Tutorial: Kids’ French Plaits

French plaits are great all year round. You can go swimming with them, wear a helmet, visor, or cap, you can exercise, run or do handstands and your hair will remain perfectly groomed. This makes them the ideal hairstyle for all little girls who love growing their hair long but sometimes need to ‘tame’ it. French plaits also mean you can avoid having to brush out unpleasant tangles. 

At first, French plaits seem complicated, but you just need to learn the basic technique. Soon you’ll be plaiting with your eyes closed or adding in colourful strands or other children’s hair accessories.

How to do a French plait

1. Comb the hair thoroughly or brush it with a paddle brush.
2. Using the pointed end of a tail comb, create a precise middle part, from the forehead to the nape of their neck. 
3. Clip one side with a hair clip so that it doesn’t get in the way. 
4. Spray the hair that you want to plait lightly with hair spray and comb through again. 
5. On the top, separate out three thin strands and start plaiting a classic plait. But then add a similarly thin strand to the third strand and keep plaiting. Always add a strand from the remaining hair to the strand that you are going to plait from the left- or right-hand side. Continue like this until all the hair is plaited. 
6. Don’t forge to pull the hair firmly as you’re plaiting it.
7. Plait any remaining hair into a classic plait and fasten with a hair tie at the end. Then take the same approach for the other side. 

For French plaits you’ll need

Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t quite look as you’d hoped the first time around. It takes practice. And before you get going, watch our video so that you know exactly how it’s done.