My cousins went away for a vacation in Mexico and when they were down there Lisa wanted to get a hair wrap done. Turns out they were charging $10 for a braid with a silver string wrapped around it and some beads tied on the end. When they got home Lisa asked asked me if I could do one. It's been a long time since the last time I did it but I thought it would be fun to give it a go and it gave me something else to post on my blog!
Things you need:
Embroidery floss (at least 2 different colours and up to as many as you'd like)
scissorstiny elastic for hair
big hair elastic
beads, bells or charms if you want
Step 1: After choosing your colours, cut each piece at least twice as along as the hair you're wrapping. It's better to have too much than not enough string!
Step 2: Section out some hair where ever you'd like the hair wrap and make a small braid and use you tiny elastic for the end of it and with the rest of the hair tie it back with a big elastic. It's easier if the rest of the hair is pulled back so it doesn't get in the way of the wrap.
Step 3: Find the middle of each piece of string then tie a knot around the top of the braid.
Step 4: Start wrapping! All you have to do is pick which every colour you like (and it doesn't matter which piece of string you use) and wrap it around the hair and the other string that is not being used. Just pretend that the unused string is a part of the braid. Keep the string tight and wrap the rows close together so no hair shows through. When you want to change colours, just pick the next colour you want, just hold the piece of string you were using between your thumb and forefinger and start wrapping with the next colour over top of the colour you just used.
Step 5: For designs or patterns, you can do a lot with just wrapping the string. You can make each colour a certain length and do patterns that way. Or alternate colours after wrapping each piece of string once around the hair (this will make it look like each row is a different colour). If you want something a little more complicated, and you can also make Xs around the solid colours you have. To do this all you need to do is chose a colour to be the solid and a colour for the Xs. Before you start wrapping your solid colour keep out both strings of the colour you want to make your X. Wrap the solid colour around the rest of the hair and string. When you're solid colour is as long as you want it, get someone else to hold the end for you (I just had Lisa hold it for me when I did it) and then take both strings of the colour for the Xs and wrap them around the solid colour.
Then just pick the next colour you want to start wrapping with and wrap as per normal.
Step 6: To finish your hair wrap, keep wrapping until you've covered the end of the hair and all you're left wrapping is the unused string. If you want beads, string a couple of beads on at the end of the wrap then just tie it off at the end. You can also use beads throughout the hair wrap if you like, Lisa didn't want any beads in hers because it makes it hard to sleep and brush her hair, so just keep that in mind.
And that's what it looked like in the end. They will stay in for a pretty long time!
TIP: If you underestimated how long you needed for your string and you don't have enough to finish the wrap, just get some more and tie one piece of string at a time part way down the braid. If you tie one piece at a time instead of making a big knot like you did at the top of the braid then it will make it easier to cover.
So I guess if you want a hair wrap you're better off getting one at home than you are in Mexico!
