Mama Salon: A Great Bun Variation

Well if your coaches and teachers are anything like ours you are required to wear a bun for competitions, meets and/ or performances. I can't stand the standard bun, but it's for more reasons than just the lack of creativity... it doesn't seem to hold and it doesn't take long before the hair, especially around the face, ends up falling out. So here is another variation of a bun.

Once again I used my Reverse French Braid (aka Dutch Braid). I find that it not only holds the hair in tighter, but in darker hair it seems to show up better.

Start with a side part and try to make it further to the side than you would normally do.

Then section a line of hair from the side part to the ear (in my case it was the right ear). Secure the rest of the hair with a band so it doesn't get in your way.

I suggest you have your child tilt their head slightly towards you when beginning this braid to make it easier. Then begin braiding - you want to keep the hair very close to the back line you made from the part to the ear. Therefore, you will only be grabbing hair from the front of the head.

When you get towards the corner of your child's head begin curving the braid and stand behind your child, the braid tends to follow where you stand :-)

You will notice that I did not braid all the way down to the ear. If you do this it will leave a weird bump when pulling it into the ponytail / bun. Only curve it for about an inch to an inch and a half after you pass the ear and then proceed with a traditional braid.

Ask your child to hold the braid forward while you gather the rest of the hair into a high ponytail. Then grab the braid before securing the ponytail so it's included. Now, you can leave this style as simply a ponytail and end here. Or.......
GYMNASTICS MEET NOTE: I was doing this one for school so I didn't do the bun as high as I would have for a meet. Also if it was for a gymnastics meet the braid section would have been smaller so I could pull the bun higher, but the instructions are otherwise the same.

Take small sections of the ponytail and make small, traditional braids. You can also make these into twisting braids - they take a bit longer, but look amazing in the bun!

Then wrap them into a bun. I have found that if I take 3 out of the 6 braids first and wrap them around in the circle, put a bobby pin in (just like one) then repeat with the additional 3 then it works better than trying to do them all at once. Then I take a larger rubber band to tie around the bun to secure it. You can secure any loose hairs with a bobby pin or two. I don't like to use too many as they bug the kids.