How To: Milkmaid Braid in 5 Easy Steps

Happy Friday! I can't believe the weekend is upon us. I'm looking forward to doing nothing, since this sinus infection has overtaken my life! But seriously, if you know me at all, you know I'm horrible at doing nothing. If I do venture out, I'll definitely be doing this Milkmaid braid--it's a classic style that's easy to do. I got it out of DIY Braids by Sasha Coefield.

Sidenote: This book was sent to me last year and unfortunately was part of the Hard Drive Crash of 2013. I'm still a little bitter about losing that info. Anyway, I was showing a friend a hairstyle out of the book, and asking her didn't she remember seeing it on the blog? She didn't because I never posted it. Oops. So without further ado, here's a Milkmaid Braid (via the book DIY Braids) in 5 easy steps.

               1--Section off the upper right quarter of your hair and secure it in a ponytail. My tip: If you have fine hair, try using some dry shampoo to give it texture.

2--Sweep the hair from the left side of your head over to the right and start braiding it upwards.
3--Braid until you reach the ends of your hair, then secure the braid with an elastic. Pin the braid to the top of your head. My tips: To get pins to stay, I spray them with a little dry shampoo and insert them bumpy-side down, and criss-cross (will make ya jump, jump) them.

4--Take the first section you secure earlier and remove the elastic or clip. Sweep it to the left side of your head and begin braiding upwards, following the same as steps 2 and 3.
5--Bobby pin the braid to the top of you head. Tuck under the ends of each braid so that they don't show.

My tips: This looks great on on fine, curly, or thick hair--I like it best on fine hair, as I always feel my braids look too thick! A fishtail version looks cute too. Sounds pretty easy, right? It came from the book DIY Braids. Here's some more info:. 

from a Triple Fishtail to a Tucked French to a Traditional Milkmaid, Sasha Coefield, creator of the popular beauty and fashion YouTube ChanneAskSash88, shares her braiding secrets in DIY Braids: From Crowns to Fishtails, Easy, Step-by-Step Hair Braiding Instructions.

Overall, I loved this book. I think it's awesome a vlogger has a book! DIY Braids features over 30 braid styles, for all skill levels (easy, intermediate, hard). While the Milkmaid Braid came in at 5 steps, most of them are around 9, but they are very detailed, making the tutorials easy to follow. 

There is also great, simple, clean photography--just the hair and the style in progress. There are also styles featuring a model with curly hair. If you've ever wondered how to do a certain braid, this book has it.

 It also covers the basics, like the 3-strand braid and other techniques.

While many of the styles are cute and casual, there are some that are perfect for day, night, work, formal events or weddings. This would make a great gift for teens, those who want to learn the basic braids and beyond, no-heat hairstyles, and for those looking to mix up their hairstyles. This book would come in handy especially in the summer! I even learned a couple of new styles! I highly recommend this book and suggest checking it out.