4 Beginner Dutch & French Braids

This article is all about back to basic hairstyles. In this article, I am going to guide you, how to make French braids, Dutch braids, French fishtail, and Dutch fishtail. So, once you master these four braids, you can do anything. When you start out any braid you want to make sure that your hair is nice and detangled.

Things you need for these hairstyles:

• Detangling comb
• Clear Elastic bands

Beginner Braid#1: French Braid

Step-1

The first thing you need to do for this hairstyle is grab three equal sections of hair at the top of our head, you can start on either side but here in this article, I am going to guide you from the left section, cross it over the middle section, then take the right section, cross it over the middle section, that is our first stitch.

Step-2

At this stage, you need to be holding left strand with your opposite hand and then gather hair with the other hand, and then adding it into that strand. So, you’re adding in a section of hair to your left strand before you cross it over the middle.

Step-3

Once you have both sections, you’re going to combine them, cross them over the middle section of hair, and then you just want to repeat on the opposite side. So, we’re just combining them and then crossing that section over that middle strand of hair and then just repeating.

Step-4

It’s the same steps over and over, you’re just adding in the section of hair from the front into that outer strand of hair, crossing them both over the middle section of hair. So, it’s all about your hand placement, so once you figure that out, you will become master in this.

Step-5

Once you work your way down, it gets so much easier but just keep adding in hair to the outside section, crossing over the middle, adding in hair to the outside, and crossing it over the middle. You can make this as big or as small as you want.

Step-6

Then you just want to finish it off into a three strand braid. Then you just kind of pancake it and loosen it up a little bit. Then go for the three strand braid at the bottom, and just pull on both sides to make it a little bit fluffier, and that’s it, you are done with your French braid.

Beginner Braid#2: Dutch Braid

Step-1

If you can do a French braid, you can do a Dutch braid. So, it’s the same steps, divide your hair into three sections, instead of crossing over, you’re going to cross under.

Step-2

Taking your outer left section of hair, cross it underneath the middle section of hair, take your outer right strand of hair, cross under the middle section of hair, so stitch one finished.

Step-3

Again, we’re adding in hair to the outside section of hair, gather it from the front, adding it into the outside section, and then once it’s combined add them both underneath that middle section of hair, and make sure you are doing it tight. So, just like the French braid, this is all about hand placement, so make sure you have that down.

Step-4

Then we’re just going to repeat the same process, add in a section of hair to our left section, so taking it from the front and just gathering it, and combining it, and then taking them both underneath that middle section of hair, and repeating. Take a section from the front, add it into that right strand, cross them both underneath that middle section of hair, and it gets easier as you keep going down.

Step-5

Then you just want to do this all the way down until you run out of hair. You can leave it how it is or you can just pancake it by pulling on the outer sections of the braid. That’s it, you are done with your Dutch braid.

Beginner Braid#3: French Fishtail

Step-1

We’re gonna take two sections of hair at the top. Make sure they’re even and you need to start with your left section. Take a small strand from that last left section and crossing it over into that right section of hair and we’re just adding it. Then we’re taking a small section of hair from that right section and adding it into that left section.

Step-2

Now, we need to adding in hair. So, take a small section of hair off your left section hold it, and then add in hair from the front of your head. So, take a small section, these should all be small sections and then combining it into that section of hair, and then crossing them both over into that opposite strand or the opposite section of hair, and then just combining it.

Step-3

Now, you need to repeat the same all the way down. So, take off a small section of hair from that right section, hold on to it, add in a section of hair from the front, make sure it is a small section so that our braid is nice and defined, add it into that right section, so combining it, and then crossing that section into that opposite section of hair.

Step-4

Again, you need to take a small section of hair off that left section, and you’re just going to hold it and then we’re just going to take a small section of hair from the front of our head and combine it into that left section, cross them both over into that right section.

Step-5

Then you just need to keep repeating this all the way down. It’s a lot harder than the first two braids but it is possible you’re just working with two strands, so it’s pretty simple. It’s just very tedious because you are taking small sections. If you do take big sections, your French fishtail will end up looking like a French braid, so that’s why you need to make sure, you are taking those small sections.

Step-6

When you are about to end your braid, you need to bring your hair around and you need to make sure that you are crossing your strands opposite. If your hands were still on the back of your head, you need to keep crossing them over but because we brought it around, we have to cross them under. Keep doing the same, crossing your strands underneath, and just tie it off into a clear elastic.

Step-7

Now, you need to pancake it. You can take those sections of hair and just kind of pull them out and just kind of loosen them. Also, for the fishtail part, you can pull out each section of the fishtail and just do that until you are happy with it. Make sure you do not pull it too much. That’s it, you are done with your French fishtail.

Beginner Braid#4: Dutch Fishtail

Step-1

This hairstyle is almost like the last hairstyle but we’re crossing the strands under. So, take your hair, divide it into two equal sections, take off a small strand of hair from the left section, cross it under into the right section. Then, take off a small section from the right section, cross it under into the left section.

Step-2

Now, we’re going to add in hair. So, take off a small strain from that left section and just hold onto it, and you’re going to take a small section again from the front, and you’re going to add it into that strand. So, now we have one big section cross it under into that right section and just combine it.

Step-3

Now, you’re going to hold that section of hair and you’re going to take off a small section of hair on that right section, add a small section of hair from the front into that right section, across them both under into that left section, and you’re just combining it.

Step-4

Now, you’re gonna repeat the same process all the way down. Just like the French fishtail, this one is very tedious because you are taking such small sections. If you don’t take small sections, it’s not going to look defined, and it’s not gonna look good. The key to a good fishtail whether it’s French or Dutch or just a regular side fishtail is taking small sections.

Step-5

As you get down to the end, you need to finish off your Dutch fishtail braid into a normal fishtail. You just need to take a small sections of hair from the outside strands, crossing them on other part. It’s really simple because you don’t have to add in hair, you’re just literally crossing up a small section into the opposite section and doing this all the way down.

Step-6

You can bring it around to the side but if you can keep going back way, it’s probably the best. But if you bring it around to the opposite side, you need to take opposite strands as you are crossing them over instead of crossing them under, when you were doing it from the back.

Step-7

Now, you can just pancake it, just taking the strands, and just kind of fluffing them. That’s it, you are done with your Dutch fishtail.

Here are some more French and Dutch Braids: