Authentic Katniss Braid | Hunger Games Special Guest
April 17, 2012
Several months ago we uploaded our 1st version of the Katniss Braid, long before the movie came out. The movie was a blockbuster smash, and everyone was amazed at the hairstyles seen throughout the film!
Right after the premier, Linda Flowers, the lead hairstylist on The Hunger Games movie set, began searching the internet to see what people were saying about her hairstyles.
In fact, Linda was so amazed at how the Katniss Braid was becoming a “symbol”, so much that teen girls worldwide and their friends were wearing the braid to see the movie in theaters! She found us on YouTube and recognized that CuteGirlsHairstyles had a huge hand in helping teach literally thousands of our fans how to do the braid!
As such, Linda reached out to us and offered to give me a personal tutorial of the many Hunger Games hairstyles over Skype!
During our tutorial, I quickly saw that the Katniss braid had a little more prep work to it than I had originally thought! Linda showed me how she added the texture into Jennifer Lawrence’s hair “before” she created the Katniss braid {something I had not figured out}.
She uses a tool called the TopStyler® {by InStyler®} to add volume and stranded twists into the diagonal Dutch braid. From the leaked photos prior to the premier, many thought that there was maybe one more strand added into the braid… and this was the reason why. You can see exactly how to create this texture by viewing the tutorial below.
I appreciate that the TopStyler uses a slow and uniform transfer heat to curl the hair, rather than the immediate super hot heat a curling wand provides that only heats the outside of the strand. It also allows for the curl to stay in much longer.
This is the exact look Katniss wore throughout the arena scenes in the movie, taught to CuteGirlsHairstyles personally by the one who created it… Linda Flowers! Hope you enjoy it!
{You can find the TopStyler at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ulta, or Amazon online.}
Enjoy!
Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, water bottle, hairspray, TopStyler, 1 hairband, quiver of arrows {optional}
Time Requirement: 30 minutes {approximately, including heat time}
Skill Level: Hard
If you enjoyed this tutorial, please feel free to Facebook share it, tweet it, pin it, “whatever-you-want” it!
Happy Hairdoing!
* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!
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FTC Disclosure: I was provided this TopStyler® tool free of charge by InStyler® for review purposes only. No other forms of compensation were provided to CuteGirlsHairstyles. All opinions of the product are strictly mine, and results may vary.
This is SO great! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! That is so exciting that you actually got to speak with Linda Flowers. Amazing! I love all of your hairstyles. My daughter’s hair isn’t quite as long as your girls’ (a little past shoulder length) but I’m usually able to to do a variation. Thanks again for this and I look forward to hearing more about the giveaway!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing with us, Linda, that is so kind of you, and thank you for all you do for us, Mindy. I hope to see more of Linda’s creations detailed along with Mindy’s to do them on myself & my little girl. Among others, a hairstylist friend of mine has been asking me how I do my different braided ‘do’s; another mom friend has also asked me how to do them; I direct them to CuteGirlsHairstyles after explaining.
Mindy, this is so great. Thank you! Also, I love love love YOUR curls! How do you do them??? Would you be willing to do a video on how to achieve your beautiful hair????
Oh my gosh!!!!! This is so cool! I can’t believe you actually got to talk to the head hairstylist of The Hunger Games! That is SO cool! Anyway, I’m really excited that I know exactly how she gave that texture to her hair. In the movie, studying her hair closely, it looked like she had done a bunch of twists back into the braid, so I tried that and it was extremely hard to do and didn’t work. I’m excited that I know now! I’ll just have to get a hold of one of those TopStylers
thank you so much Linda for sharing! And thank you for the tutorial! Will you be posting more of the hairstyles she taught you? Because I REALLYY want to know exactly how Jen’s hair was done in the interview scene. Anyway, thanks for the tutorial! and for being awesome 
Did Linda show u how to do the other hairstyles to? Like the exact reaping braid and maybe the other tributes hair among other styles?! Thx SOO much mindy! It’s so awesome that Linda skyped u!! I personally would be quite starstruck!!
And RiLee kinda said exactly what I was thinking!!
Wow, good for you! Such a special opportunity and so glad you shared what you found out! What other styles did she show you? Did she show Clove’s training hair? Because I really want to do that one.
Yay! It’s so cool to see that the staff of the Hunger Games recognize and interact with fans. I think it so awesome that Linda Flowers willingly took the time to show you not just one, but many of the hairstyles used in the movie. What other styles did she show you? Will you be making tutorials on the other styles she showed?
i Loved this hairstyle!!!!!!! i have middle length hair, and try to do this braid to myself. I cant seem to finish it right could u please do on middle/short hair? Thanks
Loved the HUNGER GAMES!!!!!!!!!
