Valentine Hair!

Well here it is!  The Valentine Style!  I have to admit (keeping in mind that I am overly critical of myself) that it didn't come out quite as cute as my mental picture of it - but I am still pleased.  This was my first time braiding yarn into a cornrow and I think it might take a few more attempts to work out the kinks.  As you can see, the yarn kept wanting to hid in the hair, but I wanted it to be much more prominent on the heart.

I think I made the heart a little too big, and yes it looks really lopsided from this angle, but you can't really tell from other angels.  I still love the idea, I wanted a pink yarn heart on top with a ponytail of pink yarn and beads in back.  I just think with a few tweaks, it could have been even better.  Maybe next year...

So here is my step by step:

1) Make an ear to ear part to separate the top of the head from the back of the head.

2) Part off the outside line of the heart shape.

3) Make twist bangs in the front and put cornrows on the sides over the ears with the hair that was left after you made the heart parts. (I did this the night before after I washed her hair)

4) Part off the inside line of your heart so that you now have your section of hair that you will cornrow.

*** 5) This is how I did the heart, but I am not yet sure this was the best method - Starting on the right side of my center part I took a small section of hair to begin the cornrow.  But instead of splitting it into 3 pieces, I laid a piece of yarn (folded in half) under the hair and used the two sides of yarn as two of the strands and the section of hair as the third strand of my braid.  I began cornrowing as usual.  About half way through the cornrow I added another piece of yarn because I wanted more pink.  Too add in the yarn I just laid it across the braid and added one side to the hair on the right and one side to the hair on the left.***

6) Repeat on the left, braiding all the way to the ends of the hair - and beyond, as I made my yarn longer than her hair.

7) I decided to make a split cornrow in the middle of the heart, but I am not sure I like it.  I did not add yarn to these cornrows because I wanted the heart to really stand out.  But when I got to the end of the cornrowed hair, I added two pieces of yarn to the hanging part of the braid.

8) Then I added three more cornrows on either side of the middle one.  Also adding yarn to the hanging part of the braid.

9) Then I put 7 cornrows going up the back and meeting at the center for a ponytail.  Continuing to add yarn to the hanging parts of the braids.

10) I finished off all of the braids by adding a hodgepodge of pink beads to them and tying off the yarn in a knot.  Then I cut the extra yarn off below the knot.  This is such a fast and easy way to end braids!  (can we also talk about how un-characteristic it is for me to not have any kind of pattern or structure to my beads?  It nearly killed me, but I was trying to do something different and more free form.)

Overall, I am pleased with this style.  Miss V.  L-O-V-E-S it and that is all that really matters.  She said it was her favorite style EVER.  I didn't mention to her that I wasn't perfectly pleased with the outcome.  Why would I?!?!

Next weekend I plan to do something fun with the yarn for B's hair.  If you are doing any V day styles - PLEASE post pictures on the facebook page.  We LOVE to see your creativity too!

Katie