How to Create a Ponytail Holder - Dangling Hair Jewels 

1.    Take a piece of ribbon (or shoelace or rope), about 40cms in length and knot one end.  You may need to knot it more than once, so that beads won’t slide over it.

2.    Add beads to 1/3 of the ribbon and tie off with a knot.     

How to Create a Ponytail Holder - Hair Jewels 

2.    Finish off with a knot  

Easy Beader Instructions 

1.       Load beads onto the Easy Beader

2.     Place the end of the braided or twisted hair into the hole of the Easy Beader  

3.     Slide the beads up the shaft of the Easy Beader onto the hair 

4.     Pull the Easy Beader off the hair 

5.     Finish off with a Snap or foil or band

You can load up the Easy Beader until it is full with beads.  This saves you from re-loading every time, and you’ll be able to bead multiple braids, instead of one braid at a time.   

Some of the decorative beads are a little trickier to use with the Easy Beader, you just need to make sure you are using thinner braids or twists.

  Flat Twist Instructions 

Flat Twists are similar to cornrowing but instead of using the braiding technique you use the 2 Stranded Twist technique.  Style can be achieved with dry or wet hair.  You may like to use hair gel or wax to hold the style in place.    

1                    Part the hair in the desired number of rows.

2                    Select your first row and clip the other hair out of your way.

3                    Starting from the hairline, take 2 small strands of hair and twist twice by twisting right section over left.

4                    Now with each twist add some loose hair.

5                    Once you’ve finished the cornrow along the scalp, you can secure with a hair band or snap or continue into a hanging twist or braid.

Twist Instructions 

Twists are quick and easy to create.  Here I explain the Two Stranded Twist which can be accomplished with either dry or wet hair.  

1                    Part the hair in the desired number of sections ie in boxes or triangles over the scalp or use the hair from a ponytail.   

2                    Divide the hair into 2 even pieces. 

3                    Twist each piece in the same direction. 

4                    Now Twist the hair in the opposite direction  together by crisscrossing the right piece over the left, and so on.  The twist will resemble a rope. 

5                    Secure ends with a hair band and decorate with  beads and snaps. 

  Once you’ve accomplished the Two Stranded Twist, why not try 3 or 4 strands.      

To help the twist last longer, try using hair styling products like gel or wax by adding to wet hair at Step 2. 

Assist the twists to sit better, by finishing off with beads and snaps, which add weight to the ends.

Well I finally decided to braid extension Ella’s whole head.  I wasn’t quite sure if she was too young at 4 to wear this particular style.    Hmmmm, I don’t think I’ll ever be interested in becoming a hairdresser as it took me 6 extremely long hours in 3 sittings.  By the end, my fingers were numb and had a sore back and feet from standing.  I am thrilled with the outcome, I just hope it lasts 2 months.  It looks cute with the braids pulled back in a ponytail or a half ponytail.  I’ve used snaps on the ends and have found they just clasp shut, no need to wrap the hair around the snap, like I normally do.   I’m using Jamaican Mango & Lime’s No More Itch Spray to keep the scalp itch free and the hair conditioned.  It smells quite yummy.

Web Address: www.snapaholics.com/au

Email Address: snapaholicsaustralia@yahoo.com.au

Mobile: 0417 064824

Yahoo Group: http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/kinkyhairstyles

Blog: http://www.snapaholics.com/au/aublog/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/snapaholicsaustralia

Afro Puffs are an easy hairstyle and can be decorated with plenty of bling. 

Grooming 

African textured hair comes in different types of textures, from thick curls which can wrap around your smallest finger to curls as tight as the spring in a retractable pen. Hair should be washed at least once a week.  The basic steps are: 

• Wash hair twice

• Condition with a detangling conditioner

• Apply hair oil to the shaft of the hair and massage into the scalp

• Comb through whilst the hair is still damp

• Apply hair wax or hair food or hair grease or hair oil or leave in conditioner

• The hair is now ready for styling, otherwise braid hair into large braids to stop the hair from matting

Here is a photo of Ella, only an hour after having her hair washed.   I’m finding I wash Ella’s hair nearly every second or third day as she loves playing in the sandpit at pre-school.  For these quick washes I just shampoo and conditioner with her hair in braids/twists and then once a week I follow the above grooming process.  If I were to leave her hair like this for more than a few hours, it would end up starting to turn to dreadlocks, especially if she slept on it.

Veils can be achieved either by braiding, twisting or leaving the hair natural. 

1                     Section the hair into 2 parts from ear to ear.  Tie the back part out of your way. 
2                    Working with the top section, split up the hair into 4 rows across the scalp. 
3                    Section 1^st row into 4 even sections and tie each section in a band. 
4                    Section 2^nd row into 5 even sections.  Select section 1, row 1 and split hair into 2 equal pieces. Now braid or twist or leave natural      and tie the piece on the left into section 1, row 2.   
5                    With the right piece of hair it will join the left piece of hair from section 2, row 1 into section 2, row 2.  Continue until all rows are joined together.  
6                    Finish hair off with twist or braids or leave natural.

            1st Row                X      X      X      X
                              /   \ /   \   /   \   /   \
2nd Row           X   X      X      X     X
                               \   / \    /  \    /  \   / 
3rd Row                X     X       X      X
                                /  \   /  \    /  \    /  \
4th Row             X     X      X      X     X 

1st photo is of my girlfriend’s daughter Taylor.  Her Veil has been braided.  2nd photo is our Ella with a twisted veil and hanging twists at the back.

Black, white and somewhere in-between skin colouring, with nappy, straight and kinky hair types is our family. 

I met my gorgeous husband Rayen who is a refugee from Sudan, whilst living in Sydney.  Shortly after, we moved to North of Newcastle to my home town and were married.  In 2003 we were blessed with our beautiful daughter Nyanaath Gabriella Rose, who we call Ella. 

From birth, I have found Ella’s gorgeous mocha coloured skin to continually need moisturising.  Bathing her in oils and using moisturisers have assisted in keeping her skin soft with that beautiful glow.     

Up until the age of one, I was able to manage Ella’s hair with products including leave-in-moisturisers and detangler mist sprays from our local supermarket.  Once she turned one, her hair started to turn with the curls becoming tighter and tighter and very dry.  My sister-in-law introduced me to a few African hair salons in Newtown, Sydney.  I have now used numerous products for kinky style hair and am yet to find what I absolutely love.  I have just started selling Jamaican Mango and Lime products and am currently trialing them on Ella’s hair.  Will keep you updated on my verdict.  

Ella had just turned two, when I was introduced to the US Adoption Hair & Skin Care Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adoptionhair_skincare/ , these ladies have provided me with a wealth of information.  This is when I received my first sample of snaps from the US and became addicted!  On recommendation I bought the books Kinki Kreations by Jena Renee Williams and It’s All Good Hair by Michelle N-K Collison.  I was now on my way to creating flat twists, hanging twists, cornrows and afro puffs with plenty of hair bling – snaps, beads and barrettes. 
I continually searched the shops of Newcastle and Sydney; and Australian internet sites, looking for snaps, beads and barrettes.  I managed to find a few snaps and barrel beads, very plain and boring compared to what was on offer in the US.  I approached Snapaholics and here I am now as their Snapaholics Australia franchise.  I hope you Aussies enjoy the hair bling as much as I do!
  
♥ Happy Snapping ♥ 

Kelly