5 of the Best Crochet Braid Patterns

Yay for you, you’ve decided to get put your hair away for a bit and install crochet braids! Crochet braids have quickly swept the natural hair community by storm due to their ease of installation, versatility, and convenience – beating out havana twists and box braids and even full sew ins as many naturals’ protective style of choice. When I decided to do crochet braids on myself a few weeks ago, I spent at least an hour looking through dozens of images on Google of crochet braid patterns that would provide the perfect foundation for my style. Since I realized there was no quick way to decide which pattern was best for you, I decided to do a round-up of five crochet braid patterns that provide the best looking crochet braids so you can slay the style like a pro!

Straight Backs

Aka the cornrows that all our favorite rappers and R&B singers of yesteryear loved to sport, straight back cornrows are simply cornrows that begin at your forehead and go all the way back. Depending on the length of your hair, you may need to sew up the ends to provide a flat surface with which to attach your crochet braids. While this is perhaps the most straight-forward and common hairstyle, it does not allow for much versatility, such as a bang or leave-out.

U‑Part Cornrows

With regular sew-in weaves, a u‑part braid pattern means that you part a u‑shaped section of your hair to be left out, creating a natural looking leave-out. In crochet braids with no leave-out, a u‑part can be simulated by braiding one’s hair in straight backs, and crossing the braids in the middle over one another. This allows for multiple parts, and the slight curve can look more realistic than a straight part. Furthermore, you can focus on adding more hair on the braids in the u‑part during your install, ensuring that your crochet style looks as natural as possible. This is the pattern that I used for my CurlKalon crochet braids in my YouTube videobelow!

Zig Zag

Though this pattern starts off like it’s first two cousins, rather than braiding all the way straight back, the braids go horizontally back and forth across the scalp to create separations that are perfect for a layered look. If you are opting for a knotless crochet braid style that will go around your whole head, the zig zag braiding method may be also be good choice because it will provide a straight surface on which you can form your “knotless” knots for a natural look.

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