An easy half up braid tutorial for curly hair

The hardest part of styling curly hair for me is the front layers. This easy half up braid tutorial lets your pin back the hair from around your face so that you’re not constantly tucking your hair behind your ear all day long.

I tuck my hair behind my ear so often I didn’t even know I was doing it.

When I first met my husband Jim, he used to have the most beautiful dalmation called Dotty. She had perfect markings but was deaf and so ended up abandoned in a dog rescue. My mother-in-law is incredible with animals and she trained Dotty to respond to sign language. How amazing is that?

So Dotty knew to go to family members, we all had a gesture so she’s know who to look for. It was usually something to do with our appearance or a movement that we made a lot so she would recognise it. The sign for me was to pretend to tuck your hair behind your ear! So sweet and so weird to realise that I do it so much a dog would remember it.

Anyway, if you’re a chronic hair tucker like me, this simple braid tutorial is perfect for you.

Easy half up braid tutorial for curly hair

What you need:

• Small hair elastic

Step-by-step tutorial:

1. Create a part on the right side. You can find out how I style my curly hair here.
2. Start your braid next to your part. Take a small section of hair and split it into three. We’re doing a Dutch braid which means you cross the left section under the middle, then the right under the left. Add some hair to the next section and cross that under the middle.
3. Continue the Dutch braid to your temple. Follow your hairline , adding in hair to both sides of your braid until just above your ear.
4. Finish in a normal braid. Curve your braid around and stopping adding in hair to finish in a normal braid (plait).
5. Link at the back. Take a piece of hair from the right side of your hairline (around your temple) and combine it at the back with your braid. Secure it with a small clear elastic.
6. As always, I like to stretch out the braid a little, but that’s it!

Styling tips

• I like to work with my curls when creating styles in my naturally curly hair. What I mean is that I add in sections to the braid dependng on the size and shape of my curls. If you break up a curl it makes your hair frizz so add in whole curls wherever possible.
• If your hair is really thick, this half braid tutorial would work really well in your hair.

You can find all my other curly hair posts here.

Are you a chronic hair tucker? What’s your favourite style to keep your hair off your face?