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Hairstyle How-to: Easy braided updo tutorial

January 7, 2013 By Hair Romance 56 Comments

Hair Romance hairstyle how to - easy braided upstyle

Hairstyle how to - easy braided upstyle

This braided hairstyle tutorial was inspired by an Instagram photo I posted. It’s a quick and easy braided updo that anyone can do. It looks complicated but they are just basic braids (plaits) so it’s very simple to do in your own hair.

On that day, I had planned to wear my hair out, but the weather changed and my hair was a bit of a mess. I decided to wear my hair up and threw this braid together. I took a photo just to show my fave new trend – the back badge – but you loved the hairstyle and asked for a tutorial so here it is!

Here’s the photo that inspired this post and the tutorial is below. Please note the back badge, my favourite new way to wear brooches and badges, but more on that later.

Hair Romance braided updo via Instagram

Hairstyle how-to: Easy braided updo tutorial

Hairstyle how to - Hair Romance easy braided upstyle tutorial

Step-by-step:

  1. Leaving a section loose on either side of your face, and gather the rest of your hair back into a ponytail. Pull gently at the top of your ponytail so it’s not too tight.
  2. Braid half of the hair on the left hand side, and wrap it over your ponytail. Repeat with the right hand side.
  3. Braid the lower section of hair on the left hand side and wrap over your ponytail. Pin in place with a bobby pin underneath your ponytail. Repeat on the right hand side.ย Important: Stretch out your braids! Pull at the sides to make your hair look thicker and fuller.
  4. Loosely braid your ponytail and roll it under to form a bun. Pin in place with bobby pins.

If you have long hair you could leave your ponytail loose, or split it into several braids to make a large bun underneath.

Will you try this hairstyle? And more importantly, try wearing your badges on your back! It’s a fab way to draw more attention to your hair ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Braids, Hair Romance, Hair Style Advice, Tutorials

« New Year’s party hairspiration
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Comments

  1. Meredith says

    July 31, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    I know this is lame, but tucking the ends of a tied braid makes me itchy all day…ideas for smoother tucks? Also my hair is HEAVY, how do I pin it up without pulling the hair I pin it to? I usually use spin pins bc they hold my hair up wit out 3,000 pins…

    Reply
  2. Tianna says

    November 4, 2013 at 5:59 am

    I am a server and a medical assistant, this requires me to keep my hair up pretty much 7 days a week. I get really bored of the standard pony or bun. This hair style is very easy and absolutely beautiful! you definitely just gained a follower! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      November 4, 2013 at 1:49 pm

      Thanks so much Tianna! You should check out my 30 Buns in 30 Days for more ideas x

      Reply
  3. Maryam says

    October 11, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    Hi can this work for long hair?

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      October 12, 2013 at 4:29 am

      Hi Maryam, it can do but your’ll need to vary it for really long hair. In the comments here you’ll find a link to Stacy’s blog. She has amazing long hair and modified this style for her hair xx

      Reply
  4. sirilovise says

    October 11, 2013 at 7:15 am

    That looks so lovely, and you make it seem so simple, I might just have to try it – might even be a potential updo for Christmas parties ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      October 12, 2013 at 4:31 am

      Thanks! It would be great for a party hairstyle. It’s easy to do in your own hair as you only need to do a basic braid, no French braiding required x

      Reply
  5. JJ says

    October 9, 2013 at 4:04 am

    Hi Thanks for the tutorial Adorable it is so cute when my hair gets long enough i will try it

    Reply
  6. Peggy Elliott says

    July 16, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    My hair is VERY long, but thin, and I was able to reconfigure this to get it to work. Maybe not as neat as the original, but still looks close and something I was proud to wear!

    One thing I’ve found to be a great help when securing sections, like these braids, are the hair scroos. They can hold like glue and you can get by with only a couple, instead of a head so full of pins you set off the metal detector at the airport!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      July 18, 2013 at 5:59 am

      Great top Peggy! Are they like the spin pins? They’re great for holding up long or thick hair x

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    June 30, 2013 at 6:46 am

    I LOVE this hair style! Unfortunately my hair is a lot thinner than yours so I doesn’t look near as cute as yours. Any tips on how to get my hair to look thicker? Also, could you possibly show some hairstyles for thinner hair? Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      June 30, 2013 at 9:28 pm

      Thanks Amanda! Try stretching out your braid, this always makes hair look thicker. You pull at the outside of the braid while holding on the end and it will double or triple in width. I am also working on a series for fine hair with a good friend of mine so stay tuned for that coming soon x

      Reply
  8. Emily says

    May 9, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    I love this hairstyle. I’m going to attempt it tomorrow! But one question how do you secure the first two braids that wrap around the pony?

