Traditional Ethiopian Cornrows

From the whole lexicon of cornrowing and braiding in Ethiopia, my daughter decided that she wanted some classic Oromo cornrowing for her spring hairstyle. My only qualification was that it was pretty tight braids, since I didn’t want to have to do her hair until near the end of June. I’m timing it for summer camps, you see!

We went through many of my braid pictures from Ethiopia, and we decided to do some classically divided cornrows.

I love this style, because you divide the hair in sections, but then work with the natural curvature of her head to product rows. You start at one of the sections, and then work perpendicularly to the other section. I use Honey Almond Braid Balm in each cornrow, to protect the hair and nourish her scalp. It also really helps my arthritic hands grip the hair.



The only modern aspect of this style is finishing her braids in buns. Sugar is such an active kid, that this helps her from unraveling (and chewing on) her long braids.

Super cute, I think! And it should last for four – five weeks, no problem. As long as I can keep her out of the pool….