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Want to know how to diamond braid? You’re in the right place. In the guide below, we’ll walk you through the steps to take, give you some things to consider, and show you some of our other favorite articles.
What Is a Diamond Braid?
If you follow any hairstyle accounts on Instagram or YouTube, you’ve probably seen a diamond braid before. It may look like a hairstyle you can only get from a professional stylist. But if you can tackle an infinity braid, a French braid, or even a basic braid, learning how to diamond braid is doable with some practice.
The diamond braid looks very complicated, but it’s really just an infinity braid with a little more variety in the amount of hair you pick up and let go of while braiding.
Before you start: Setting Up Your Sections
Before you begin to braid, find a place near the center of the back of your head and separate the working strands from the rest of your hair.
How to Diamond Braid in 17 Steps
Begin with three small strands, one of them called the “wrapping strand,” which will become the visible part of the diamond, and follow these steps:
- Isolate your wrapping strand
- Pick up the right strand
- Wrap the right strand
- Pick up the left strand
- Wrap the left strand
- Increase the right strand
- Wrap the left strand
- Repeat until you get to the end
- Decrease the left strand
- Wrap the left strand
- Decrease the right strand
- Wrap the right strand
- Repeat and tie off your braid
If this still sounds complicated, don’t worry. We’ll break it down for you. In a basic braid or a French braid, you start with three distinct strands. A diamond braid also requires three strands, but the way you manipulate the hair is slightly different. You’ll soon get used to the pattern, though.
Step 1: Isolate Your Wrapping Strand
The wrapping strand is the strand of hair that will be visible, weaving back and forth around the other two strands. Make sure this piece of hair is long enough to weave back and forth a lot.
Step 2: Pick Up the Right Strand
Pick up a small strand of hair from the right side of the wrapping strand. This strand of hair should be the same size as the wrapping strand.
Step 3: Wrap the Right Strand
Wrap the wrapping strand over and then under the right strand. It should make a little loop around the right strand and come back to its spot in the center.
Step 4: Pick Up the Left Strand
Pick up a strand of hair from the left of the wrapping strand. The left strand should be the same size as the other two strands.
Step 5: Wrap the Left Strand
Like you did on the right, wrap the wrapping strand over and then under the left strand. It should form a loop around the left strand and end up back in the middle. You have set up the three strands of hair that you’ll be working with.
Create the Top Half of Your Diamond
Now that you’ve isolated the strands of hair you’ll be starting with, you can create the diamond shape. To do this, alternately add hair to the left and right strands to increase the size of the braid.
Step 6: Increase the Right Strand
Pick up a section of hair from the right and add it to the right strand. The section you add to the braid should be small. We want the growth of the braid to be gradual.
Step 7: Wrap the Right Strand
Wrap the wrapping strand over and under the right strand, including the section you just added to the right strand. Your wrapping strand ends up in the middle again.
Step 8: Increase the Left Strand
Pick up a section of hair from the left and add it to the left strand. Just like with the right strand, only add a small section so that the braid grows gradually.
Step 9: Wrap the Left Strand
Wrap the wrapping strand over and under the left strand, including the section you just added to the left strand. The wrapping strand should end up in the middle again, ready for the next wrap on the right side.
Step 10: Repeat Steps 6-9 Until You’ve Made a Triangle
As you repeat steps 6-9 and add more hair to the left and right strands, the braid will increase in size. If you do it correctly, you should form a triangle. Once your triangle is the desired size, or you’ve used half of your wrapping strand, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Create the Bottom Half of Your Diamond
Now you’ll begin to decrease the size of the left and right strands. It’s like steps 6-10 in reverse. This will complete the diamond shape.
Step 11: Decrease the Right Strand
You should now have two large left and right strands and a smaller wrapping strand in the middle. Remove a little bit of hair from the right strand and set it aside. You should remove roughly the same amount as you added each time you increased in steps 6-10.
Step 12: Wrap the Right Strand
Wrap the wrapping strand over and under the right strand, excluding the strand you just separated from the braid. The wrapping strand returns to the middle.
Step 13: Decrease the Left Strand
Remove a small section of hair from the left strand and set it aside. Try to remove the same amount that you removed from the right strand. This will keep the diamond even and symmetrical.
Step 14: Wrap the Left Strand
Wrap the wrapping strand over and under the left strand, excluding the portion you just removed. The wrapping strand returns to the middle.
Step 15: Repeat Steps 11-14 Until the Diamond is Finished
As you decrease the size of the left and right strands with each repetition, the braid will taper back to its original size. When you finish, the braid should have a diamond shape.
Step 16: Tie Off the Braid
Secure the end of the braid with a scrunchie or hair elastic. To loosen the braid a little bit and make it more natural, give the braided hair a few little tugs with your fingers under the braid. This will make it pull on your scalp less, and the braid will have a more natural look.
Step 17: Brag Shamelessly About How Awesome Your Braid Looks
Whether this means you snap a pic for Instagram, barge into your roommate’s room and make them look at your head, or go out for a night on the town, enjoy your braid! Even if it’s a little bit lopsided the first time, you’ll get the hang of it with more practice.
Things to Consider
When braiding your hair, there are a few things to consider to make braiding easier and to keep your hair strong and healthy.
- When braiding, don’t look at yourself in the mirror. If you do this, you’ll see yourself in reverse, and this can be confusing for an activity that already involves a lot of twisting and turning of different pieces. It’s more helpful to be able to feel the braid coming together. With practice, you can braid your hair anywhere.
- Don’t braid your hair wet. If your hair is wet, it stretches further than dry hair and is more prone to breakage. If you twist wet hair into a braid, you’ll weaken your hair over time.
- Clean hair is harder to braid. If you recently washed your hair, it’ll be a lot smoother and more slippery. Spray it with some dry shampoo to give it some texture.
So, How Do You Diamond Braid Your Hair?
A diamond braid may look difficult from the outside, but most of it involves a few simple steps repeated over and over. Don’t let the intricate, Instagram-worthy braids on the internet discourage you. A DIY diamond braid is totally doable.