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      May 10, 2013 at 10:46 pm

      Thanks Emily! I secured them with bobby pins underneath the ponytail x

      Reply
  9. ally says

    March 31, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    would you reccomend this for a prom updo? as in, would it stay in the whole night, or is it a bit too delicate for that?

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      March 31, 2013 at 11:52 pm

      This would be a perfect prom style Ally! Great idea. If your hair is very long, you will need to use strong pins to hold up the braid or try a couple of spin pins xx

      Reply
  10. ally says

    March 30, 2013 at 11:14 pm

    I have pretty long hair – it’s waist length, any tips on how to do the bottom braid bit and get it to stay up and not look as bulky?

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      March 31, 2013 at 9:37 am

      Hi Ally, there’s a trackback link below to Stacy’s blog where she has a great variation for long hair. She also has amazing waist length hair and has done a twisted bun variation x

      Reply
  11. Alexandra says

    March 29, 2013 at 9:32 am

    Wow, this looks lovely!
    Unfortunately, I can’t keep the last, big braid in place. It always falls down, even though it feels like I’ve put a thousend pins in it! Also, my hair falls out of the braids, but by now I’m used to my always-messy hairstyles. Maybe you have a solution for me? I have pretty thick, withstanding, somewhere-between-curly-and-straight hair which never does what I want.
    Until then, I’ll keep enjoying your blog! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      March 29, 2013 at 5:20 pm

      Hi Alexandra, try putting at elastic at the end of the last big braid. Then when you roll it up, place a pin over the hair elastic and pin it to the rest of your hair. Don’t take too much hair in the bobby pin or it won’t close and won’t have a strong grip. As for braids falling out, I often have layers that poke out of my braids. You can curl the ends of your hair before braiding which makes the layers less obvious. If your hair is soft and won’t stay in the braid, a little spray of dry shampoo or hairspray adds grip to help your hair stay in place too x

      Reply
      • Alexandra says

        March 31, 2013 at 6:38 am

        Thank you! I’ll try it next time ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
  12. Kathy says

    March 28, 2013 at 8:51 am

    Definitely trying this for work tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      March 28, 2013 at 9:05 am

      Thanks Kathy! Love to know how you go x

      Reply
  13. mohmohnaychi says

    March 8, 2013 at 3:14 am

    Very good idea. I like it

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      March 9, 2013 at 9:57 am

      Thank you! Hope you try it in your hair x

      Reply
  14. Martha says

    February 23, 2013 at 11:50 am

    I seriously just did my hair in my office…I look better now than when I came in and I only used 1 pin instead of 2 and a hair tie. I think it is heavenly to have this site show people like me (not so girly) how to braid. I am always just tying it up and it damages my thin hair so much. Thanks so much for all your information. I look forward to seeing all the pages in your ebook!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      February 24, 2013 at 9:18 am

      Thank you so much Martha! Your comment made my day xxxxx

      Reply
  15. Julia says

    February 1, 2013 at 4:56 am

    Some days I just donโ€™t have the energy to get up and do my hair. So I love styles that are simple and easy to do yourself but still look beautifully intricate. Plus braids are a safe way to protectively style your hair without damaging it.

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      February 1, 2013 at 8:01 am

      Thanks Julia x

      Reply
  16. Sarah says

    January 15, 2013 at 1:16 am

    I was super excited to try this style this morning, but it didn’t work nearly as well as I hoped! My hair is really thin, and so even with stretching the braids out, it didn’t look nearly as full as yours did. Any tips on how to thicken up thin hair or get brads on super thin hair to look more full?

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 16, 2013 at 10:02 pm

      Hi Sarah, start with a volumising shampoo and only apply conditioner to the ends of your hair. Blowdry your hair with your head upside down and you can also use a volumising mousse to add more hold to your hair. You can stretch out braids a lot more than you think, and instead of braiding the ponytail, just make a large bun. Backcomb your ponytail, gently smooth the top and pin it under as a loose bun. Good luck! X

      Reply
  17. Kristen says

    January 12, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    I did it yesterday, and got so many compliments. I definitely will do it often now, because itยดs so easy and looks so romantical. Thank you for this tutorial. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 13, 2013 at 1:19 pm

      Thanks Kristen, so pleased you tried it! Christina x

      Reply
  18. Louise says

    January 12, 2013 at 10:06 am

    Love this one!!!

    Quickly becoming my new favourite thing to do on a saturday morning while Im lazing around in bed is to check out the latest styles you have put up… even searching through and checking out some of the older ones!!

