Have you ever looked at a hairstyle and wondered, “How did they actually put that together?”
Maybe you already have the skills to create the techniques, but when you’re faced with a finished design, you get stuck on the most important question:
Where do I start?
You might know how to braid. You might know how to create texture, build an upstyle or work with hair accessories. But knowing individual techniques doesn’t always mean knowing how to bring them together into one cohesive design.
You may even look at a hairstyle that seems simple and think, “Why does this feel so overwhelming?”
You’re definitely not alone.
This is something many creative hairstylists experience, and it’s exactly why I created my Mix & Match Hair Design Course.
My goal isn’t simply to teach you another collection of hairstyles. It’s about helping you understand how to look at a design, break it down, understand its foundations and then build it back up with confidence.
What Will You Learn?
Before we get to the final hair design, we work through the foundations that help bring a design together.
- The Foundations
We begin with an introduction to the course, occupational health and safety and consultation with a client.
Consultation is such an important part of hairstyling. Before you begin creating, you need to understand what you’re working with, what your client wants and what you’re trying to achieve.
We then introduce the concept of Mix & Match Hair Design and look at how different styles can be combined to create something new.
- Understanding Design
We explore symmetrical and asymmetrical hair designs, helping you understand how balance and proportion can be used when creating a style.
Balance doesn’t always mean that both sides have to look identical.
An asymmetrical design can still feel balanced when the different elements have been carefully considered.
This is where design starts to become more than simply putting hair into place.
- Hair Accessories
Accessories can completely transform a hairstyle, but knowing how and where to use them is part of the design process.
The course covers the introduction and application of alternative hair accessories, as well as practical applications including:
- Alternative hair accessories
- Bridal veil combs
- Pinning techniques
- Bridal veil application
The goal is to understand how accessories can become part of the overall design rather than simply being added at the end.
- Product Knowledge, Sectioning & Hair Preparation
Before creating a beautiful finished style, the foundations have to be right.
We cover product knowledge, sectioning and hair preparation, including how to prepare the hair before styling.
Good preparation can make a huge difference to the way a finished hairstyle behaves, holds and looks.
- Hot Tools & Texture
Texture is one of my favourite ways to change the personality of a hairstyle.
Inside the course, we explore several hot-tool techniques, including:
- Straightening
- Curling
- Crimping
- Beach waves
- Pincurls using tongs
- The classic 1950s “S” wave
Different textures can create completely different shapes and moods, which is why understanding how to create and control texture is such an important part of hair design.
- Braiding
We then move into a variety of braiding techniques, including:
- 2-strand braid
- 2-strand rope braid
- 3-strand braid
- 4-strand braid
- Dutch braid
- Fishtail braid
- Fringe braid
These techniques can be used individually or combined with other elements to create something completely different.
And that’s really the heart of Mix & Match Hair Design — understanding that one technique doesn’t have to exist on its own.
- Teasing, French Rolls & Bridal Styling
We also explore teasing and the French roll, along with additional bridal hairstyles that focus on curling, preparation, brushing and pinning.
These lessons help build your styling toolbox so you have more techniques available when it comes time to create your own design.
- Hair Extensions
Hair extensions can be an incredible design tool.
The course covers the application of:
- Halo extensions
- Multi-piece clip-in extensions
- Ponytail extensions
We also look at tips and tricks for using extensions within a hairstyle.
Extensions aren’t simply about adding length. They can be used to create volume, shape, texture and completely new possibilities within a design.
Bringing Everything Together
And then we get to the part where everything starts to make sense.
The Mixed & Matched Hair Design section brings together the techniques and principles we’ve explored throughout the course.
We work through:
- Consultation
- Mapping and planning
- Tiara placement
- Sectioning
- Hair extension application
- Curling
- Fishtail application
- Dressing and pinning
- Completing the final design
This is where the individual techniques stop being separate lessons and start becoming building blocks for a complete hair design.
And this is the part I really want students to understand.
You don’t have to look at a finished hairstyle and think:
“How on earth am I going to recreate all of that?”
Instead, you can learn to look at it differently.
What is the foundation?
Where is the structure?
Where is the texture?
What is creating the shape?
Where is the focal point?
What techniques have been combined?
How can I break this down into manageable sections?
Once you learn to see a hairstyle this way, it becomes much less overwhelming.
The Challenge: Designing Your Own Hairstyle
Once you understand how to break down a hairstyle, the next challenge is designing one yourself.
This is where creativity, planning and technique start to work together.
What should you do first?
Where should the focal point be?
How much height should the design have?
Where should the weight sit?
How will the shape flow?
How will you maintain balance and proportion, even when you’re creating something asymmetrical?
These are all questions I think about when creating a design.
