1 technique, 2 unique updo hairstyles....

Today's tutorial shows how to create 2 formal bun hairstyles using a knotted braid.

Hairstyle option #1 is shown above, and option #2 is shown below.  These updo styles would be great for many special occasions including the Prom, Homecoming, a Wedding (bridal hairstyle, or flower girl hairstyle) communion, baptism, recital, church, Easter, etc.

We decided to let our mannequin "Plastic Patty" model these styles on our blog today. As you might notice in our video tutorial, the design doesn't seem to show up as well on darker hair (especially on camera) and we wanted you to be able to see the beautiful details in these 2 buns.  This is actually one of those styles that looks better in person than it does via pictures in general.

This first variation in the pics below (option 2 in our video) is probably my favorite of the two and ends up looking somewhat similar to a fishtail braid bun, or a pinwheel bun. I find the knotting technique we used to create this particular bun is actually much faster than making a fishtail or a pinwheel though, and is easier to take out when you are done as well.  If you try this variation, the smaller sections you take, the more intricate the design will be.

The following 3 pictures are showing option #1 from our video tutorial. This variation creates more of a "chunky" looking bun.  I love how the strands are looped around each other with the "star shape" in the middle! The first picture (below) is showing the bun with the same "medium" size strands we used on the Princess in our video.  In the next 2 pics (side by side) we created the style the same way as shown in our video, but we took smaller strands, creating more loops inside and around the bun.  You can decide which variation you like best!