Braiding has been around for longer than you might think. If you had long hair while you were growing up, your mother probably sent you to school with your hair in French braids. They were always just a little bit too tight, and you’d spend the morning tugging at them until they finally came loose.
But the history of braids goes well beyond our elementary school days. Different variations range across almost every culture in the world. There’s evidence that humans have been using braiding techniques for as long as 30,000 years. Some of the oldest depictions of humans in existence may have braided hairstyles.
Yep, that’s right: when your mom did your French braids, she was employing techniques that have been around since the Paleolithic Era.
Around the globe, braids are used in hundreds of different cultures. Some even have specific braids used to denote a single village or community. It’s amazing to think there are so many ways to do something as simple as weaving hair.
Not only are there many ways to braid hair, but also, many of these are indisputably art. Just take these 70 braided styles you probably didn’t know existed.
1. Dutch fishtail
A Dutch braid is similar to a French braid. The main difference is that while French braids are done from the top, Dutch braids are done from beneath. This version has been combined with a fishtail braid.
Any little girl who grew up with long hair probably wore it in a French braid at one point or another. But most of ours didn’t look this pretty — and they didn’t have gorgeous intertwined ribbons, either.
A ladder braid earns it name because the braider gathers extra bits of hair as they go to form the “rungs” of the ladder. This version is a little more complicated, though, since it uses five strands instead of the usual three.
There are a lot of steps to this one, but it turned out beautifully. Not only does it use a four-strand braid rather than three strands, but it also combines it with a ribbon. As the last step, it’s fashioned into a beautiful crown.
One of the amazing things about braids is that you can combine styles to create works of art. This one is a Dutch braid that’s been fashioned into a rose shape. You just can’t help but marvel at such intricate work.
A lace braid is similar to a French braid. In this case, the difference is that hair is only added to one side of the braid instead of both sides. This style combines lace braids with five-strand braids for an intricate look.
Feather braids are made by continuously dropping a section of hair through the middle of a braid. This creates a shape similar to a classic bird feather, creating an artistic and elegant look.
Who said girls with short hair can’t have braids? These Dutch braids are still super cute even with a short hairstyle. You just have to work with what you’ve got.
As the name implies, stacked braids sit on top of one another. The look is achieved by leaving pieces of hair out of the bigger braid at the back, then braiding them together into the top “stack.”
These braids might look complicated, but they’re surprisingly easy to do once you learn how to complete a regular Dutch braid. The final look is definitely eye-catching.
Some braid names are self-explanatory, and this one is one of them. This four-strand braid has a strand of hair running down the middle, which serves as the filling for the “sandwich.”
This intricate five-strand braid is another beautiful work of art. You get a clear view of every one of those strands as they wrap around her head with not a hair out of place.
This already-intricate braid stands out even more with the addition of an electric blue ribbon. It’s done in the fishtail style, which is appropriate since the weave makes it look like a fishnet.
Hair artists know they can sculpt hair just like any other material. That means making it look like almost anything like this design that’s in honor of Halloween. It perfectly mimics a spiderweb.
There’s almost no limit to the braid styles you can combine — if you know what you’re doing, that is. This style combines feather braids with both Dutch and French braids for multiple layers.
If wanted, you can make it even more complex by adding four braids in different styles. I guess the technical term for this style could be braids on braids on braids on braids.
Since Dutch braiding refers to the position you wrap the hair from, it can be used to make almost any braid style. This one uses the Dutch braiding method to create a whimsical lace and fishtail braid combo.
These wrapped Dutch braids are mesmerizing as they begin high and then hang down her back. But what’s also beautiful is the way they crisscross so elegantly.
We’re used to seeing hair done in one or two braids, but who said you have to limit yourself? This gorgeous style uses three French braids for a super eye-catching look.
Rope isn’t generally pretty, but this hairstyle makes it look fantastic. The beautifully wrapped style starts as a French braid before crossing at the nap of the neck.
