Throw a Braiding Party!

By Maryn Liles
Bring out the brushes, hair ties, and bows, then lock in some good times with this braid-inspired birthday bash.
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Host a Braid Bar

Tara Donne

As the highlight of the party, enlist helpers to braid girls' hair; weave in brightly colored clip-in extensions (available at most beauty stores) for an extra pop! For more party ideas and instructions on how to re-create these hairstyles, click through the slideshow.

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Braided Side Ponytail

Tara Donne
  1. Make a deep side part. Pull the front top section of hair into a side ponytail.
  2. French braid the bottom half, following the hairline at the nape of the neck, until it meets the side ponytail.
  3. Secure both halves together with an elastic hairband; wrap a few strands of hair from the ponytail around the elastic to hide it and keep in place with a bobby pin.

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Half-Up Side Braid

Tara Donne

Piece off a 3-inch section of hair at the crown of the head and braid it to one side.

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Cross-Cross Braided Bun

Tara Donne
  1. Taking two-inch sections from the front of the hair, braid each side and tie off.
  2. Leave the braids hanging loose, and put the back half of the hair into a bun at the top of the head.
  3. Then, lift both braids and cross them on top of the head, in front of the bun, and wrap the ends around the base of the bun. Secure with bobby pins.

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Twisted Pigtails

Tara Donne
  1. Part hair down the center and tie off into pigtails.
  2. Divide one pigtail into two sections and braid each. Then, twist the two braids around each other and secure the ends together with a hair tie. Repeat for the other side.

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Do the Long-Locks Limbo

Tara Donne

Turn up the music as guests take their newly coiffed 'dos for a dip under a braided limbo rope, made from 3-yard lengths of yarn (we used three skeins in total) and ribbons tied at each end.

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Birthday Party Ideas: 3 Quick Cake Toppers

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Bake a Braided Beauty Cake

Tara Donne

The secret behind this cake? Her dress's bottom is made from cake baked in Pyrex measuring cups, her body is an inverted ice-cream cone, and her head is a cake pop!

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Put a Bow on It!

Tara Donne

For a silly twist on the classic pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, see if blindfolded partygoers can pin a bow on any one of these unruly braids.

Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Parents magazine.

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