DIY Princess Leia Buns and More Leia Hairstyle Tutorials

The Infamous Buns

Leia’s iconic look, the cinnamon bun twists, actually only appeared in the first movie, A New Hope. This look has gone down in history as one of the most recognizable hairstyles on film. Though these anti-gravity buns may seem like a lofty goal, they can be achieved even by amateur stylists.

Fake It With Yarn Leia Buns

If you don’t have the yards of hair required to create Leia’s buns, you could go the extra-crafty route. You have probably already seen one of the Princess Leia bun headbands and hats out there, and these are actually fairly simple to make. If you’ve got a bit of lead time before Halloween or ComicCon, here are a few of our favorite patterns to try:

• Princess Leia Yarn Wig from Repeat Crafter Me
• Princess Bun Hat Pattern on Ravelry
• Twisted Yarn Leia Headband from Disney

Got the Hair? Start Styling

If you are fortunate enough to already have the hair for saucer-like buns, then grab the hair ties and drop the excuses. It’s time to work those arm muscles to achieve your Leia look. We’ve hand-picked some of the best video tutorials for styling your hair just like our favorite Disney princess:

• Princess Leia Buns (2 Methods) Here, the young "TheWillowSteele" on YouTube shows us a couple of ways to create Leia buns. There are some good tips here, but we suggest watching the below video in conjunction.
• Longer hair: Larger Leia Buns "Beauty for Breakfast" shows us how she cut the tops off of socks to help great large, fluffy Leia buns.

A Crown of Hoth Braids

In "The Empire Strikes Back," Leia debuts new looks for the entirety of the movie. The first is a wrapping of braids that keep her hair out of her face while she directs Rebel soldiers and makes her escape from Hoth. These crown braids are wrapped behind her ears and all the way around her head.

Hoth Braid Tutorial shows us how to create Leia braids in this fast-forward video. You’ll need a couple of hair bands and bobby pins for this look.

Sporty Cloud City Braids

This may be one of the easiest looks to create for Leia. The Cloud City hairstyle is actually three different ponytails; two on the sides that are braided, and one in the middle that is twisted into a bun.

Leia in Cloud City: This video shows us the basic Cloud City hair tutorial. This is the right technique, but her hair is notably shorter than Leia’s.

Slave Leia Up-do

With a large bun and waggling braid, this hairstyle was imposed upon Leia by Jabba the Hutt. The braid was intended to be alluring and suggestive. Leia, of course, hated this hairstyle, as it was a symbol of her new position as the property of Jabba.

Slave Leia Hair Tutorial: Here, you’ll learn how to first create the large bun, and then the dangling braid worn by Leia in Jabba’s lair.