How To Do An Easy Side Braid Ponytail | Beauty | Poor Little It Girl

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Hair 3 years ago

How To Do An Easy Side Braid Ponytail

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Poor Little It Girl™ partners with several affiliate programs, meaning that I can earn a commission from purchases/clicks by those who visit this site at no additional cost to you!

Hands down, the biggest request I receive from readers is how I do my side braid ponytail. It’s a style I’ve been wearing for years and during the spring and summer months, it’s my go-to. The Georgia heat is no joke, so any style that keeps my hair off my face and neck while still looking cute is definitely one for me. Plus, I find it fun to braid my hair to create new looks!

Elevate your own hairstyle with this easy-to-follow guide on achieving a stunning side braid ponytail. Whether you’re heading to a casual hangout or a trendy rooftop soirée, this versatile hairstyle is your go-to option. Combining the charm of a classic braid with the playful allure of a ponytail, this look strikes the perfect balance between elegance and laid-back cool.

How To Do An Easy Side Braid Ponytail

So how do I create this easy little updo? The steps to this easy side braid ponytail are so simple that you’ll be shocked once you see it all laid out here today. But before we begin, make sure you also check out my other side braid post from a few years back, as well, if a pony just isn’t your thing. In that tutorial, I show how I do a traditional side French braid, while today I’m doing a Dutch style. But you can easily interchange them for either look.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 1

I have fine hair, so I find that braiding is much easier once it’s been previously curled, since it’s so thin. You can view the full tutorial on how I created these waves here.

But if you don’t have time to do full curls, simply create this look on day-old “dirty” hair or use a texture spray. I actually will just use dry shampoo on my hair to give it a little texture so the braid is easier to create.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 2

To create the deep part for the braid, I follow the little cowlick I have with my brush and go down. I like the look of this braid done on a deep part, and in doing s,o it gives the braid more volume since there’s more hair on that side of my part. If your hair is already pretty thick, then maybe skip the super deep part and just go a little off-center. You can also just do two side braids if you want; that would be just as cute!

Side Braid Ponytail Step 3

Grab three small sections of hair to start your braid. The entire width of all three sections should be about 1.5-2 inches deep. I like to start off with enough hair so it’s easy to get the braid going, and it’s not too small/tight at the top. If my thin hair isn’t cooperating and is sliding out of my fingers, I’ll add in a little more dry shampoo or even some hairspray at the base to help move things along.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 4

Doing a traditional Dutch-style braid (a Dutch braid is when you wrap the braid strands underneath the base) I take the right side of the three sections and bring it under the middle, then the left side, and bring it under the middle. By doing so, the braid is created on top of the knots, as opposed to the traditional French braid (when the strands are wrapped on top of the base), which I did in this post.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 5

Each time I pull a side of hair under the middle section, I also grab a small bit of hair to add to that piece. This is what creates the iconic braid look we all know and love. Each additional weft of hair you add to the main braid makes it thicker and fuller. Don’t worry about it being so precise and pretty and perfectly kept together. We’re going to sort of mess it up later when we finish the ponytail off.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 6

Keep going down braiding until you’re no longer able to grab any additional hair on that side. Or for me, when I can’t reach back any farther, and my arms are tired, ha! After that, you’ll then switch to doing a traditional braid (where you aren’t grabbing extra pieces of hair) and use a clear elastic hair tie to secure the end.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 7

Now is the part where we sort of want to mess it up and give the braid lots of body. Start by holding the clear elastic to keep the hair in place, then gently pull each of the loops of the braid to make them a bit larger and more voluminous. Again, the point is that you want this braid to be a little messy and imperfect, so don’t worry if a little hairs fall out. I actually love it when hairs fall dow,n and it gives that perfectly undone look.

Side Braid Ponytail Step 8

Taking a second clear elastic band, take the braided section and the rest of your hair together into a low pony and secure it with an elastic. You could also do a cute messy knot here if you want. Whatever works best for your hair texture and length.

Side Braid Ponytail Final Look

And that’s it! This entire side braid ponytail takes just a few minutes and lasts all day! I typically finish it off with a light dusting of hairspray, and then I’m done.

I’ve worn a variation of this side braid many times here on Poor Little It Girl. A few of my favorites are with this one-shoulder top, this easy denim dress, and even with a pretty sundress and hairbow! Sometimes you just want your hair pulled back in a fun and feminine way, and this easy side braid ponytail hairstyle is it!

As I’ve said, this hairstyle is super easy to create on your own hair, and the tools I use are pretty minimal. Really, all you need are clear elastic hair ties, that’s it! But if you want to create the texture and waves as I do, you can shop all the products I use via the shopping widget below.

PHOTOS BY HANNAH LOZANO PHOTOGRAPHY

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2 Comments

1. The side braid ponytail looks really cute! Thanks for sharing this hair idea and video tutorial, it’s really helpful!

   Reply

   1. So glad you enjoyed the tutorial! xx Cathy

      Reply

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