Flip-Over Ponies

You can do this with one or two pony tails, it looks cute either way. Just put the hair up in two ponytails (or one). From the top, use your finger or the end of a comb to part the ponytail above the elastic. Pull the pony through and tighten.

Criss-Cross

This one is an easy one that keeps the hair out of the face but has a fun look to it. Just pull back hair in 2 elastics. Then gather 2 more sections behind and add the opposite pony to each.

Swirly-do

Sometimes my girls get tired of elastics in their hair, and I get tired of pulling them out (although the Goody ouchless ones are great). That's when I try something with barrettes or bobby pins. With this one, I just twist a small section of hair (not too big or the bobby pin won't hold it) and secure it with a bobby pin. You can do as many as you want, but odd numbers look the best. For thicker hair, try to use narrower sections for a better hold.

Princess Pony Tail

A slight variation on the Princess Bun works well for my younger daughter, who has very wispy hair. I do 3 twists on top of her head, held in place by bobby pins. Then I pull the top half of her hair into one elastic. Then I gather all of her hair together in another elastic. Using more than one elastic to make the pony tail just prolongs the life of her hairstyle, particularly since she loves to twist her hair when she is bored.

The Flip-Under

This is one that I use a lot. My younger daughter has wispy, short hairs right at the hairline of her forehead. It isn't bangs, but just hair that is shorter than the rest of her hair. She does not like having her hair in her eyes, so I frequently use the flip-under to tame the short, wispy hairs. The less hair you use, the tighter it will hold. Just take a small section of hair right at the forehead line and put it tightly in an elastic. Then hold up the pony, slide your comb end or finger below the elastic and part the hair, then pull the pony through. Tighten and you are done!

Princess Bun

This one we learned in the Disneyland Princess area, and with practice I have managed to get it done in about 20 minutes. It works best when her hair is wet. First you make 3 twists on top of her head, holding them in place with bobby pins. Then you gather the top half of her hair in one elastic, leaving out a small section on each side. Then twist the small sections and hold in place with bobby pins. Add the rest of her hair to the ponytail using another elastic (so now all of her hair should be up in a pony tail). Then section by section, roll the hair under and pin in place with bobby pins. Stick a bobby pin through a tied ribbon and push into the center of the bun for a complete look. If you want to add a little flourish, place some very small flowers in each twist, or spray with glitter spray.

Crazy About Hair

As long as I can remember, I've been crazy about hair. In fact, I had a plan to attend beauty school, but decided instead to become a teacher. Growing up I used to beg my three younger siblings to let me do their hair. I even remember curling my little brother's hair. Now I have 2 little girls that have no problem letting me play with their hair. Sometimes I have a difficult time remembering styles I've tried that I like on them, so I thought a great way to document it would be to blog about it. That way I'm not the only who benefits from it.