DIY Bohemian Hair Wrap Tutorial:
On a cold Winter day in Amsterdam, I decided to do some summer dreaming with a pretty bohemian hair wrap. I tried to make the directions simple. Feel free to comment with any questions!
You will need:
1. Embroidery Floss. (I recommend at least 2 colors for some contrast. But you can use as many or as few colors as you'd like.)
2. Separating Comb.
3. Beads of your choice. (I was trying to stay with a metallic theme, but any beads will do, as long as they have a large enough hole to fit easily over your braid.)
4. Spray Conditioner.
5. Tiny hair bands. (at least as many bands, as you have colors of embroidery floss)
6. A small feather of your choice.
7. Optional- Any other jewelry type embellishments you'd like to tie in.
8. Optional- Metallic thread.
9. School Glue.
10. Large Eyed Needle.
11. Scissors
Directions:
1. Brush out your hair, and decide where you'd like to put your wrap.
2.
Separate a small section of hair. (About a "pinky's width" thick.) Put the rest of the hair into a bun to keep out of your way.
3.
Spray the section of hair with conditioner.
4.
Braid the hair tightly. All the way to the very, very ends.
5.
Prepare the embroidery floss by carefully unwinding the bundles. Line up the ends of the floss and rewind each color SEPARATELY around your fingers.
6.
Secure with your tiny hair bands once you have wound about 3/4 of the strand. I do not recommend cutting the floss. Especially if you have long hair. As there is not way of truly telling how long your floss will need to be.
7.
Tie the thread in a single slip knot around the base of your braid, leaving about 2 inches of loose ends, which you will work into your wrap. Leave at least a pinky's width from your scalp to the first knot. This will allow your wrap to move freely. If it is too tight, it can cause you pain, and potentially pull out your hair. (Don't worry if it slips down at first, you can always push it a bit tighter.)
8.
Create your knots.
First Create a "teepee" with your first color thread while holding the braid, the loose ends and all the other colors securely in a bundle.
Loop the first color around the bottom of the braid and send it through the "teepee". Pull to tighten and create the first knot.
9. Repeat the knotting process, over and over and over and over.
10. Alternate the colors by simply switching to the next string, and putting the previous string in with the "braid bundle".
11. Embellish by adding a bead here or there. Just string a bead onto the BRAID ONLY and push up to the last knot. Then continue the knotting process below the bead.
12. Sparkle by tying some metallic thread onto the braid in the same way as step one. Continue to tie the knots as usual. Using as much or as few sparkly threads as you desire.
13. Heat it up with hardwear. I chose a simple metal bead chain, often found on keychains.
Simply tie the thread around each individual bead, with the same "single knot" you have used for the entire project.
14. Continue knotting until you have covered your braid. I chose to continue 2 inches past my braid, so that the end of my wrap will peek out from under my hair.
15. POP with an accent color. (optional)
I used a WAXED embroidery floss in an electric blue. Use a VERY long piece (longer than your project is currently) and fold the accent strand perfectly in half. Place the base of your braid (Near your scalp) into the loop, so that you have 2 ENDS of EQUAL LENGTH on either side of the braid.
Tie a slip knot above the other floss on your braid-close to the scalp. Continue to tie SINGLE knots with the two ends, snug to your wrap, ALTERNATING SIDES. Tie, cross to other side, Tie, cross to other side, Tie... etc.
You can decide if you would like to take this accent all the way down. I stopped mine above my gold beads, by tying a very tight double knot, and snipping the ends.
16. Snip the bundles of thread about 2 inches past your stopping point, leaving the ends loose.
17. String two end beads onto your floss, to finish the look. (still leaving threads loose.)
18. Feather your wrap by coating the stem of a small feather in school glue.
19. Secure your feather by pushing the glue covered stem of your feather into the bottom of the last bead in the opposite direction of the loose strands.
20. Tie a single knot around the stem of the feather right next to the opening of the last bead. It will camouflage the entry point of the feather stem for a more finished look.
21. Thread each of the loose ends back through the final bead and snip the ends as close as they'll get to the bead. Push the top bead back down to join the beads and hide the thread.
I decided it needed a little something extra, so i used the blue waxed thread to tie a tiny cage around the copper bead.
VOILA!! Now you have a gorgeous bohemian accent to welcome the Spring!!
-The RhyNoceros
