4th Of July Hairstyles, Aztec Carousel Braid Ponytail and Bun

Today's hair tutorial shows how to create 2 cute hairstyles (a ribbon braided ponytail and a bun) featuring the "Aztec Carousel Braid."

We choose colors inspired by the USA flag (red, white, and blue) for our video tutorial today, since Independence day is right around the corner.  But, these "4th of July hairstyles" are not just for July 4th!  This ponytail and bun will work for many occasions and with any color combinations you want.  I think both styles would be great for dance, gymnastics, sports, school, cheerleading, etc. Of course, you can change out the red and white stripes to match your school colors & sports team colors, or to go with your outfit for the day!

We have shown the photo above in our "waterfall ribbon twist braid" video as an example of what can be done with the waterfall ribbon twist, but have not shown how to make the carousel braid variation up until now.  We choose to name this variation of the waterfall ribbon twist the "Aztec carousel braid" because of the unique zig zag design the ribbon creates as it twists around the ponytail.  It reminds me of a design you would see on a rug or blanket out in the desert somewhere. ;)

 

We chose red and white stripes with a blue ribbon accent at the top of the ponytail this time. But (as explained in our video tutorial below) you can really use as many different colors as you want in the ponytail itself.  If you wanted to incorporate blue into the carousel braid, you could easily add a 3rd (blue) ribbon into the pattern.

This ponytail design can also be wrapped up into a bun for another fun look.  Of course, buns are always a great option for keeping hair off of your neck in the summer and for sports! I love the pattern of the ribbon running through this bun.

Supplies Needed:

• Ribbon.  We used 2 ribbons in the ponytail, 4 feet long each. 
• 1 medium size elastic 
• 1 small elastic  

Aztec Carousel Braid Video Tutorial: Click here to watch the tutorial directly on YouTube.