Basic Tribal Fusion Hair

TribalTique Belly Dance Company – Fort Collins

To balance out our elaborate costumes we like to go big with the hair. Our standard look is hair up with braided extensions, flowers, hairsticks and often headbands to held cement everything in place.

What you need:

Hair Extensions – Narrow, long braids of hair attached to a piece of stretchy velvet or lace ribbon to tie around a ponytail or individually glued to clips or barrettes. Use loose synthetic hair from Sally’s Beauty Supply - I use two bags of hair, one to match my color and one to accent. I make a total of 8 braids, 6 on the ribbon and two attached to clips with cowrie shell and coin accents. Don’t feel like fighting the tangles? Hair extensions sets can also be purchased from me for $35.

Hair Flowers – Silk or plastic flowers glued to hair clips or barrettes. Get the best selections at craft and fabric stores.

Headband – About 2-3” wide band that ties under hair in the back. Can be made out of fancy fabric or trim, I usually reinforced with craft felt. Add medallions or pendants to the sides and center front for a fancy look – also available from me for around $35-45…

Hair Sticks – Get ‘em at Claires or Icing in the Mall, I like to stick a few on each side, they can also help anchor your hair-do!

Feathers – Optional but fun, I like to stick individual short plumes: peacock, pheasant or ostrich right into my ‘do or buy picks of feathers attached to a wire stick usually found in the floral department of craft stores or x-mas displays.

Sparkly Barrettes – Optional but help to add a little sparkle and stick things in place. Get ‘em at drug stores, Claires/Icing, or beauty shops.

Rubber Bands, Bobby Pins, Toothy Clips – All crucial to getting everything in place.

Hairspray – Crucial to KEEPING everything in place – I like glitter hairspray for extra on stage sparkle in silver or copper from Life of the Party.

How to do it:

  1. Start by getting your own hair up in a single ponytail or two pigtails HIGH on the top of your head (short or fine hair go for two ponytails). On your last loop through the rubber band pull hair only halfway through creating a poof of hair.
  2. You can arrange your bangs however you like: down, pulled back, or side-swept.
  3. Tie your ribbon of hair extensions around the ponytail(s) on the underside.
  4. Tie your headband underneath your hair, bobby pin to anchor.
  5. Begin to arrange your natural hair poof at top by bobby pinning and clipping it down.
  6. Add your extensions on clips to either side of the poof.
  7. Add flower clips and barrettes as desired around the poof of hair to continue to arrange and anchor.
  8. Add hair sticks and feathers as desired.
  9. Set everything with hairspray.
  10. Do a test spin, backbend, etc. to make sure it’s all gonna stay in place!