Genie Locks - Hairstyle for Tweens & Teens

Last year I learned about Genie Locks...I had been braiding weave (synthetic hair) into girls' hair for years.  Lots of fun and LOTS of time! I saw a woman one day with a style that looked like she had grown perfect, girly dred locks overnight!  So I inquired and what I found was still time consuming, but simple to do and gives a hairstyle that last 1-2 months!

What you need:

• A willing head!
• Leave in conditioner
• Red Heart Yarn (this yard does not shrink after being wet and with this style girls can go swimming, get hair wet in the shower, etc)
• Scissors
• Lighter
• Some kind of towel if you don't want to hurt your fingers

I take the yarn and wrap it around the legs of a coffee table or chair so that all strands are the same.  If you have a cat that you find out there is no myth to a cat loving yarn!  Watch out!  After wrapping the yarn you take it off of the chair and then cut it at one end.  

If you have braided single braids from the scalp into your daughter's hair, then you can do this too!  Working with the yarn is much easier than synthetic hair.  The key is the start the braid with hair and yarn as close the the scalp as possible.  Take the THREE strands of yarn and at the scalp, begin to braid with the hair.  

Once you get the hang of braiding the yarn in, you go for it, parting the hair until the whole head is done!  She wanted some color in her hair, so she picked out what she wanted.  I added one strand of color with two strands of black and I only added this to about a dozen braids or so, as not to make her look like Rainbow Bright! When you have braided to the desired length, simply take two of the strands and make a knot.  Later on you will cut the yarn beyond the knot off and then burn the ends.  

She is SLEEPY now and so am I, so we

will burn the ends off tomorrow

and take the finished product pics :-)

So after all braids are in, it is time to get a lighter.  I usually blow the flame out and work on the end with my fingers but I was wise to think of using a wet rag today!  Made it go so fast and didn't cause me pain!  So, I burn the end of each one up to the knot I tied at the end.  I blow out the flame and then press the rag around the end to seal it off.

Finally it is ready to put into a style.....pony tail?  Down?  Braid the braids?!?!