Thinking About Crochet Braids for a Summer Protective Style

curlyincolorado.com crochet braids summer protective styles For a while now I’ve been watching videos on Youtube that illustrate how to install crochet braids.  At first, I was just curious how the style was done.  The crochet braids that I remember were stringy, pre-braided strands that were attached to the hair with a latch hook tool.

It looks like the technique has come a long way since then.  Now,  people are using all different types of hair textures to create various looks.  This means the style can be worn curly or straight; short or long.  I’m interested in doing this type of style over the summer because it looks like an easy way to protect my growing hair while having the look of a style that is always ready to wear.  It may take me up to two to three hours to complete but can last four to six weeks.

I watched several videos on how to install crochet braids and this one, by MamiTresses, was the best at explaining how it’s done.  Enjoy!

Learning How to French Braid Natural Hair

french braiding natural hair
French Braids on my Natural Hair

Recently I posted a Youtube video on how I french braid my natural hair.  I have been wearing my hair braided up more often recently as part of my No Heat Challenge.  It has made things a little easier for me because the weather is cooler these days.  My hair can get really big and full so the french braids make it possible for me to get a hat on my head whenever I want.  I also use the braids to protect my hair while I’m sleeping at night so I won’t have to wake up to tangles in the morning.

I posted the video because I wanted to offer a visual to other naturals of how to do french braids.  I see a lot of comments online from people who have never learned how to braid their hair in this way.  I learned the technique from my mother who braided my hair every week when I was younger.  Sometimes she would do a fancy braided style on my hair but later on she just did one or two french braids with a little bang in front.  When I was about ten years old she taught me how to do it on my own hair.  She also taught me how to do the inverted method which was basically the opposite of french braiding.  I was frustrated with it at first because my braids just didn’t look as nice and tight as when she did them.  I eventually got the hang of it though.

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO ON HOW I FRENCH BRAID MY NATURAL HAIR
Having this styling technique in my arsenal made it that much easier when I went natural.  When my hair grew past the TWA stage I knew that I could braid my hair up for a braid out or protective style.  I can see now that I’m also saving money because I’ve never gone to someone else to have them braid it for me.  Hopefully more people will learn the technique so that they’ll have more options when styling natural hair.