DIY crochet braids :-)

Hi there,
   I love DIY projects. I think its absolutely rewarding to create stuff yourself and whenever I get the chance I dive in without hesitation. Some time ago I heard about a certain kind of protective style called crochet braids. Its where you use something like a crochet hook to latch hair(already braided single strands, Marley hair or any kind of braiding hair)through a single cornrow bit by bit till your whole head is covered with the hair. I didn't know how to go about it until I read it up on AB's blog. She posted a YouTube video by Jouelzy that explained how to do crochet braids with a bobby pin which was fine by me as I didn't have a crochet hook. So one boring Monday night I sat down and dove right in. I did not remember to take pictures in the beginning so pardon me.

What I used

•  A bobby pin
•  Rat tail comb for the parts
• Noble Marley braiding hair( I used 4 or 5 packs)

 Method

• I made 12 cornrows on my head.

 

• Starting from the back I inserted the head of the bobby pin into the row I wanted to attach the hair to.

 

• I left the pin in halfway through the row so the head sticks out just enough to allow a piece of the Marley hair slide through.

 

• Then I took a piece of the braiding hair, twisted the end and then pushed the twisted end through the head of the pin gently so as not to dislodge it.

 

• Next I pulled the hair through and matched up the ends. When they were  matched up I gently pulled the bobby pin( with the Marley hair securely attached) backwards as if to remove it. The Marley hair slid right through my cornrow with the pin. I didn't let it go too far though.

 

• Then I removed the bobby pin from the Marley hair and tied the Marley hair in a knot around itself so it doesn't slide off.

 

• I worked from left to right at first then I later went row by row. Sounds complicated but its super easy. Here are some pictures

 

A regular hair pin opened up for easy use

 
 
Noble bulk hair (N700 per pack) 
 

 I made 12 cornrows  and started attaching the hair through the eye of the  bobby pin
 
  

I attached hair from left to right at first then I started doing it line by line 
 
 
 
All done with the right side 
 
 

 All done!


Worthy of note
It took me 6 hours from start to finish( I almost passed out!)
I made the cornrows too small and too tight so pulling the hair through was a nightmare!! next time I'll make the rows bigger and looser
The braiding hair I used was sooo heavy!( The last time I'll use it for this purpose) It was like I was balancing a tray of cocoyams on my head. Thats what did the hairstyle in at the end. I couldn't cope with the weight and so after having it in for about 5 minutes I decided to cut it short... and it was ruined!!:(

 

 Egged on by some unseen forces I cut the hair and promptly ruined the style :(


Uneven, unequal and uncool ends stared me in the face. I had no choice but to take it all off and chalk it up to experience. It was during removal that I accidentally chopped off my front hair.

The bald eagle :(
If the braiding hair hadn't been so heavy I would have rocked the hairstyle. I love the ideas of crochet braiding because its so gentle on your hair. No pressure on your edges whatsoever. They are a great protective style for those who would love to braid or wear a weave without bothering about needles breaking  hair each time it passes through. I've learnt my lessons with this first trial and believe it or not I intend to install crochet braids  sometime this month. Hopefully I'll tell you about it soon.
Thanks for stopping by :)




KimB