Make a Ballet Bun
Making a strong, durable ballet bun is very easy, but it may take a little practice if you're unfamiliar with it. Go over these steps and try making a bun at home before you use it for class or a performance. Every ballerina will find this necessary.
Contents
Steps
Making Your Basic Ballet Bun
- Brush your hair free of tangles. Get your hair straight and even, brushing it straight back as if you were putting it into a ponytail. A little water can help smooth things out and make your hair more manageable, if need be.
- Pull your hair back into a ponytail, using a comb or brush to remove the bumps. If necessary, spray the hair with a quick-drying hairspray. The best height is right on the crown of your head, so that you could just see the top of the ponytail poking up if you look in the mirror.
- The tighter you can make this ponytail, the better. It may hurt at first, but it ensures you have fewer wisps of hair coming free and keeps you from having to re-do your bun later.
- Secure the ponytail with an elastic. It is important to have a strong foundation for your bun so it doesn't fall down. A small elastic will hold the hair in place while you craft your bun. You can then spray a little hairspray onto the ponytail to give it a little extra hold.
- Twist the ponytail into a tight rope. The tighter the better, even though it may hurt a bit to get it prepared.
- Some ballerinas like to create their bun in two parts -- splitting their hair in half to make twisting easier. If you do this, simply repeat the following steps for both halves.
- Start to tightly wind the strand of hair around the ponytail holder. Follow the direction you twisted in for the best result -- if you twisted clockwise, wrap clockwise. You want to keep the rope of hair close to the ponytail holder. Use bobby pins to start securing everything down.
- Securely fasten the hair with bobby pins. Place pins at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock, if your bun was a clock face. If the first half of your bun feels a little shaky, put more bobby pins in where desired.
- Many ballerinas prefer the U-shaped pins, as they capture more hair and hold longer.
- Repeat these same steps for the second half of your ponytail, if necessary. If you do, make sure your twist and turn the second half the opposite way as the first.
- Lightly spray with hairspray if there are any wisps or frizzy hair. l This also helps secure the bun, though it is not strictly necessary.
Improving the Fit and Hold
- Spritz your hair with some water before beginning. This can make the hair a bit easier to manage, and keep loose strands from flying off. Use water and a comb to really straighten out your hair, combing out any bumps or fly-away hairs causing problems. If you have thicker or unruly hair, a little gel may be helpful, too.
- Add a little texturizing spray before "bunning" for a better hold. If you've recently washed your hair, and everything is silky smooth, you might try a texturizing spray to give the strands some hold. Like most up-dos, this look is a bit easier to pull off with "day old" hair. But, if you're fresh and clean, some texturizer should do the trick.
- Use your other hand to curl the hair around your ponytail. With one hand around your tight coil of hair, use the other hand to keep to press and hold the bun around your ponytail as you wrap it. The curl between your thumb and first finger, for example, is a great tool to help mold a perfectly rounded bun.
- Split the ponytail down the middle and build the bun in two parts. For girl's with thinner hair, or for a more "classic" look, you just twist the entire ponytail. But for girls with thick or uneven length hair, or for a slightly more secure hold, you can go with the "two-part" method. Simply pull the ponytail in half, then twist and wrap both halves around the base of the ponytail for a "figure eight" bun.
- If you're doing the bun in two parts, simply repeat the exact same steps above for both parts. However, when you get to the wrapping and pinning, just make sure the two strands are wrapped in opposite directions (one clockwise, one counter-clockwise).
- For extra security, cover your bun with a hair net that matches your hair color. If you have blonde hair, don't use the gray hair net because then your bun looks purple. If you're a brunette, don't use the blonde hair net because then you have a lighter bun than the rest of your hair.
Tips
- If your hair is cut in layers, or some other similar hair cut, some of your hair will be too short to reach your ponytail. You can just pin those hairs down with some bobby pins or some cute clips.
- If your hair is long, don't use standard sized bobby pins. They won't hold your hair up.
- Put the bobby pin straight into the bun to where the bobby pin touches the scalp, then straighten the pin to the position you want.
- It is better to use the twist pins for maximum hold.
- The location of the ponytail will determine the position of the bun. A bun looks good when it is just below the crown of the head. There it looks elegant and gives you a better line.
- Try to make it as neat as you can.
- Make sure these bobby pins match your hair color. It will look odd if you have dark hair with light pins or the other way round.
- Put the pin straight down, towards your scalp, then flatten it against your head and push it (gently) in.
Things You'll Need
- Heavy duty bobby pins or hairpins that match your hair
- Hair net that matches your hair color
- Regular bobby pins that match your hair color
- Hair spray
- Ponytail holders
- Hairbrush
- A mirror or some sort of reflective device
Related Articles
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- Make a Donut Bun
- Make a Hair Roll
- Do a Pirouette
- Tell if You Are Ready to Go on Pointe
- Do a Messy Bun for Extra Curly Hair
- Do Hairstyles With a Twisty Bump
- Make a Messy Bun With Extremely Long Hair
- Do a Sock Bun
