Motherhood Mondays: Heart braid

How gorgeous is this heart braid?! It would make everyone around you smile. My friend Reagan of Hairdresser on Fire came up with this back-to-school braid, and ten-year-old Vivian was our beautiful model. Here are the steps...
"I first came up with this heart braid for Valentine's day, but I love how pretty and simple it looks year round. This style is great for any age." —Reagan

Prep: Brush the hair until it's tangle free. You'll need two elastics (I like Goody's clear ones) and a few bobby pins.

1. Section off the top area of the hair as if you would when you wear it half up. You can sweep the bottom half over to one side to keep the hair divided. We'll only be working with the top half for this style.

2. Split the top section down the middle into two equal partings.

3-5. Braid both partings before securing with an elastic. The braids should be pretty close together (like in the picture), as opposed to on either side of her head.

6-7. To create the first half of your heart, you'll coil the base of the braid around itself to form the part of the heart that's rounded. Pin in place.

8. Fold the remanding tail of the braid in half to make the heart's point. You'll want to tuck the loose hairs and elastic so they don't show. Pin in place.

9-10. Repeat with the other braid.

Note: This style also looks great if you use all of the hair. Instead of sectioning off top and bottom halves, you would split the hair straight down the middle, like Pippi Longstocking, and do two braids using all the hair before completing the rest of the steps. Enjoy!
P.S. Heidi braids for girls, and 15 grown-up hair tutorials...

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for A Cup of Jo. Hair by Reagan Baker. Styling by Kendra Smoot.)