Braiding and Flat Twists. How to do it and what to use.

I cant braid, wait let me rephrase that. I can do singular braids but i cant cornrow or flat twist to save my life. How do you do it? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Also what do you use? What would you recommend? I currently have a Shea Butter/CO butter mix but that is running low. If it matters I am a 3c/4a mix, cottony in the front and silky in the back with the crown being the line of demarcation.

I would advise looking at you-tube tutorials. That how I learned to do flat twists. They are very helpful as they go into detail and go slow. Good luck.

I made a cornrowing for beginners post here:

http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/05/cornrowing-for-beginners.html

There's also lots of tips. I also link the website that actually taught me to cornrow. Out of all the countless cornrowing videos I watched I never got it until I found this website:

http://cornrows.co.uk/howto/howtobraidcornrowsx.html

Now for flat twists I just learned those a few months ago and they are super easy. First section off the hair you want to flat twist, now part just a little hair in the front of that section, then split it into two. Pinch some hair off and add it to your right section, then cross your right section under your left section, pinch a little hair off and add it to your (new) right section, cross your (new) right section under your left section.

Basically, pinch, add, cross, pinch, add, cross. Hope that makes sense!

Now as far as what I use. Currently my favorite styling products are from bee mine, the luscious moisturizer and the curly butter. They work great! Previously I used our shea butter coconut oil mix and sometimes a little ORS lock & twist gel.

Also I want to add, I only have done french braids on myself. I think it's much harder to learn on yourself and major kudos to those of you who have (tiashauntee!).

Good luck!

I plan on trying on someone else's head before I try on mine, maybe my mother, sisters or niece. I have noticed that it is almost impossible to grab the silky stuff in the back to even twist so I hope braiding it will help it stay in longer than a day.