LOVE! Just saw the movie… it was GREAT! You should really do a d.i.y. section, love your hairstyles except i cant really do them on myself!
I love how your hairdos are unique without being too weird to be practical. My daughter wears a uniform to school, so it’s great to do something creative with her hair to make her feel special. Your tutorials are great, too, but have you considered publishing your own simple book that moms like me could flip through with pictures/instructions in the morning rush? Thanks for all your awesome ideas.
I love this! That is so awesome! I noticed some people on YouTube were thinking that your daughter’s name was Jennifer, but that is the actor of Katniss’ name.
I am a teen and I honestly love the hunger games. And didn’t want to go out and buy this topstyler cause I had and Instyler and my mom ended up using it more than I did. But I was trying to get the textureed look that you get with the topstyler and found if you follow all the steps like Mindy said but instead of putting it in the clamps put it in your straightener. It work just the same and doesn’t take but a few seconds for each one. BUT make sure you follow all the steps. The hairspray, the twisting it, AND wrapping it around your fingers in an L shape! It should turn out identical. But i just wanted to let you know, I am personally going to by a topStyler soon, if my mom lets me. (: And thanks so much for sharing this and all of your other hairstyles with us Mindy!!
topstylers are awsome
I can’t wait to go buy a top styler now!
I got the Topstyler for my birthday last week and I was wondering if when you did this did you use the small or big clamps? Thank you for doing this it is super cool.
So cool! I wore this to school and a bunch of people loved it!
This was very informing and you have skills I do my own hair and I find it hard to do others hair. This really helped. Thank you.
Awesome. Everyday, simple and cute. Thank you. I land many others LOVE it!!!
I adore your website and am ways asking my mom to do my hair but its not quite long enough! I was so pumped for the movie I attempted to do this!
I got the top styler on June 1 which is my birthday
Love, love, love it!! The Top Styler looks amazing!
Thank you for this video!
OMG I love this site and all the hairstyles that you guys do! I love doing them to myself and I get so many compliments, I always refer them to this site! I am so jelous that you got to talk to Linda Flowers! Would you mind doing tutorials on other braids from the hunger games I am a huge fan and absessed with the movies and the books! Could you do the hair do in the interview I love that one! Need to get that Topstyler! Thanks so much cute girl hairstyles!!!!
Hi Mindy I love all of your hairstyles especially this one, because I love the Hunger Games. In the beginning of the video you said that the texture of brown hair is hard to see. Well would you have to use the Top Styler in blonde hair. Well thanks for the great tutorials!
Hi Mindy,
I love all your videos! I learned how to dutch and waterfall braid from you. I show off my hair to everyone and they are all amazed seeing a twelve year old do such amazing hairstyles. I just tell them to see your videos
Thank you
OMG! i cant belive that you got to speak with LINDA FLOWERS! that is SO AWESOME! thx for sharing, i am so excited to do my hair! I love you Mindy! Your so helpful, like know i have so much hair styles it crazy!!!!!!
I can wear this to my archery tournament!
yay!
i love the hunger games nd cant wait to c catching fire this video is amazing becuz now i can do my hair like Katniss
Thank you Linda nd Mindy
:):):):):)
awesome
Please, please, please upload tutorials of ALL the hairstyles that Linda Flowers showed you! I would love to know how to do the authentic version of all of Katniss’s cute hairstyles! I am a huge fan of The Hunger Games, and I just found your website yesterday, but I think you are amazing!
To everyone asking about the Reaping hair and interview hair, Katniss’ braid is EXACTLY the same through the WHOLE movie. In the interview and Reaping her braid was tucked under a bit into a bun type thing. So I hope I help!
Thank you so much for sharing!I was able to master it it last night.It took a couple of tries though!I did the curls with a curling iron because I don’t have a Topstyler but it still looked great.You and your family are beautiful!:)
Tried it today on my daughter… Need more practice but I’m hoping to master so it can be a ‘school style ‘…. Only question … Did you pull from both sides to do the braid? On the original you definitely did… But on this one it didn’t look like it. Thanks for the great cute styles!
I love this hairstyle, I do my best friends hair all the time, but her hair is naturally curly and shorter, but it works great on her hair. Thank you so much.
Does your hair need to be long? My hair is past my shoulder by about 4 1/2 inches, would it be long enough to to this?
so where’s the tutorial?