Hairstyles & Beauty · Braids
Easy boho hairstyles for natural, curly and wavy hair: loose waves, halo braids, half-up plaits, messy buns, scarves and flowers, with steps for each look.
Boho hairstyles are the opposite of a blowout. They start from the texture you already have, whether that’s waves, curls or coils, and add one soft detail: a thin braid, a scarf, a ribbon or a few flowers. Nothing is slicked flat, and nothing is perfectly even. That’s why boho hair works on every texture and why most of these looks take under 20 minutes.
This guide covers the everyday boho hairstyles you do yourself on your own hair: loose waves, halo braids, half-up plaits, messy buns, scarves, headwraps and flowers. Each one has short steps and a note on which hair types and lengths it suits. If you’re after a braided install that lasts for weeks, that’s a different topic, covered in our guide to boho braids.
The times below are typical once you’ve done a style a couple of times. The first attempt usually takes twice as long.
| Style | Best hair types | Minimum length | Typical time | Holds for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waves with hidden plaits | Straight, wavy, curly | Shoulder | 10 min + overnight set | 1-2 days |
| Halo braid | All, coily hair stretched first | Shoulder (longer for one braid) | 15-25 min | 1-3 days with a scarf at night |
| Half-up temple braids | All | Chin | 10 min | 1-2 days |
| Pancaked side plait | Wavy, curly, thick straight | Collarbone | 5-10 min | A day |
| Messy bun with tendrils | Wavy, curly, coily | Shoulder | 5 min | A day |
| Headwrap or scarf headband | All, any length | Any | 2-5 min | A day |
| Flower accents | All, short coily hair holds best | Any | 5-10 min | A day (dried flowers last longer) |
Waves are the base layer of most bohemian hair. On straight or wavy hair, the heatless route works best: braid slightly damp hair into two or three loose braids before bed, sleep on them, and shake them out in the morning. On curly and coily hair, a braid-out or twist-out does the same job, stretching the curl into a softer, longer pattern.
To make it boho, add two very thin plaits:
This suits shoulder-length hair and longer. On a bob, the plaits get lost, so use the half-up version below instead.
The halo braid is the most recognizable boho plait hairstyle: one braid that circles the whole head like a crown. On coily hair, start from stretched hair (blow-dried on low heat, banded overnight, or a braid-out), because it braids more smoothly and shows more length.
If one continuous braid is hard to manage, do two: braid each side from the nape upward, then cross them over the top of the head and pin. This is also the version to try if your hair is shoulder length. Either way, keep the tension gentle along your edges, especially if you’ll wear it for more than a day.
Bobby pins that match your hair color disappear; gold pins are a deliberate detail. Sleep in a satin scarf and a halo braid will usually last two or three days.
This is the fastest route to boho hair braids, and the look in the photo at the top of this page. Take a small section at each temple, braid it back, and join the two braids at the crown with a small elastic or a loose knot. Everything else stays down and full. It works at almost any length from chin down, on every texture, and it keeps hair out of your face without hiding it.
For a variation that leaves the hair completely down, braid the temple sections and let them hang among your curls instead of pinning them back. Then thread on a few gold cuffs, a cowrie shell or a wooden bead.
The boho side plait is loose on purpose. Sweep all your hair over one shoulder, braid a regular three-strand or fishtail plait, and secure the end. Then pancake it: hold the end and gently pull the outer edge of each loop outward, working from the bottom up, until the plait is nearly twice as wide. Pull a few thin pieces free at the hairline to finish.
It needs at least collarbone length, and it looks best on thick wavy or curly hair, which keeps its volume once pulled apart. A strip of suede cord or ribbon wrapped through the plait hides the elastic and adds color. On fine hair, a light texturizing spray before braiding gives the loops something to grip.
The difference between a boho bun and an ordinary messy bun is what you leave out. Before you gather anything, pull two or three curls or wavy pieces free at each temple. Then gather the rest at the nape or crown, twist it loosely, and wrap it with a satin scrunchie. A ribbon tied over the scrunchie dresses it up.
