In this video I’m showing you how I did my own straight back braids (cornrows) at home, using braiding hair I already had in my stash—so it cost me basically no money, just a lot of time. It was hot, humid London weather, my hair was already clean, and I just wanted a quick protective style that would keep me neat for a week or two without me constantly combing and fighting my hair. My roots were straight because I’d pressed my hair out, so the actual braiding felt simple… the parting is what tested my patience. I take you through what I used (wide tooth comb, rat tail comb, clips, minimal products) and how I blended the hair colours I had (like 30/1B and a bit of 4) because I didn’t have black on hand. I also show you a makeshift mirror setup for seeing the back if you don’t have a three-way mirror—because honestly, that’s the tool that would’ve saved me the most time and frustration. At the end I hot-water set the braids, trimmed flyaways, then finished with mousse and edge control for a clean, light-on-the-head result.