How To Do A Top Knot – 10 Effortless DIY Top Knot Tutorials

From classy to edgy, make a great style statement with these gorgeous and unique hairstyles.

By Anjali Sayee

The topknot is the poison of choice for many women! You can be a mom, housewife, businesswoman, fitness instructor, chef, or anything else; the topknot is the most convenient and stylish hairstyle. So stick around if you want to learn how to do a topknot.

Thanks to the invention of social media, many hairstyles are trending like the topknot. But did you know this messy yet chic hairstyle has been around for a long time? Apart from being a sign of spiritual leadership, the top knot can be seen in many eras and cultures. In South China, married women sported a bun to signify their marital status. To ensure uniformity in ballet, dancers had to wear a bun atop their head which is carried on even now. The Regency Era in England, around the 1800s, boasts of a trendsetting high-bun paired with tight curls or braids. During the Victorian era, the loose Gibson Girl bun was a sign of feminine beauty. So how can you achieve a hairstyle that has captured the hearts of so many decades? Scroll down to learn!

10 Easy DIY Top Knot Tutorials

1. Loose Messy Top Knot

What You Need
  • Dry shampoo
  • Brush
  • Elastic band
How To Do
  1. Brush down all your hair and apply some dry shampoo to it. This will give it texture and volume.
  2. Gather all your hair at the crown to create a high ponytail.
  3. Take an elastic band and pass it over the ponytail once. Twist it and pass it over your hair again, but this time, pass it only halfway through and leave the ends of your hair out.
  4. Loosen up your hair everywhere to make the hairstyle a little bit messy. You can also pancake the bun to make it flair out. Pin down any loose strands of hair to finish off the look.

2. Messy Half Top Knot

What You Need
  • Dry shampoo
  • Brush
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby pins
How To Do
  1. Start off with unwashed hair for this hairstyle as it will give your top knot some texture.
  2. Brush your hair thoroughly to remove all knots and tangles.
  3. Apply some dry shampoo to hair to give it texture and volume.
  4. Tease your hair at the crown to make it voluminous.
  5. Gather the hair at the top and front of your head. Take an elastic band and pass it over the hair once. Twist the band and pass it a little more than halfway over the hair again. Leave only the ends of your hair out of the bun.
  6. Pancake the bun to give it a messy look.
  7. Secure the ends with bobby pins.

3. 5-Minute Perfect Bun

What You Need

Two elastic bands

How To Do
  1. Tie all your hair in a high ponytail.
  2. Lift the hair from the ponytail and twist it once at the base. Wrap the rest of the hair around the twist.
  3. Twist the ends of your hair and wrap them around the base of your bun.
  4. Secure the bun with another elastic band.

4. Easy Top Knot

What You Need
  • Hair brush
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby pins
How To Do
  1. Gather all your hair in a ponytail and smooth out any bumps with your hair brush.
  2. Take an elastic band and pass it through your hair once.
  3. Twist the band, but this time, don’t pass all your hair through. Pass only half of your hair through it.
  4. This will form a fan bun.
  5. Stretch the fan bun and wrap the ends of the ponytail around its base. Secure it with bobby pins.
  6. Loosen up the bun to give it a slightly messy look.
  7. Pin down the ends of the fan bun to the sides as well to give it a fuller look.

5. Messy Top Knot

What You Need
  • Dry shampoo
  • Elastic band
How To Do
  1. Apply some dry shampoo to give your unwashed hair some texture and hold.
  2. Flip your hair over and run your fingers through it to make sure there are no knots.
  3. Gather all your hair in a ponytail at the crown. Twist it at the base once, then wrap your hair around the twisted hair.
  4. Tuck all the loose hair within the bun and tie it with an elastic band.

6. Perfect Top Knot

What You Need
  • 2 elastic bands
  • Hair brush
How To Do
  1. Gather all your hair and tie it in a high ponytail.
  2. Tease the hair in the ponytail to make it more voluminous.
  3. Twist the ponytail and wrap it around to make a bun.
  4. Use the second hair tie to secure the bun in place.

