One of the easiest ways to get waves in your hair is to plait it. It’s easy to do even for beginners and you can use products and materials that you probably already have at home.

In this post, I connected with Dee Poulsen, a hairstyling expert and founder of Loved By Curls, and asked her to share with me her best tips for plaiting hair for curls.

The best way to plait hair for waves is to plait two French Braids. This is because a French Braid interweaves more hair into the braid than a traditional braid, giving you more waves.

For best results, plait your hair the night before. The longer you keep the braids in, the better they come out and the longer they will hold.

Note that I’ve also written a step-by-step guide on how to braid your hair for waves in the morning.

Here’s How to Plait Hair for Waves:

What You Will Need

• Leave-in conditioner
• Two elastic bands
• Hairspray
• Hair Mousse (optional)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prep Your Hair

1. Wash your hair and towel-dry it until it’s 70% dry, then apply a leave-in conditioner to help maintain moisture and definition during the plaiting process.
2. Part your hair down the middle and separate into two sections. Brush your hair from roots to tips to remove any knots.

Plait a French Braid

1. Starting with one section, grab a row of hair (approx. 4 inches) from the top of your head. The higher up you start the braid, the higher up your waves will be.
2. Separate the row of hair into three equal sections. Run your fingers down each section to smooth out the hair and to make sure you’re creating three equal sections.
3. A French braid begins just like a traditional braid. Hold two pieces of hair in your right hand and one piece of hair in your left hand.
4. With your left hand, grab the outer piece of hair in your right hand and cross it over the second piece. You now have two pieces of hair in your left hand and one in your right.
5. Then use your right-hand ring finger to grab the original left-hand piece. You now have two pieces of hair in your right hand.
6. A pattern will emerge. Repeat this pattern a few times until you have a few rows.
7. As you continue down the braid, start bringing in additional hair. Before crossing over a piece of hair, grab more hair underneath and include in the cross-over.
8. Keep adding more hair as you work your way down the braid. The smaller amounts of hair you add, the more intricate the braid will look.
9. Plait your hair as close as possible to your ends and finish by tying the ends with an elastic band.
10. Repeat with the other section of hair so you have two braids.

Take Out The Braids

1. Make sure your hair is completely dry before taking out the braids.
2. Unwind each piece of hair very carefully to not disturb the wave pattern and cause unnecessary frizz.
3. If your hair looks a bit flat, flip over your hair and apply hair mousse to your roots. Lightly rake through your roots to create volume.
4. Spray your waves with hairspray while protecting your face.