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The perfect ballet bun...


Nutcracker-x

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Hi,

 

Was just wondering if anyone could give step by step instructions on the perfect bun? I've been doing my own bun for a number of years now however I still haven't exactly mastered the perfect bun and they always seem to be bigger on one side of that makes sense? I've seen all these photos of a perfect bun however can never seem to replicate them ????.

 

Any tips would be great

Thanks ????

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I think getting the perfect bun can sometimes depend on your hair length and type. Is your hair long? Are you looking for the really simple bun or have you tried the cinnamon style one? I found that when I had long hair, the cinnamon type bun was easier to get perfect. Now I have shoulder length hair I tend to do it a bit differently. Also a bun net and the longer thicker bun pins are important to getting it just right!

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How old were you or your DD before they were regularly doing their own bun.? My DD is eight and recently a teacher suggested she should be doing it herself but I LAUGH. I SCOFF at this suggestion.

Not with all that thick soft heavy but also fly away hair.

Not at six in the morning.

Or when it counts.

Or we're late.

Or because I'm far too impatient for the endless twiddling, foofing faff justcomehereletmedoit.

 

But...

What if something happens to me.....?

The IDEA of my other half attempting a bun? Shudder.

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My younger students are awarded stars for coming with hair in a bun, especially if done with net, pins and grips.

 

And extra merit is given to those who do it themselves! Even if it looks messy as practice makes perfect. They soon learn!

 

I have been on the lookout for decent instructions for my students online myself but none seem quite right so any recommendations greatly appreciated.

 

As far as getting an even bun is concerned I find that securing the hairpin on either side with a couple of pins before adding the net helps.

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I've got medium length hair which is quite thick. What's the difference between a cinnamon roll and a normal bun? I've been doing my own bun since I was about 12 (3 and a half years) before that my mum would do it for me but she just did it so that she put it into a pony, plaited the pony and then twisted it into a bun net and secured with grips.

 

Hfbrew - what do you mean by securing the hair pin on either side?

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DD is ten now and has not let me near her hair for a year. She took control of the entire bun scenario, and now does all sorts of complicated variations, including front section with a 'twist' or 'french plait' worked round the bun. When she achieves one that meets her extremely high standards (the main reason she and I parted ways on the doing of the bun last year) her happiness is immeasurable.

 

When I was still allowed near the hair I used to twist it once it was in a ponytail, pin with three pins to get the first section of hair round, then coil the rest of it round, pop the bun net over and pin around the net. She is often telling me she has come up with improved ways of doing the bun (her buns seem to be like 'Daz Ultra' always a new and better way of executing them) but it is a complete mystery to me how it is achieved these days. All I know is it can take up to an hour if time is no object  :o , but can also be done in 25 mins in the car when she has class straight after school, if it doesn't meet her exacting standards (though to me it always looks fine and I honestly can't see why she is so upset about it) she goes into a major depression, when it is good she is on cloud nine.

 

We buy Bun Heads nets in bulk (these are really large and strong so you can wrap them over twice) and have to have thick brown hair bands with no metal for the ponytail. A completely flat bun is the holy grail (Who knew?) and a perfect bun is a thing of ultimate pleasure to a budding ballerina.

 

I'm just glad I have been relieved of all bun duties as she is far better at it than me and we argue less now I don't have to be involved, other than in a time-keeping capacity!

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For the perfect cinnamon bun: put the hair in a nice high, right smooth ponytail. Split the hair in the ponytail into two. Twist one piece and as you twist, start wrapping it round the hair elastic holding your ponytail. As you wrap, pin it down tight and flat. Keep going until that piece is all pinned in. Repeat with the second piece of hair but obviously now wrapping around the first. It should create a flat, spiral effect bun. Add a bun net and hopefully it should look good!

 

It takes practice but it looks beautiful when done right.

 

Alternatively if you want a really flat bun: start with a high ponytail as before. Twist all the hair in one go and wrap around the ponytail but don't pin. Holding it in place wrap a bun net over the bun a couple of times. Now let the hair loosen out slightly and shape so it is flat and even before pinning lots and lots round the sides.

 

Tips for pinning: use bun pins not hair grips. Thick ones are better, especially for thick hair. Put one side of the pin into the edge angling away from the bun then poke in and under. Hard to explain but it's aiming to catch the outside of the bun and the hair on the head and get them to hold it better.

 

Practice makes perfect, especially when you aren't in a hurry. I can try and find pictures if you need them.

 

Hope that makes sense!

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For the perfect cinnamon bun: put the hair in a nice high, right smooth ponytail. Split the hair in the ponytail into two. Twist one piece and as you twist, start wrapping it round the hair elastic holding your ponytail. As you wrap, pin it down tight and flat. Keep going until that piece is all pinned in. Repeat with the second piece of hair but obviously now wrapping around the first. It should create a flat, spiral effect bun. Add a bun net and hopefully it should look good!

 

It takes practice but it looks beautiful when done right.

 

Alternatively if you want a really flat bun: start with a high ponytail as before. Twist all the hair in one go and wrap around the ponytail but don't pin. Holding it in place wrap a bun net over the bun a couple of times. Now let the hair loosen out slightly and shape so it is flat and even before pinning lots and lots round the sides.

 

Tips for pinning: use bun pins not hair grips. Thick ones are better, especially for thick hair. Put one side of the pin into the edge angling away from the bun then poke in and under. Hard to explain but it's aiming to catch the outside of the bun and the hair on the head and get them to hold it better.

