How to Braid Hair: 3 Easy Styles (Classic, Rope Twist, Fishtail)

Brush hair smooth and pull it into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck. Secure with a hair tie. Working from a ponytail makes every braid easier to learn because the strands stay separate and you can see what your hands are doing.

Skip the ponytail later once you're comfortable, or use it as a base for any of the three styles below. Watch the prep at 0:30.

For the rope twist, split the ponytail into two equal sections. Take the right strand and twist it clockwise (to the right) until it forms a tight cord. Keep tension on it so the twist holds. This is the fastest braid in the bunch and works well when you're short on time.

Jump to the rope twist demo at 0:31 in the video.

While the right strand is still twisted clockwise, cross it over the left strand to the left side. Pick up the new right strand (which was the original left), twist it clockwise, and cross it over again. Keep repeating all the way down. The trick is that both moves go in opposite directions: twist right, cross left.

The two-tone corkscrew look comes from that opposing tension. Secure the bottom with a small elastic.

For the fishtail, split the ponytail into two equal halves again. Take a small section from the outside edge of the left strand and pull it across to the right side, combining it with the right strand. Now grab a thin section from the outside edge of the right strand and pull it across to join the left.

That's the whole braid. Two strands, thin outside pieces crossing over and over. Skip ahead in the source video to 2:36 to follow along.

Repeat the cross-over pattern all the way down. Smaller pieces give you a tight, micro-woven look that takes longer. Bigger chunks finish faster but look chunkier. You can mix the two in one braid - thin pieces near the top transitioning to fatter chunks toward the bottom for a nice graduated effect.

Hold the braid taut as you go or it'll loosen up. Tie off the end with a clear or thin elastic.

For the classic three-strand braid, divide the ponytail into three equal sections. Take the right strand and cross it over the middle strand. The right strand is now the new middle. Then take the left strand and cross it over the new middle. Left is now the middle.

That alternating pattern - right over middle, left over middle - is the whole braid. The full demo starts at 5:23 in the video.

Keep alternating crosses all the way to the ends of the hair. Right over middle, left over middle, right over middle, left over middle. The pattern looks complicated when someone else is doing it fast, but it's literally those two moves repeating.

Once you hit the bottom, wrap a small hair tie around the ends. For a more polished look, gently tug each loop outward to soften the braid (a technique called pancaking).