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Sideswept braids are something of a cross between the waterfall braid you’ve seen on “House of Dragons” or “Game of Thrones” and the French braid Katniss Everdeen wore in “The Hunger Games” (plus on every red carpet Taylor Swift has ever walked ). The reason is simple. Not only is the side French braid a smart take on your average braided outfit, but it’s still chic enough to wear during a night out.
As a bonus, braided hairstyles like the one we outline ahead come in really handy for those of us who want to keep our hair up and away from our faces as we give way to scarves and puffy coats in the colder months ahead. That being said, not all of us are blessed when it comes to being able to simply DIY seemingly easy hairstyles on other people. If you fall into that category, we’re here to help.
Keep scrolling to see step-by-step tutorial photos and instructions on how to recreate this French side braid yourself.
This article originally appeared on popsugar.com
#1 Steps 1 and 2: Take a two-inch section of hair and begin the French braid
Part slightly damp hair on the right side. Optional: add some mousse or gel to keep the hair intact and to prevent flyaways. Next, take about a two-inch section of hair from the front of the right hairline and start a French braid.
To start a French braid, divide this section of hair into three straight strands, holding them apart with your fingers (whatever feels most comfortable to you). Now start a normal braid; take the right strand and cross it over the middle strand. Then take the left strand and cross it over the middle strand.
#2 Steps 2 and 3: Add more hair into the French braid, then braid horizontally
Once you have this little foundation braid, start adding more hair with each crossover. To do this, gather a small amount of hair from the hairline, add it to the far right strand and then cross it over the middle strand. Pull it tight, but keep the strands apart the whole time. Repeat on the other side by gathering a small amount of hair closest to the side part (away from the hairline), adding it to the left-most strand, then crossing it over the middle strand.
Continue this braid pattern until you are about an inch away from the right neckline. At this point, start braiding horizontally across to the left neckline. Tip: keeping the braid tight and separating the three sections of hair at all times will help you control the direction of the braid
#3 Step 5: Secure with an elastic band
Try to gather all the hair into the French braid when you hit the base of the left ear. Once all the hair is incorporated, finish the braid traditionally. Secure with an elastic band.
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