It’s easy to add some interest to a regular ponytail by using a braid style on the head itself. It’s obvious where this braid gets its name, but “line” doesn’t do the intricacy of this style justice.
A waterfall braid is a variation on a French braid. It achieves a “waterfall” effect by dropping small strands as it goes, letting hair cascade. This version consisted of pinning the hanging hair up into a crown.
The wraparound braid style is so named because of the way it wraps around itself, of course. It works well on long hair, but also looks lovely on shorter hair, as seen here.
This style is so gorgeous it’s almost distracting. It combines loop braids with lace braid and starts at the top of the head in the French style. It looks beautiful amid her loose hair.
A ladder braid takes some practice, but the results are worth it. This version uses just three strands, although there are versions that use four or more strands.
These four-strand French braids are pretty by themselves. But this person decided to add some ribbons to bring them to the next level. The result is beautiful.
It takes some real talent to master intricate styles like this one. The standard braids are shaped into a heart, then trail into a fishtail braid that cascades down the back.
There’s more than one way to make an eye-catching heart in a braided style. This one does a double heart with ladder braid. It might be an accent to the overall style, but it’s still gorgeous.
How many strands can a single braid hold? It appears there’s no limit. This thick French braid consists of five strands in total for a complex and layered look.
A waterfall braid is a French braid variation that achieves a cascading effect. The scissor waterfall is much more complex, made by repeatedly crossing four strands in the same pattern.
Lace and rope are two very different materials, but they both translate very well when it comes to hairstyles. Well, there’s no actual lace or rope here. Just an intricate hairstyle involving two types of braids.
This eye-catching braid may look complicated, but it’s easier than you think. It’s made by weaving a series of ponytails, one after the other, until they’re “braided” together.
It’s not hard to tell how these playful braids got their name. They’re another beautiful style that looks complicated but can be learned with practice. And the result is both elegant and charming.
Especially when paired with a ponytail or even when they progress into a loose style, it’s hard to beat lace braids. This one keeps the style a little more interesting by placing the braid on the top of the hair.
Who wouldn’t love to wear flowers in their hair — or better yet, have flowers BE their hair? These gorgeous braided buns are sculpted into the shape of flowers.
Micro braids are explanatory — and they’re easier to do on yourself. But it takes some talent to weave these tiny braids together into a beautiful pattern.
Try saying that five times fast — the name is almost as complicated as the style. This version pairs a wraparound braid with a colorful ribbon and a large bun in the back.
As we’ve explained before, a waterfall braid is a special kind of French braid that achieves a cascading effect. But each version has unique personality, like this one that uses twists and spider decorations.
Is there a world record for the largest number of strands in a braid? It probably depends on how thick the hair is of the person getting the braids, as well as how small you manage to make the strands.
As you might be able to guess, this style gets its name from the intricate weaving of the ribbons, a pattern that mimics the laces on a corset. It’s paired with a voluminous Dutch braid.
You’ve heard of fishtail braids and pull-through braids, two styles that are increasingly getting more love. It was only a matter of time before someone combined them to make something even better.
Braiding can be challenging, and it stands to reason that braiding upside down is even trickier. These braids begin at the nape of the neck while defying gravity as they wind into rosettes.
Boho is a popular style for everything these days, from hair to jewelry and clothing. But most of it isn’t as intricate and artistic as this style, which combines several types of braiding.
Pull-through braids are relatively easy to do. That means there’s a lot of room for variation. The potential for creativity and sheer volume make it a super fun style to try.
If you can’t tell, this style uses several different types of braids, including an upside-down braid that starts below the ear and forms a crown around the head. It’s casual enough for everyday wear yet elegant enough to draw attention.
There are fishtail braids, so it only stands to reason there are seashell braids, too. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. This vibrant style not only looks like a shell, but it also stands out with some classic ocean-inspired colors.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock since 2013, you’ve heard all about the Frozen craze — possibly from a starstruck child. Just imagine their excitement if they saw this gorgeous Elsa-inspired hair in real life.
