kit.

Want to learn how to fishtail braid?

XO!