15 Stunning Braided Hairstyles For Short Hair

Written by , BTech Anjali Sayee BTech Experience: 7 years
Last Updated on

Do you know what the chicest hairstyle is for short hair?

Braids, of course!

Braids are the perfect way to style short hair as they add volume and texture to your locks. If you have highlights, weaving your hair in a braid can accentuate those beautiful colors. The best thing about them is that you can find a braided hairstyle for every hair type and length! They look especially great on short hair.

Without further ado, let’s check out the chicest braided styles that you can sport with short hair.

15 Stunning Braid Hairstyles For Short Hair

1. Bob Braids

What You Need

  • Hair cream
  • Rat-tailed comb
  • Hair clips
  • Hair extensions
  • Hot water
  • A big bowl

How To Do

  1. First, pick the style of black braids you want. There is a wide variety that you can choose from, ranging from Ghana braids to feed-ins and crochet braids.
  1. Decide whether you want to use virgin hair or synthetic hair. Virgin hair is natural human hair while synthetic hair is made of fine plastic fibers.
  1. Apply cream to all your hair, paying extra attention to your scalp.
  1. Divide your hair into small sections and clip them up, leaving one section loose.
  1. Divide the loose section into three sub-sections and braid two or three stitches.
  1. Pick up a section of extensions and fold it in half at the center. Make sure it is just as long as your hair. Use a pair of scissors to cut the excess hair. Now, divide the extension into three sections and place the center section behind the center section of your hair. Merge the side sections of the extensions with the side sections of your natural hair.
  1. Continue weaving the braid till the end.
  1. Repeat the same procedure with all the other sections of your hair.
  1. Once you’ve finished braiding your locks, dip the ends into some hot water in a bowl. This will seal the ends and prevent the braids from unraveling.

2. Double Dutch Braids

Double Dutch Braids
Image: gulishblair / Instagram

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Elastic bands
  • Clip

How To Do

  1. Part your hair down the middle, from the front till the nape of your neck at the back. This will divide your hair into two sections. Clip up one section.
  1. Comb down the unclipped section to detangle it.
  1. Begin weaving a Dutch braid from right near the partition.
  1. After the first stitch, keep adding more hair to the side sections with each subsequent stitch.
  1. Once braid has reached the nape of your neck, weave it in a regular three-strand braid the rest of the way down. Secure the ends with an elastic band.
  1. Braid the other section in the same manner.

3. Braided Half Top Knot

Braided Half Top Knot
Image: hairby_sammi_ / Instagram

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Hair brush
  • Bobby pins
  • Elastic band

How To Do

  1. Clip off all your hair except the mohawk section. Use a brush to detangle that section of hair.
  1. Start weaving a braid from the hairline, adding more hair to the side sections of the braid with each subsequent stitch.
  1. Once you reach the end of the mohawk section, pin the braid to secure it in place.
  1. Wrap the tail of the braid into a top knot and secure it in place with an elastic band and bobby pins.
  1. Unclip the rest of your hair and brush it out to finish off the look.

4. Side Accent Braid

Side Accent Braid
Image: shorthaircutcom / Instagram

What You Need

  • Hair brush
  • Elastic bands
  • Bobby pins

How To Do

  1. Brush your hair to remove all knots or tangles.
  1. Part your hair on one side.
  1. Pick up some hair from the front, from the side of the parting with more hair.
  1. Weave this section into a regular three-strand braid and secure its ends with an elastic band. Pancake the braid to make it look big and flat.
  1. Pin the braid underneath your hair at the back of your head.

5. Faux Undercut Braid

Faux Undercut Braid
Image: chloenbrown / Instagram

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Thin elastic bands
  • Hair clips
  • Bobby pins

How To Do

  1. Part your hair on one side. Clip up the side with more hair.
  1. On the side with less hair, start weaving a Dutch braid right from the front. Align the braid close to your scalp to create an undercut effect.
  1. Tie the end of the braid with a thin elastic band. Pin it to the back of your head, under your hair.
  1. Unclip the rest of your hair and brush it out to finish off the look.

6. Crown Braid

Crown Braid
Image: Shutterstock

What You Need

  • Rat-tailed comb
  • Bobby pins
  • Thin elastic bands

How To Do

  1. Part your hair from ear to ear.
  1. From just above your left ear, start weaving a Dutch braid. Align the braid along the curve of your head to make it look like a crown.
  1. When you reach your right ear, curve the braid down and weave it back towards your left ear.
  1. Once you get back to the starting point, pin the ends within the crown braid.

7. Double Braided Top Knot

Double Braided Top Knot
Image: hair.x.haley / Instagram

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Elastic bands
  • Velvet scrunchie

How To Do

  1. Section off the mohawk section of your hair. Clip up the rest of your hair.
  1. Divide the mohawk section vertically into two sections. Weave both sections into Dutch braids.
  1. Once the braids reach the crown, secure them with elastic bands.
  1. Merge the tails of the braids together and wrap them in a single top knot.
  1. Accessorize with a velvet scrunchie.

