French Twist Ponytail

In the mornings, when I’m doing my hair, I generally want something neat that will stay out of the way and stay in. So I usually just do a ponytail! But over the years, I’ve discovered a prettier alternative to the reliable old ponytail: a French twist ponytail. Perfect for doing things at home or when you’re going out and about, this DIY hairstyle – with some practice – takes 10 minutes or less to finish. (At the moment my hair sits a bit below my shoulders. So though my sister is modelling this hairstyle today with her beautiful long hair, it works for fairly short hair as well.) I hope you all enjoy it!

Skill: medium

Time: 5-10 mins

Items: brush, 1 or 2 bobby pins, hair tie

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Part hair as desired (I really like a side part). Take a section of hair next to the part.
2. Take a second section of hair with your other hand and wrap, or place it over the first one, swapping the sections in your hands. Now the first strand should be on the ‘outside’ and the second one on the ‘inside’ of your head. This is the beginning of your french twist.
3. Take the outside strand and some new hair (as in a French braid) and wrap/place it over the inside strand, swapping the sections in your hands as you go. Repeat around the head, along the hairline, until you reach where your ponytail’s going to be.
4. I like to then do a few twists with your two strands (but don’t pick up new hair). This gives you a bit of unraveling space as you do the ponytail. Gather all of the hair into a ponytail, and tie with your hair tie.
5. Now for the fun part – ‘pancake’ the twist by pulling each twist out slightly to give your hairstyle a fuller, polished look.
6. And finally, take a small section of hair from the base of the ponytail and wrap around the hair tie. Secure end with one or two bobby pins.

I like to secure the hair by pinning down the end of the strand and pushing into the hair tie and the base of the ponytail, but do what works for you. The main thing is that it stays in place. 😉 The wrap-around isn’t necessary, but it does add a nice touch. And if – like me – you have rather thin hair, the wrap-around can distract from your ponytail’s thinness.

Here’s a trial…

This style is quite similar to the lovely rope twist in Sophia’s DIY Overnight Curls/Waves, which has also been used a few more recent posts (if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out!) The difference is that you don’t twist the strands as you gather up extra hair. I hope you all enjoy it! And here’s the final hairstyle:

Like every hairstyle, the French twist takes practice to perfect. However, twists can be slightly easier than braids as you only have two strands of hair to worry about. And once you do get it, you can use twists for almost any occasion. They stay in pretty well too – the French twist I did on my sister lasted through a whole day of school holidays, involving flying planes, dancing, and crazy games! And this post wouldn’t have been the same if Clare hadn’t inserted the video and added music to it. Thank you! 😀

Comment below and let me know if you liked this hairstyle, and if you found the video helpful, or otherwise! 😛