Not sure how to make a bun? Follow these step by step instructions to help you make a secure bun. Before you start, you will find it helpful to read all the instructions first, including the instructions on how to insert hairpins. A ballet bun generally sits in the centre of the back of the head and is not visible from the front.

YOU WILL NEED

• Hair brush
• Long handled comb
• Hair elastic
• Hairspray or hair gel
• Hair net
• Hair pins
• Bobby pins

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The most effective pins for securing a bun are hairpins. Hairpins have several crimps (waves) in the middle of each prong, which help the pin grip the hair. The thicker, less flexible pins provide the strongest hold. Bobby pins are best used to hold down flyaway hairs or fringes and to secure curls or plaits. To use the bobby pin, it is best to hold it with the raised prong on the top side and slightly open.

METHOD

Brush all the hair towards the centre back of the head. Gather the hair into a tight ponytail and secure with an elastic band, ensuring that there are no bumps. To stop frizzy and fly-away hairs, apply a small amount of gel evenly from the roots to the ends of the hair, with your fingers or with the comb. Children with very curly, thick or fine hair may need their hair gelled or sprayed before securing into a ponytail. Brush or gel fringes back off the face and secure with bobby pins if necessary.
To make the bun shape, hold the ponytail at the end and twist it firmly until it is all twisted into a rope. Then coil the ponytail into a flat circle around the hair elastic, continuing the coil in the same direction as the twist in the ponytail. This will stop the ponytail unravelling. Tuck the ends of the ponytail under the bun. Then place 3-4 hairpins around the bun to secure it, without taking your hands off the bun (see instructions for inserting hairpins). Next, place a hairnet over the bun. At this stage, you can make any adjustments to the shape of the bun. A finished bun should be round and even in shape, and sit smoothly against the head.

HOW TO SECURE A BUN USING HAIRPINS

Hold the pin at the closed end, with the prongs facing the centre of the coil. Insert the prongs a little way into the edge of the bun, catching a small amount of the bun edge. Then turn the prongs in and back outwards to catch some of the hair outside the bun. Lastly, turn the prongs inwards again and push into the centre of the coil. Insert as many pins as you need to all around the edges of the bun, until it feels secure. Loose hairs can be gelled or sprayed to help them stay put.