How to Style a Waterfall Braid

A waterfall braid is the perfect romantic hairstyle for any occasion—and believe it or not, it's easy!

Updated on August 10, 2022

As huge fans of the prettiest hair hacks and braiding techniques, this step-by-step waterfall braid is easy to follow and yields gorgeous results.

We asked hairstylist Tatum Wetzel to share a game-changing waterfall braid tutorial to elevate your next romantic occasion (complete with a secret stylist tip). This cascading waterfall braid with curls is easy to recreate and helps show off those long locks in a whimsical, flirty way.

What You Need

Elastic bands
Hair pins
Texture powder
Hairspray
Brush and comb

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Add volume

Stylist adding hair sections for waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

We discreetly added very tiny clip-in extensions near the root to give our braid added thickness and volume at the sides. This is a professional stylist tip for getting a thicker waterfall braid, without compromising fullness and length (especially at the sides). Measure and trim your clip-in pieces as needed. We used about a 1-inch section of hidden clip-in per side.

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Section hair

Sectioning hair for waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

Create a deep side part, then grab a section of hair on the right side and divide it into three pieces.

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Cross the sections

Crossing sections for waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

Take the top piece of hair closest to your hairline and cross it over the middle (letting it hang).

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Create the waterfall

Creating a waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

Next, take the bottom piece and cross it over the new middle piece. Now, instead of crossing the hanging piece as you would with a regular French braid, leave it hanging creating the waterfall effect. Then take your top and bottom pieces and cross them over each other once.

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Repeat steps

Finishing up waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

Repeat this sequence by doing steps 3 and 4 over and over until you've reached your desired braid length.

Remember: Grab a new piece of hair from above the braid that's forming, place it in the middle, and drop it down. This is where the waterfall effect really begins to take shape.

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Elevate your braid

Applying texture powder to waterfall braid — Tatum Wetzel (@tatumraewetzel)

Finish the braid by twisting the remaining two pieces together and holding it in place with an elastic. Tuck the end of your braid under the rest of your hair and pin it in place by crossing two bobby pins in an X shape. This last step helps securely hold your braid in place. Sprinkle a little texture powder all over the braid and pull it apart slightly to give your braid a more lived-in, fuller appearance.

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