I love crown braids, but they’re enormously daunting. I’ve read countless tutorials for Dutch braids, Heidi braids, crown braids, Game of Thrones braids, Ren Faire braids, etc., but still, they elude me. No matter what I do, I just can’t get the hair all the way across, which is infuriating because the women in the pictures doing the braids often have shorter hair than I do.
If you’re trying to do a crown braid on yourself, there are two approaches worth knowing: braid along your hairline, adding hair as you go, or make two separate braids, wrap them over your head, and pin them in place. The second option can be easier to get the hang of if your arms keep getting tangled up.
Magazine tutorials never seem to help because there always seem to be steps missing between the photos. But this week I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube hair tutorials, and it turns out that watching someone braid their hair in real-time is much easier to follow than trying to piece together a process from pictures.
I find it especially useful to watch tutorials of people doing the styles on themselves. When a stylist is doing it in the video, I can’t figure out where my own arms should be while it’s happening, and my cat is of no assistance as a hairstylist.
So here are 9 DIY crown braid tutorials from YouTube: If you’re new to the technique, start with the two-strand or Dutch braid videos. There are also options for thick curly hair, natural hair, and medium-short hair. If Dutch braiding is still a mystery, BluFashion’s braiding basics guide explains how it differs from a French braid.
1. 2-Strand Crown Braid by Kryquinn
This looks complicated, but she does it in under five minutes while listening to Type O Negative.
2. Dutch Crown Braid
3. The Crown Braid for Thick Curly Hair by Naptural85
4. Effortless Tousled Bun with Braided Crown by Alexsis Mae
OK, this one says “effortless” but it’s actually pretty complicated. But if you’re up for a challenge, you’ll look like you’re in a Free People catalog.
