sturdy ladder braid

 we tried out the ladder braid last sunday.   knowing how loose the braid is, it was only good for church.   i wasn't entirely happy with the results.   i would have liked it tighter.   maybe next time, life is an experiment and that's how we learn.
the curve over her head is lovely though.

 the ladder braid is just french braiding but taking hair into one side then out the other, a waterfall braid.   it is basically a twist with sections of hair coming through the twist.   then add a french braid on the other side to pick up the sections that you pulled through the first braid.

 my tomboy princess loves the ladder braid but it is way too loose to do for her school hair.   i decided to make it a bit more stable so she could have it for school.

in order to make the ladder a bit more stable, i didn't just take whole sections clear through the braid.   bring in hair from one side and only leave a piece of that on the other side.   you can see the difference.   it left a much tighter and more stable braid to work from .   again, not entirely happy with the way it looks but i am happy with the more sturdy form of it.   i just need some practice to make it look nicer.