How many different braids can we fit into one style? That’s the question this stylist seems to be asking. There are feathered, French, five-strand, and woven fishtail braids. Phew.
This breathtaking style looks as though it could be the exterior of a handwoven basket. Sure, that might not be the kind of compliment you usually hear about hair. But it’s impossible to avoid looking.
These hairstylists just keep taking the number of strands higher and higher — and of course, adding in plenty of ribbons to go with them. This thick wraparound braid is set off with beautiful orange and yellow ribbons.
Who knew you could turn hair into a flower sculpture with nothing but a simple French braid? Although it’s more whirlpool than flower, it’s still mesmerizing.
This braid might be enormous, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be elegant. Between the heart molding, the ribbons, and the skillful weave, I can’t decide which part is the prettiest.
Braids are easy to take to the next level just by combining two separate styles. This beautiful style combines several different types of braiding like lace braids and four-strands.
One braid on top of the other, braided from the bottom, and with a ribbon threaded through it? Check, check, and check. Talk about showing off all your skills as a stylist at once.
They say you can never have too much of a good thing. If you can make a beautiful three-strand waterfall Dutch braid, why not try four strands? Now to try five…
This beautiful raid is attractive and elegant, but also simple enough to wear on a regular day. Well, a regular day where you want to look your best, of course.
It’s not really necessary to explain why these are called loop braids. One glance at the picture and it’s clear. While it’s a lot more complicated in practice, it produces a beautiful result.
With the right touch, a good stylist can take a regular braid and turn it into something breathtaking. This could’ve been a regular ponytail braid. But the extra level of detail is gorgeous.
This beautiful Dutch braid is woven around the head to make a headband. Then the hair cascades down into a four-strand braid set off with a colorful flower.
Sometimes the simplest things can be the most eye-catching. This French fishtail braid is mesmerizing with a repeating pattern. It must’ve taken a long time to complete.
This braid is so intricate that I can’t stop looking at it. There are so many new parts, it’ll hold your attention for a while. It gets its name from the bottom portion of the braid, which mimics a winding staircase.
This stacked fishtail braid is so beautifully arranged that it’s enough to make everyone stop and stare. It takes a delicate hand and a lot of time and practice to achieve a look like that.
A split braid can also be called a 3D braid because of its depth. It is an extremely unique look that you can’t help but admire, especially with the ribbon running through it.
As the name implies, knotted braids are made by repeatedly knotting the strands of hair. If you do it the right way, the result almost looks like a woven basket.
Braids are delicate and elegant, but it’s possible to turn them into an over-the-top fun style, too. This look achieved that with a brightly-colored bubble braid.
An infinity braid is similar — in some ways — to a fishtail braid. It uses two strands wrapped repeatedly around one another to get a close, delicate look. This one is combined with a lace braid.
Now that we’ve learned all the terms for braids, it’s pretty obvious what a four-strand waterfall braid is. But no matter how much we know, it’s still amazing to see it.
Bubble braids earn their name because they form shapes that look like, well, bubbles. It’s a slightly more childlike and whimsical look. Whoever said braids weren’t supposed to be fun?
Braiding has been around for longer than you might think. If you had long hair while you were growing up, your mother probably sent you to school with your hair in French braids. They were always just a little bit too tight, and you’d spend the morning tugging at them until they finally came loose.
But the history of braids goes well beyond our elementary school days. Different variations range across almost every culture in the world. There’s evidence that humans have been using braiding techniques for as long as 30,000 years. Some of the oldest depictions of humans in existence may have braided hairstyles.
Yep, that’s right: when your mom did your French braids, she was employing techniques that have been around since the Paleolithic Era.
Around the globe, braids are used in hundreds of different cultures. Some even have specific braids used to denote a single village or community. It’s amazing to think there are so many ways to do something as simple as weaving hair.
Not only are there many ways to braid hair, but also, many of these are indisputably art. Just take these 70 braided styles you probably didn’t know existed.
