Braiding is a great way to manage long hair or dress it up for special occasions. What looks like an intricate, complicated woven design is actually quite simple to achieve. Follow these steps for the basic hair braid and with a little practice, you’ll be an expert in no time.
Step 1:
Comb or brush the hair. Make sure it is smooth and tangle-free.
Step 2:
Gather the hair to be braided into a ponytail. Secure the hair with an elastic coated rubber band. Take care not to tangle the hair in the rubber band.
Step 3:
Divide the ponytail into three equal strands. Hold two strands in the left hand, separating them with the thumb and index finger. Hold the third strand in the right hand. (Reverse for left-handers.)
Step 4:
Take up any slack in the strands. Rotate the left hand at the wrist to cross the two strands one over the other, bringing the outside strand to the center. Bring the single strand over and cross it over the middle of the two strands.
Step 5:
Repeat the process, bringing the outside strand of the two to the middle by rotating the wrist. Weave the single strand on the right again into the middle of the two left strands.
Step 6:
Keep the hair strands taut while braiding. Occasionally smooth the strands to keep the braid even.
Step 7:
Braid the hair to the end or to the desire length. Secure it with a small ,elastic-coated rubber band.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2191787_do-basic-hair-braid.html