    Gives me some ideas on how I can try and do my hair for the weekend ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 13, 2013 at 10:37 pm

      Thanks so much Louise! Glad to provide your weekly hairspiration x

      Reply
  19. Stacy says

    January 9, 2013 at 1:24 am

    Love, love this! I saw this all over Pinterest yesterday, so obviously other ladies do, too. ๐Ÿ™‚ My hair is a bit too long for those tuck under styles, since I have tried that before. I’m sure next year I will get my hair cut “short” and donate it again, so I will definitely be stalking your old posts for new updos.

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 9, 2013 at 10:58 am

      Thanks so much Stacy! Funny I was thinking of you with this style and there’s no way to tuck your long hair under. You could do several braids and pin them into a bun? Or leave your hair out as this would be a lovely braided detail over the ponytail x

      Reply
      • Stacy says

        January 10, 2013 at 2:00 am

        I did try to figure something out. I have the side braids and then braided everything together at the bottom and put it in a low bun. Lots and lots of hairpins, too! I’ll try to get a picture up this week sometime.

        Reply
        • Hair Romance says

          January 10, 2013 at 6:15 pm

          That’s great Stacy ! I’d love to see how it looks in your beautiful hair x

          Reply
          • Stacy says

            January 12, 2013 at 4:20 am

            Well, I got it posted! Not quite as pretty and neat as yours, though. ๐Ÿ™‚ http://www.stylinstacy.com/?p=1318

          • Hair Romance says

            January 13, 2013 at 10:40 pm

            LOVE IT! You can do so much your your long hair, amazing x

  20. Chamal0w says

    January 8, 2013 at 10:40 am

    Trรจs joliiii !

    Reply
  21. Maria says

    January 8, 2013 at 7:41 am

    I absolutely love this updo, I think it’s one of the prettiest styles i’ve seen in a long time.
    I’ve got curly hair not unlike your own in length and texture.Do you think it would work just as well with curly hair or would you recommend straightening it first?
    Absolutely love this website,I credit you with making me embrace my curls! Looking forward to see whay you have planned for 2013. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 8, 2013 at 10:16 am

      Thank you Maria! Yes it will be beautiful with curls, and you may only need to do one braid from each side. Curly updos don’t need as much detail, and look great when worn a little bit looser x

      Reply
  22. Gauri says

    January 8, 2013 at 3:05 am

    ? it!! Great tips too ?

    Reply
  23. Melissa Mitchell says

    January 7, 2013 at 11:28 am

    I’m going to give this a go. But my hair is a little longer than shoulder length, very fine and still layered (I’m growing them out). I don’t know that I’ll be able to make it look anything like yours, but I’d love to try.

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 7, 2013 at 11:47 am

      Hi Melissa! You can vary it to suit your hair. Criss-cross braids work even in short hair too. Let me know how you go! X

      Reply
  24. Rachel says

    January 7, 2013 at 9:19 am

    I love how this is a really sleek way to get some detail into your hair. What do you find is the easiest way to tuck the bun section underneath? Do you just shove and pin and hope for the best? I find that my braid ends/falling out layers end up sticking out all over the place!

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 7, 2013 at 10:16 am

      Thanks Rachel! I roll the braid up and pin it underneath but you can see in the original photo my layers were popping out too. If you have lots of layers it’s best to curl the ends of your hair under before you start like I did for the tutorial. You can do this with a round brush and your hairdryer or a curling wand. When the ends are curled under they curve into the braid, rather than out, so it will hold better. Alternatively, you can back-comb your ponytail and just make a bun underneath the braids

      Reply
  25. Madison says

    January 7, 2013 at 7:43 am

    I think this updo looks awesome! Just tried it on my own hair though and I can’t get it to look anything like yours – I have such thin hair that I can’t get my braids to look lovely and wide like yours!! Definitely wish I had thicker hair or that it was curly! I’ll have a go at your next one instead (and keep going back to the 30 days ones, some of which definitely work really well!)

    Reply
    • Hair Romance says

      January 7, 2013 at 10:17 am

      Thanks for trying it Madison! How long is your hair? I’m working on some new tutorials for different hair types as part of a project for later this year

      Reply
      • Madison says

        January 7, 2013 at 12:00 pm

        At the moment it sits about 6 inches below my shoulder – it’s probably about time for me to get it cut, but I like being able to braid it and it looks better when I curl it if it’s long! I look forward to seeing more tutorials – I’ve got both your ebooks and love trying them out.

        Reply
        • Hair Romance says

          January 7, 2013 at 4:11 pm

          Thanks Madison! Wish my hair would grow that long, I seem to be at my maximum length now. So many exciting plans for 2013, just hope I have time to do them all! Xx

          Reply
          • Madison says

            January 7, 2013 at 10:48 pm

            Looking forward to seeing some of them on here! Here’s to 2013! xx

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Hi, I'm Christina and welcome to Hair Romance. Here youโ€™ll find tutorials, tips and beauty advice to help you to love your best accessory: your hair.
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