Milk Maid Braids - Easy Hair Tutorial

As I mentioned in my last hair tutorial, I'm barely a hair person on a good day.  I'm always looking for simple hair styles that look as though I put in way more effort than I actually have.  Enter the milk maid braids - perfect for summer, very bohemian, and so easy that even this hair challenged Noob can master them.  Read on for all the details, including photos, on how to achieve these simple milk maid braids.

Separate your Hair into Two

Part your hair in the middle, using a wide tooth comb.  Don't worry about getting a perfect centre part - a little mess adds to the bohemian look of the braids. Separate your hair into two sides, and bring both sides forward.

Start Braiding

Gather one of your sides of hair and braid it into a loose braid - starting from the bottom of your ears, all the way until the very ends of your hair.  Once you've got your braid, secure the ends with an elastic band.  Be sure to leave your bangs out of the braid - this helps to achieve a more casual look.

Complete the same process on the other side of your hair.  Don't worry about achieving a perfect braid - I actually like the look of milk maid braids more when they're done with loose braids.

Twist and Pin into Place

You should now have both sides of your head braided.  Starting with one braid, bring it off of your shoulder, twist it at the base once and then secure the braid to the top of your head using bobby pins.  The twist is important, as it helps the braid sit closer to your head once you pin it up.

Repeat the same process on the other braid - twisting the braid at ear-level and then pinning the tail onto the top of your head, right in front of the previous braid.  Don't worry too much about the elastics showing, or any fly aways at this point - you just want to make sure that both braids are secure on top of your head with bobby pins.

Once you have both braids in place, it's time to start manipulating the shape with bobby pins.  Start by tucking the elastic ends of each braid into the hairstyle and bobby pin into place.  Next, pin any flyaway hairs into place.  Keep pinning until you achieve you're desired result - just as an FYI I used about ten bobby pins to keep these particular milk maid braids in place, as well as achieve their shape.

Done!  So simple and effortless - the longest part of the entire process is the last step where you pin everything into place.  You may wish to use a little hair spray to keep everything together, but I usually opt out of that step.  

Can you see yourself rocking the milk maid braids for summer?

Until next time,

-Joëlle