How to Create a Rick Rack Braid

This braided hairstyle is inspired by the rick rack ribbon used in both the sewing and quilting worlds. {We’ve shown you this technique back in 2013, in our Textured Braids tutorial.}

Rick Rack is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “a flat braid to form zigzags and used especially as trimming on clothing.” Yes, I have been a quilter since I was a teenager, and own a sewing machine and Serger. I’ve used rick rack myself on my kids’ baby quilts I made, and I have my mom my grandmother to thank for teaching me those skills.

Today’s tutorial uses the Rick Rack braid as a simple single-side pinback on Kamri’s straight hair. Although the braid looks pretty complex, it’s really one of the easiest braids to make. In fact, all you need to know is how to create a simple 3-strand braid, and how to pancake a braid elbow!

Wearing this with subtle waves as the base would be cute, too, but be careful with full curls as they will likely cause the elbows of the braid to look odd.

Kamri’s In-Video Outfit:

Shirt: Old Navy | Shorts: Old Navy | Shoes: Nordstrom

To see your own photo recreations of this hairstyle featured in our app, feel free to tag your photos on IG with: #CGHRickRackBraid

For this tutorial, we used this Rick Rack Braid as an accent, simply because it already has so much going on with it. Accent braids are very nice because you can still maintain the simplicity of down hair, with a little bit of edge or pop in the accent. This hairstyle would be cute, however, as a tieback, too!

This braid is suitable for girls of all ages, in various combinations, for pretty much any occasion. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, 1 small hair elastic, 2 small bobby pins, hairspray {if desired}.

Time Requirement: 3-5 minutes

Skill Level: Easy

Video Tutorial:

Mindy’s In-Video Outfit:

Shorts: American Eagle | Kimono: Forever 21 | Shirt: The Outnet | Shoes: Nordstrom

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Part the hair on your preferred side…
2. Grab a medium-sized section of hair starting at the part line towards the opposite side, about 3-4 inches total…
3. Begin a simple 3-strand braid, only one of the strands will be much thinner than the other two, about 2/3 less {as you braid, you’ll notice a different look to the braid, which is OK}…
4. Continue braiding for about 3-4 stitches of hair, and then stop…
5. Now, go back and pancake the elbows of the larger strands by pulling gently on the outside edges {actually a rotate of the wrist after pinching works best, as seen in the video}…
6. Then continue on with a few more stitches, and pancake the last remaining outside larger edges {the more you pancake the more pronounced the rick rack braid will look}…
7. Secure ends of the braid with an elastic…
8. Next, lift a small section of hair from the back of the head and lay the braid underneath it right at the base of the skull…
9. Secure the braid in a pinback by using 2-3 small bobby pins and allow the hair to fall back into place {this will help hide the bobby pins}…
10. Add hairspray {if desired}.

Please be sure to give this video a BIG if you loved it, and leave a comment below telling us if you’ve watched the twins’ Parent Trap parody video {link at the top of description box}!

Brooklyn & Bailey briefly returned to acting in their last video, which was in collaboration with Studio C, a family-friendly sketch comedy group in Utah. We are such huge fans of Studio C that we couldn’t resist working with them on this project! Click below to watch the twins’ The “Other” Parent Trap parody, and then go watch the Prom Dress Gone Wrong video on Studio C’s channel!

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