Out of all the amazing hairstyles filling up our Pinterest feeds these days, braids tend to be the one style that stops us in our tracks most often. The specific look we’ve been wanting to learn the most, however, is the waterfall braid. This romantic braid has a whimsical feel with draping pieces that make it appear to be more challenging than it really is – and we want to prove how easy the style is to DIY.
We asked hairstylist Olivia Halpin of DreamDry to show us how to do a simple waterfall twist that we promise you can easily pick up at home. The best part is it’s a braid made for leaving your hair down, so you don’t have to fuss with trying to make a ponytail look good, too. Just keep reading to see our step-by-step tutorial.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
To start your waterfall twist, take two sections of hair.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Cross the section of hair along your hairline over the other section, so it’s going away from your face.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Take a new section of hair from the top of your head, and let it fall on top of the section you just pulled away from your face.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Drop the section of hair you just placed so it falls through your twist, creating that waterfall effect.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Take the bottom section of hair, and pull it over the waterfall section. Then take another section of hair from the top of your head to make another waterfall piece.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Let it fall through the other sections of hair.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Repeat the process until your waterfall braid is the length you want it. For this look, we just braided one side until it reached the back of the head.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Once you reach the end, extend the woven section of hair with a regular three-strand braid and secure with a clear elastic.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
To hide the braided end, tuck it under the layers in the back of your head. Pin it in place by crossing two bobby pins in an X shape.
POPSUGAR Photography / Caroline Voagen Nelson / Photo: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Drop your layers over the pinned-back braid, and admire your pinnable hair.