 

Practice makes perfect, especially when you aren't in a hurry. I can try and find pictures if you need them.

 

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks!! Would it be possible to attach photos? I think I know what you mean however a picture would give me a better idea ????

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I'm on my phone so I can try and do it tomorrow but for the moment if you google the words 'cinnamon bun ballet' there are a few to give you an idea. The other one is harder to show but maybe I'll have to do a video or something! It took me ages to get my bun looking nice but now I can do a few different types pretty quickly. It gets easier! There's also a really cute bun called the Balanchine bun which is great if you have slightly longer hair and gives a really nice line in the head and neck, it's definitely my favourite at the moment but a lot more complicated.

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My DD flattens her bun by beating it vigorously with the back of her hairbrush after its in the net but before all the pins are in. It looks a bit violent but does seem to work.(She has an awful lot of hair though - might be rather painful if you don't have so much hair between the brush and your skull!)

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Aha, amos73 has my DD on the other side of the world!

 

DD is ten now and has not let me near her hair for a year. She took control of the entire bun scenario, and now does all sorts of complicated variations, including front section with a 'twist' or 'french plait' worked round the bun. When she achieves one that meets her extremely high standards (the main reason she and I parted ways on the doing of the bun last year) her happiness is immeasurable.

 

When I was still allowed near the hair I used to twist it once it was in a ponytail, pin with three pins to get the first section of hair round, then coil the rest of it round, pop the bun net over and pin around the net. She is often telling me she has come up with improved ways of doing the bun (her buns seem to be like 'Daz Ultra' always a new and better way of executing them) but it is a complete mystery to me how it is achieved these days. All I know is it can take up to an hour if time is no object  :o , but can also be done in 25 mins in the car when she has class straight after school, if it doesn't meet her exacting standards (though to me it always looks fine and I honestly can't see why she is so upset about it) she goes into a major depression, when it is good she is on cloud nine.

 

We buy Bun Heads nets in bulk (these are really large and strong so you can wrap them over twice) and have to have thick brown hair bands with no metal for the ponytail. A completely flat bun is the holy grail (Who knew?) and a perfect bun is a thing of ultimate pleasure to a budding ballerina.

 

I'm just glad I have been relieved of all bun duties as she is far better at it than me and we argue less now I don't have to be involved, other than in a time-keeping capacity!

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My DD flattens her bun by beating it vigorously with the back of her hairbrush after its in the net but before all the pins are in. It looks a bit violent but does seem to work.(She has an awful lot of hair though - might be rather painful if you don't have so much hair between the brush and your skull!)

How did she even come up with this technique??!! Did she just get cross with her bun one day? Very funny/inventive

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For the perfect cinnamon bun: put the hair in a nice high, right smooth ponytail. Split the hair in the ponytail into two. Twist one piece and as you twist, start wrapping it round the hair elastic holding your ponytail. As you wrap, pin it down tight and flat. Keep going until that piece is all pinned in. Repeat with the second piece of hair but obviously now wrapping around the first. It should create a flat, spiral effect bun. Add a bun net and hopefully it should look good!

 

It takes practice but it looks beautiful when done right.

 

Alternatively if you want a really flat bun: start with a high ponytail as before. Twist all the hair in one go and wrap around the ponytail but don't pin. Holding it in place wrap a bun net over the bun a couple of times. Now let the hair loosen out slightly and shape so it is flat and even before pinning lots and lots round the sides.

 

Tips for pinning: use bun pins not hair grips. Thick ones are better, especially for thick hair. Put one side of the pin into the edge angling away from the bun then poke in and under. Hard to explain but it's aiming to catch the outside of the bun and the hair on the head and get them to hold it better.

 

Practice makes perfect, especially when you aren't in a hurry. I can try and find pictures if you need them.

 

Hope that makes sense!

Ah, now I know that what I used to do on DD was a 'cinnamon bun' (had no idea that was the technical term for it). I wonder if the way you have described for the flat bun is what my dd does, there seems to be a lot of attention given to making it flat is all I know.

 

Time is definitely key, the longer you have the better. Nothing worse than a rushed bun.

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Think I finally got it!! Pups_mum, I think your DD's technique did the trick! Even just lightly patting it with the hair brush worked! I also wrapped the bun net round twice and that did wonders as it tightened the grip around the bun making it smaller and flatter. ????????

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Think I finally got it!! Pups_mum, I think your DD's technique did the trick! Even just lightly patting it with the hair brush worked! I also wrapped the bun net round twice and that did wonders as it tightened the grip around the bun making it smaller and flatter.

 

Yes, we always wrap the bun net twice round, (that's why I get the bun heads nets as they are bigger than average net).

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How did she even come up with this technique??!! Did she just get cross with her bun one day? Very funny/inventive

When I was at London junior/ senior ballet it was common pracyice to whack your bun with a hairbrush to flatten it! I even made my mum buy me a big paddle brush so I could use it for this purpose!!

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Amos your DD sounds like the younger version of me. I've been known to do my bun 6 or 7 times to get it perfect. Also if the bun is perfect but there is a strand of hair or little loop of hair out of the net I literally cut it off(I don't recommend doing this!!!)

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My mum used to buy old lady hair nets they were really thick and big, not unlike the catering hairnets except these were brown and not blue

I do remember my favourite bun net was actually stolen from my brothers action man army truck, it's had a net that covered the open bit of the truck. It lasted a good 5 years with only one tear and it went round my bun at least twice. That said I have very long very thick hair, the normal boots bun nets just weren't sufficient!

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