Curly and coily hair suit this best, because the loose pieces keep their shape. On straight hair, twist each face-framing piece around a finger and let it set for a few minutes so it doesn’t hang flat.
Scarves are the quickest bohemian hair accessory, and they cover second-day hair completely. For a headwrap with a puff on top, gather your hair into a high puff first. Fold a long rectangular scarf into a band about 3 inches wide, place the middle at the nape, bring both ends up to the front, knot or twist them above the forehead, and tuck the ends in.
For a scarf headband, fold a square silk scarf into a triangle, then roll or fold it from the long edge into a 2-inch band. Lay it across the top of your head, bring the ends under your hair, and knot them at the nape or just behind one ear so the tails hang down. It works on any length and any texture.
Flowers are the most boho detail of all, and the easiest to overdo. Use small blooms and keep them in one area: along a braid, at the knot of a half-up style, or scattered through an afro. Dried flowers such as baby’s breath and statice hold up longer than fresh ones and won’t wilt by the afternoon.
Trim the stems to about an inch. Braids hold them between the loops, and short coily hair holds them on its own, because dense curls grip the stems. On smooth hair, slide each stem through a bobby pin before pinning it in.
For a wedding, the same ideas scale up into braided crowns and bridal flowers. Our boho wedding hair guide matches each style to the dress.
You don’t need much. A silk or satin scarf, a satin scrunchie, a wide-tooth comb, bobby pins in your hair color plus a few gold ones, a handful of hair cuffs and rings, and a small bunch of dried flowers cover every style above. Cowrie shells, wooden hair pins and suede cord are optional extras that add texture.
Choose cuffs that open and close easily so they don’t snag, and keep the metal in the same tone as your earrings. Our guide to boho jewelry covers how to layer the rest.
Every look here works across textures; what changes is the prep. Coily hair gives the best results stretched, and it holds pins and flowers better than any other texture. Curly hair suits buns, tendrils and half-up styles, since the loose pieces keep their shape. Wavy and straight hair suit plaits and scarves, and usually need an overnight braid or a texturizing spray to look undone rather than flat.
If you want the look without daily styling, a braided or twisted install is the next step. Start with boho knotless braids or boho twists, both finished with the same loose curls and gold accents you see here.
A boho hairstyle is any loose, slightly undone look that keeps your natural texture and adds one soft detail, like a thin braid, a scarf, a ribbon or a few flowers. Think half-up temple braids, a loosened halo braid, a messy bun with face-framing pieces or a headwrap. The common thread is softness: nothing slicked down, nothing perfectly symmetrical.
Start from stretched hair (a braid-out, twist-out or banded set) so braids and buns have enough length to work with. A halo braid, two thin temple braids with cuffs, a high puff with a headwrap, or flowers tucked straight into a short afro all suit 4C texture. If you want the boho look to last for weeks instead of days, that's an extension install rather than a hairstyle.
Boho Braids 101: Styles, Care Tips & Inspiration →Braid it firmly, secure the end, then gently pull the outer edge of each loop outward with your fingertips, which is called pancaking. That widens the braid and softens its outline. Finish by pulling a few thin pieces loose at the hairline and wrapping a cord, ribbon or cuff near the end.
A braided half-up crown or a pinned halo braid holds best through a long day outdoors, and both take flowers well. Loose waves with one tucked bloom suit beach ceremonies. Do a trial run a week or two before, with the same pins and flowers you plan to use on the day.
Boho Wedding Hair: Bridal Hairstyles for Every Dress →Use dried or sturdy flowers like baby's breath, small daisies and statice, which hold up better than soft petals. Trim the stems to about an inch, then push them into a braid, bun or dense curls, or slide each stem through a bobby pin first on smooth hair. Add them last, after any hairspray, so the petals stay clean.
A silk scarf, a few gold hair cuffs, a satin scrunchie, a wide-tooth comb and some bobby pins cover almost every look on this page. Cowrie shells, wooden pins, suede cord and dried flowers add the extra texture. Keep the metal in the same tone as your earrings so hair and jewelry read as one look.
Boho Jewelry: How to Layer It Right →
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