8. Lace Braids

Lace Braids
Image: Milabu / Youtube

What You Need

  • Hair brush
  • Elastic bands
  • Bobby pins

How To Do

  1. Brush your hair back, so it falls behind your shoulders.
  1. Part your hair down the middle.
  1. Pick up some hair from one side of the parting and divide it into three sections.
  1. Start weaving these sections into a French braid. However, add more hair only from the front of your head to the front strand of the braid to create the lace effect.
  1. Once your braid goes past your ear, braid it regularly the rest of the way down. Secure the end with an elastic band.
  1. Repeat these steps on the other side.
  1. Pin the ends of the braids under your hair at the back of your head.

9. Dutch Braided Top Knot

Dutch Braided Top Knot
Image: hairbyabbyd / Instagram

What You Need

  • Rat-tailed comb
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby pins

How To Do

  1. Using the pointed end of the rat-tailed comb, separate the mohawk section of your hair and clip off the rest.
  1. Comb the mohawk section to detangle it, and start weaving it in a Dutch braid from the front.
  1. When the Dutch braid reaches the crown, secure it with an elastic band.
  1. Wrap the tail of the braid into a top knot.
  1. Use an elastic band and bobby pins to secure the top knot in place.

10. Reverse Braid Crown

Reverse Braid Crown
Image: meliehairandmakeup / Instagram

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Bobby pins
  • Curling iron

How To Do

  1. Start by curling the ends of your hair.
  1. Run your fingers through the curls to make them look more natural.
  1. Gather hair from one side at the front and weave it in a Dutch braid around the back of your head.
  1. Pancake the braid and pin it up on the other side to finish off the look.

11. French Braid

French Braid
Image: tojashair / Instagram

What You Need

  • Hair brush
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby pins

How To Do

  1. Brush your hair to remove all knots and tangles.
  1. Brush your hair back so that it falls behind your shoulders.
  1. Gather some hair from the crown and divide it into two sections: 1 and 2. Take some hair from the outer side of section 1, cross it over and merge it with the inner side of section 2. Then, pick up some hair from the outer side of section 2, cross it over and merge it with the inner side of section 1.
  1. Before you do the next stitch, take hair from the inner side of section 1 and add some hair from outside the braid to it. Now, cross it over and join it to section 2. Repeat this step on the other side as well.
  1. Keep weaving the braid this way to do a French fishtail braid.
  1. Secure the end of the braid with an elastic band and tuck it under the braid to cover it up. Use bobby pins to secure the ends in place.

12. Dutch Braid

Dutch Braid
Image: emilielovescolor / Instagram

What You Need

  • Brush
  • Rat-tailed comb
  • Elastic bands

How To Do

  1. Brush your hair back and weave it in a Dutch braid by flipping the middle section over the side sections and adding more hair to the side sections with each subsequent section.
  1. Secure it at the end with an elastic band.
  1. Pancake the braid to make it look more voluminous, and tuck the end under the braid and pin it up.

13. Double Fishtail Braid

Double Fishtail Braid
Image: Milabu / Youtube

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Elastic bands
  • Bobby pins
  • Fancy hair clip

How To Do

  1. Separate the hair in the mohawk section and clip off the rest of your locks.
  1. Divide the mohawk section into two.
  1. Weave both the sections into individual fishtail braids.
  1. To do so, divide the section into two sections: 1 and 2. Take hair from the outer side of section 1, pass it over and merge it with the inner side of section 2. Then, take hair from the outer side of section 2, pass it over and merge it with the inner side of section 1.
  1. Continue to weave the braids until the ends before securing them with elastic bands.
  1. Pancake the braids to make them look bigger. Tie them together at the back with a fancy clip.

14. Reverse Double Dutch Knots

Reverse Double Dutch Knots
Image: Shutterstock

What You Need

  • Comb
  • Bobby pins
  • Elastic bands

How To Do

  1. Bend forward, flip your hair over, and divide it down the middle into two sections. Clip up one section of hair.
  1. With your hair still flipped, weave a Dutch braid starting from the back hairline.
  1. Once you reach the crown, wrap the rest of the hair in a top knot. Secure it with an elastic band and bobby pins.
  1. Braid the other section in the same manner.

15. Waterfall Braids

Waterfall Braids
Image: Milabu / Youtube

What You Need

  • Bobby pins
  • Comb

How To Do

  1. Part your hair on one side.
  1. Take some hair from the front of the side with more hair.
  1. A waterfall braid consists of three sections: top, middle, and bottom. Weave a stitch as you would a regular braid and drop the bottom section.
  1. Pick a new section from the top, making it the new top section, and weave another stitch of the braid.
  1. Keep doing this until you have gone past your ear. Pin the braid under your hair at the back and pancake it to make it look voluminous.

Those were my top 15 picks for braid hairstyles for short hair. Which of these was your favorite, and how would you add your own flavor to it? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Anjali Sayee
Anjali SayeeAssociate Editor
Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.

Read full bio of Anjali Sayee
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