7. Bubble Top Knot

What You Need
  • Hair brush
  • 2 elastic bands
  • Hairspray
  • Bobby pins
How To Do
  1. Gather all your hair in a high ponytail and secure it with an elastic band.
  2. Spritz hairspray on the top and bottom sections of the ponytail to smoothen them out.
  3. Tie another elastic band a few inches below the first elastic band.
  4. Pancake the hair between the elastic bands to make it wider.
  5. Loosen up the hair above the first elastic band and pass the hair from the ponytail through it. Don’t pass the hair completely through, though. Stop at the second elastic band.
  6. Spread the hair within the elastic bands more to create a bubble bun.
  7. Wrap the ends of the bun around the base of the ponytail and secure them with bobby pins.

8. Sleek Top Knot

What You Need
  • Hair brush
  • Mousse
  • Hairspray
  • Elastic bands
  • Bobby pins
How To Do
  1. Detangle and brush all your hair back.
  2. Apply some mousse to the front and under-sections parts of your hair. This will give your hair a slick, pulled-back look.
  3. Gather all your hair and tie it in a high ponytail. The key here is to get your hair as high as possible. Secure it with an elastic band.
  4. Spritz on some hairspray to slick back any strays and keep your hair in place. You can keep going back and forth with your brush and hairspray to make sure your hair is slicked back perfectly.
  5. Divide the hair in the ponytail into two sections and twist one section of hair. Wrap the twisted section of hair around the base of the ponytail. Secure the ends with bobby pins.
  6. Twist the other section of hair and wrap it around the first twisted section. Secure it in place with bobby pins.

9. Small Elegant Top Knot

What You Need
  • Round brush
  • Hairspray
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby Pins
How To Do
  1. This top knot looks great when done with unwashed hair. So, try it on two-day-old hair.
  2. Using the round brush, gather all of your hair at the crown and tie it in a high ponytail.
  3. Spritz some hairspray on the top and sides of your hair.
  4. Tease the ponytail to give it more volume.
  5. Weave the hair in the ponytail into a regular three-strand braid. Wrap the braid around the base of the ponytail to create a bun. Secure the ‘do in place with bobby pins.

10. Vintage Top Knot

What You Need
  • Dry shampoo
  • Texturizing spray
  • Elastic band
  • Bobby pins
How To Do
  1. Apply some dry shampoo to your unwashed hair to give it body. Apply some to your roots as well to fluff up your locks. Flip your hair over and scrunch it from the ends to the roots to give it more volume.
  2. Flip your hair over one more time and gather it in a ponytail at the crown. This will help you tie a really high ponytail. Smoothen out any strays and bumps of hair.
  3. Take the elastic band and pass it over the ponytail once. Twist it and pass it over your hair again, but this time pass your hair only halfway through. This will create a bubble bun.
  4. Loosen up your hair all around to make the hairstyle loose and messy. You can also pancake the bun to make it flare out a bit.
  5. Wrap the rest of your hair around the base of the bun and pin it underneath.

The top knot is the symbol of feminine beauty in ancient times. It offers a versatile look, and this stylish hairstyle is a choice for many women. Some popular top knots include loose messy top knot, messy half top knot, 5-minute perfect bun, easy top knot, and messy top knot. It works for every hair length and type. Follow the top knot tutorial discussed in the article and thank us later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does your hair have to be for a top knot?

You must have medium-length to long hair to have a big top knot. You can tie short hair in a top knot, but the bun will be small. However, you can use extensions to make your hair look longer.

Does a top knot damage hair?

Tight top knots may cause traction alopecia. Tight hairstyles pull on the roots of your hair, leading to damage and hair loss.

Why are top knots so popular?

Most top knot styles are easily achieved and look chic and cool without putting in too much effort, making them very popular.

Is a top knot appropriate for work?

Yes. Sleek top knots are appropriate for work. You can style them with bobby pins, headbands, and barrettes for a casual yet chic look.

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.
author
Anjali specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. Her philosophy... more