{"title":"How to Do a Dutch Braid (Beginner Tutorial)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/lifestyle/how-to-do-a-dutch-braid","category":{"slug":"lifestyle","name":"Lifestyle"},"creator":{"name":"EverydayHairInspiration","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Xwv8eKxazF3okAM86EPlg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVk0G-TQPEE"},"tldr":"Dutch braid your hair in 7 steps with the under-cross technique. The braid sits raised on the scalp, not flat. Works for single braids or double Dutch.","totalDurationSeconds":751,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["Paddle brush or detangling brush","Texture spray or dry shampoo","Sectioning hair clip","Two clear hair elastics (one per braid for double Dutch)"],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Brush and Prep the Hair","text":"Brush your hair so it's smooth and tangle-free. Then add a quick mist of texture spray or a small dose of dry shampoo at the roots.Slick, freshly-washed hair is too slippery for a clean braid. The texture spray gives the strands a slight grip so the under-crosses hold their position as you work."},{"number":2,"title":"Part Down the Middle and Clip One Side","text":"Use the end of a comb or your finger to part the hair from the front of your forehead straight back to the nape of your neck. Twist one side and clip it out of the way with a sectioning clip.Working one side at a time keeps loose hair from getting picked up into the wrong braid."},{"number":3,"title":"Pick Up Three Starting Strands","text":"Take a small triangle of hair near the front of the parted side and divide it into three even strands of roughly equal thickness. Hold the back strand between two fingers of one hand, the middle strand between two more fingers, and the front strand in your other hand.The starting section sets the size of the braid. Smaller starting sections make a tighter braid; larger sections make a looser, chunkier one."},{"number":4,"title":"Cross the First Strand UNDER","text":"Cross the back strand underneath the middle strand. This is the move that turns a French braid into a Dutch braid - everything crosses under, never over. Then cross the front strand underneath the new middle.You should already see the braid starting to lift off your scalp. That raised look is the signature of a Dutch braid."},{"number":5,"title":"Add Hair to Each Strand Before Crossing","text":"Before the next under-cross, gather a small amount of loose hair from the same side as the strand you're about to cross. Add it to that strand. Then cross under the middle as usual.Each row picks up new hair, which is what builds the braid along the side of your head. Keep the additions small and consistent so the braid stays even."},{"number":6,"title":"Work the Braid Down the Side","text":"Continue working the under-cross-and-add motion as you move toward the nape of your neck. Keep the braid following the curve of your scalp - tilt the angle slightly back toward your spine as you go past your ear.By the time you reach the nape, every strand of loose hair on the worked side should have been gathered into the braid."},{"number":7,"title":"Finish With a Regular Braid and Tie Off","text":"Once the braid reaches the nape and you've gathered all the loose hair on that side, finish the remaining length with a normal three-strand braid. The under-cross pattern still works - just stop adding new hair.Tie off with a small clear elastic. For a double Dutch look, drop the clipped-up half and repeat steps 3 through 7 on the other side. Match the position and tension so both braids look symmetrical."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T14:13:54.765Z","published":"2026-05-01T17:54:53.846Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}