How To Braid In Tinsel To Dutch Braids

Tinsel is a fun way to add glitter and shimmer to your braids, and if you have the basics of dutch braiding down, then adding tinsel is super simple.

Start by prepping your tinsel; how much to prep will depend on how much tinsel your client is looking for. In our client's case, we were going to be adding lots of glitter after; therefore, we only wanted a peekaboo amount of tinsel in the braid. However, you can add as much or as little as you like.

To prep, the tinsel, take a small amount, add a bobby pin to the centre, and place within reach of where you would be braiding. We only planned to add one section of tinsel to our braid; however for a more dramatic effect, we would recommend dividing your pack of tinsel into four pieces and using a full pack of tinsel per braid.

Prep your client's hair with a gel to tame any flyaways and to help give some control to the hair. This will make your sectioning much neater and the overall look will be more polished.

Divide the client's hair into two sections and begin your dutch braid. After two full braid movements, add in your tinsel by sliding the bobby bin into the bottom of the braid, so it fully extends and sticks out the other side. Tinsel can be a little slippery to deal with, therefore asking someone to keep hold of the tinsel whilst you begin braiding can be really helpful. Your client could even do this if you do not have an extra pair of hands-free.

Add each side of your tinsel to the outset strands of your braid, and continue braiding as usual.

To add more tinsel, simply continue to add your tinsel in the same manner, inserting it under the braid and asking your client to hold the end of the bobby pin to keep it in place as you continue to braid down the hair.

Once the hair is fully braided, trim the ends of the tinsel to be the same length as the hair, and remove the visible bobby pins from your braids by threading them back out of the hair very carefully. If the bobby pins are not visible, then we would recommend leaving them in place as they will not be uncomfortable for your client and will help with added structure and security.

Our client was also looking to add glitter to their braids, therefore we opted to add our cosmetic grade glitter with glitter base to either side of the braids. You can find out how to create our hair glitter using our glitter base here.