Braided headband with beads: a (brief 5 step) tutorial

My most darling young whippersnapper of a friend (well, she’s 23 but I still consider that whippering age) went to an outdoor musical festival the other day. Frankly, I can’t think of anything worse than sloshing around in the dirt with thousands of other dirty music lovers, but this is apparently what the young folk like to do. You dig?

So, she was casting around for some kind of accessories to wear on the day that was in keeping with the whole festival vibe so I decided to make her something that would fit the bill and whipped up (not to be confused with whippersnappered up  (vb) : to acquire oneself a cool, young thing) this headband.

It’s just strands of lovely, soft leather braided, tied and then strung with beads.

I actually love it and would totes wear it if I was ever on my way to a mud pit. I mean mosh pit. I mean fancy dress party dressed as Stevie Nicks. So, um, never. But I do like it.

If you would like to make your own, the simple instructions are:

1. Take 3 long pieces of soft leather and hold them around your head as if the piece were finished and mark the points on your strips where your fingers meet at the back of your head.

2. Now take your strands and slide a rubber band onto them and tie it off at the first point you have marked.

3. Carefully plait your leather strands all the way from the rubber band to your second marked point. Test your plait for length around your head and either extend or unplait if necessary.

4. Sew or otherwise secure the three strands together at the point where your fingers met ie, the circumference of your head.

5. Decorate the ends of your strips with beads or whatever takes your fancy.

We went for a really natural, neutral look but you could go all tribal on this thing’s arse and weave on feathers at different points or twist fabric scraps along the ends.

If it had occurred to me earlier, I would have woven a really thin strip of cute fabric into the braided bit. So if you make one and do that, do send me a photo of it. And of you. Dead centre of the mosh pit thanks.