Happy Valentine's Day to our amazing readers! MODERN loves you and all of your talent!

Braided Hearts: The How-To

MODERN Facebook fan Dusti Napolitano, owner of Fire Monkey Hair Design, an on-location hair service (mostly bridal) in Long Island, New York, created this adorable braided hearts style—just in time for Valentine's Day! When he posted the pic on our wall, we knew we had to find out how he created it! He was kind enough to share the how to:

1. Create a center part in the hair from the forehead to the nape of the neck. Carve out a heart shape in the back of the head and secure this hair in a clip or hair band.

2. Starting on the right side of the center part, take a small triangular parting from the top center of the heart shape. From there, begin a french braid, but pick up new pieces of hair from the right side only and follow along the heart shaped parting. Stop picking up new hair at the bottom of the heart, but continue to braid about an inch past the bottom. Tie off with a hair band. Repeat these steps on the left side of the heart, taking new hair only from the left side of the braid and following the heart shape.

3. At the bottom of the heart, braid both the left and right sides together and secure.

4. For the center braid, have the client lean her head forward and begin at the bottom point of the heart. Take hair only from the outside edge of the heart by pulling the hair under the braid.

5. Follow along the heart shaped parting. When creating the top of the heart shape, pull the braid tighter toward the center to create a little dip. (Sometimes, it takes a little trial and error to manipulate the shape.)

6. As you come around the second hump of the heart, have the client put her head up and finish the braid, still only taking new pieces from the outside by pulling them under the braid from the center. Secure the braid at the end of the hair.

7. Take the end of the center braid and push it through the outside braid where the heart point comes together so the smaller braid is now under the larger braid. Wrap the small braid around the large braid like a barber pole and secure the ends together.

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