The day we found out we were having a little girl I started daydreaming of playing dress-up and doing fun hairstyles. I knew I was made to be a girl mom, and so far, it has exceeded my expectations.
We started with bows on day one and have not looked back!
I decided to document my daughter’s hairstyles to push me to be creative while trying different hairstyles–and it’s been a blast! She loves showing off her hair and helping me count her hair ties or identify hair tie color . . . I’ll count this as a learning experience for her.
Currently, my “baby” is almost two and has about shoulder blade length hair, so there are so many fun things we can do. The longer her hair gets the more fun styles I get to practice. Although I’ve been doing her hair since she was about three months old and we have never had any issues with her sitting still, one thing I’ve learned is I need to be quick! Having all the correct tools on hand can help you be lightning fast, giving your little one no time to grow impatient and help you keep your morning routine in check!
Bows
All of her bows and large clips are hanging in her closet, and as all girl moms know, you can never have enough bows. Personally, I get most of my bows from Etsy, my monthly bow subscriptions, or bow shops. Here are a few of my favorite places for bows:
Tools
For all of the other hair tools, I use this small stackable box to help me keep everything organized in one spot. It has four individual storage boxes. Two are segmented and perfect for hair ties and small clips. The other two are where I keep larger items such as combs, brushes, hair loop tools, hair tie cutters, alligator clips, alcohol-free gel, glitter gel, kids’ detangler, and a spray bottle.
Most of these tools are pretty basic, but the most important to me are the hair ties and elastics. I’ve gone through so many different kinds. It definitely depends on the hairstyle and the amount of hold you need. For most of these styles, I use colorful little elastic bands, but they aren’t for hair! I accidentally purchased these mini rubber bands for arts and crafts. Sounds scary, but they are amazing! We use two at a time because they are delicate and will snap! They have never pulled any of her hair and quite literally slide off of her hair if it’s wet. They have been perfect for us! We also use the regular clear or black goody elastics and of course all the cute mini braided hair ties and mini cotton hair ties (these look precious but are a little bulkier).
Hair Prep
Not sure who needs to hear this, but please do NOT use hot tools on your toddler! Their hair is so fine and they move so much that it can be dangerous.
We never use any kind of irons or blow dryers. In order to get some curls or texture into her hair, I twist her hair into four big sections using only my fingers after a bath and let it air dry. This gives her the sweetest curls and works with all the hairstyles! Braids also work wonders and can give you wonderful curls/waves!
I like to use a leave-in kids conditioner whenever I need to brush or comb through any amount of hair. Working with wet/damp hair is much easier.
Now for the hairstyles. These range from about two minutes to 12 minutes and are perfect for every occasion.
The Segmented Pony
The Bubble Pony
Segmented Piggies
The Bubble Piggies
Braided Piggies
French Braids
Dutch Braids
Pull Through Braids
Heart Piggies
Asymmetrical Top Part Piggies
Rey Buns
Buns with Back Details
Buns with Front Details
Asymmetrical Part Buns
Segmented Top Knots
Double Segmented Top Knots
French Braid Top Knots
Head Band
Top Details
Pull Through Half Up
Segmented Top, Hair Down
Top Knot Trio
Remember you can mix and match all the styles! Add bubble puffs, pull-through ponies, and bows to change it up.
Follow ABQ Mom on Instagram to see step-by-step instructions on these and other styles. Happy Styling!
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