I like to think of these elements as the foundations that hold the entire design together.
Once you understand the structure and decide on the application and technique, you’re no longer just trying to make something “look right”.
You have a plan.
And when you have a plan, you can create with much more confidence
Designing With a Mood Board
One of my favourite parts of creating a hair design is putting together a mood board.
I love using head diagrams, whether I draw them myself or use a simple template. Sometimes my creative mind is full of so many ideas that I need somewhere to put them all!
A mood board gives me a place to collect those ideas and start turning them into a design.
And your inspiration doesn’t have to come from another hairstyle.
In fact, I often find it more exciting when it doesn’t.
Your inspiration could come from:
- Fashion
- Architecture
- Nature
- Sculptures
- Paintings
- Photography
- Fabrics
- Jewellery
- Objects
- Shapes
- Colour
- Texture
- Movement
When I’m designing, I think about balance, shape, texture, structure, dimension and movement.
I think about the different elements I can combine and, of course, I think about colour.
But I also think beyond what the hairstyle physically looks like.
What mood does it create?
What story is behind it?
What am I trying to communicate?
For me, that’s where hair can become more than just hair. It can become something artistic and meaningful.
How to Create a Hair Design Mood Board
If you’re not sure where to begin, try using these steps as a starting point.
- Define Your Goal & Vibe
Before collecting hundreds of inspirational images, decide what you’re trying to achieve.
Ask yourself:
- Do I want height?
- Do I want length?
- Will I be incorporating accessories?
- What is my theme?
- What is the occasion?
- Is this editorial, bridal, theatrical, photographic or simply a creative project?
Think about the silhouette of the design.
Is it rounded? Angular? Geometric? Soft? Structured? Wide? Tall? Long?
You can also think about perimeter shapes and variations in length.
Then choose 2–5 keywords that describe the direction you want to take.
For example:
Sculptural. Dark. Organic. Textured. Dramatic.
These words become your creative guide.
You can also choose one core feeling you want your design to communicate.
Do you want it to feel powerful? Romantic? Mysterious? Playful? Futuristic? Soft? Chaotic?
Keeping your focus clear will help your mood board remain cohesive.
- Gather Your Inspiration
Now it’s time to collect.
Look for photographs, colours, textures, shapes, materials and objects that fit your chosen vibe and keywords.
Don’t limit yourself to hair.
If your theme is organic and earthy, perhaps you’re drawn to tree bark, leaves, stones, natural fibres and sculptural forms.
If your theme is futuristic, you might find inspiration in architecture, metallic surfaces, geometric shapes and fashion.
Once you’ve collected your ideas, start moving them around.
Look at what works together.
And just as importantly, look at what doesn’t.
Not every beautiful image belongs in your final design.
Sometimes knowing what to leave behind is just as important as knowing what to keep.
A Little Tip: Crop Your Inspiration
Rather than always using an entire photograph, try cropping the specific part that inspires you.
Maybe it’s the shape of a sleeve.
The texture of a fabric.
The curve of an architectural structure.
The colour combination in a painting.
The movement of a dancer.
This can help prevent your mood board from becoming visually cluttered.
Keep it clean.
Your mood board should inspire your creativity, not overwhelm it.
- Arrange & Edit
Once you’ve gathered your inspiration, place everything onto a clean canvas.
If you’re working physically, give your images and objects some breathing room.
If you’re working digitally, leave some empty space between your references.
Group images together according to colour, style, texture or shape.
Then step back and look at the overall collection.
Ask yourself:
Does everything belong here?
Remove anything that repeats an idea unnecessarily or clashes with the direction of your design.
You don’t need twenty images to communicate an idea.
Sometimes five really strong references can tell you much more.
Turning Inspiration Into Hair
This is where the fun really begins.
Your mood board is not the finished hairstyle.
It’s your visual language.
Now you can start translating those ideas into hair.
Your styling elements could include:
- Braids
- Upstyling
- Editorial hair accessories
- Hot-tool texture
- Product-created texture
- Crimping
- Layering
- Structured shapes
- Soft movement
- Hair extensions
- Different directions and patterns
The techniques you choose will depend on what you’re trying to communicate and the design you’re creating.
The important thing is to avoid choosing a technique simply because you know how to do it.
Instead, ask yourself:
“What technique will help me create the design I have imagined?”
That small change in thinking can completely change the way you approach hairstyling.
Design for Your Purpose
The way you design a hairstyle can also depend on what you’re trying to achieve.
Are you creating an editorial look?
A competition piece?
A professional portfolio image?
Content for Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest?
A hairstyle for film, television or theatre?
A bridal design?
Or are you simply creating something completely original because you need a creative outlet?
There doesn’t have to be one right answer.
Your purpose will help determine the scale, complexity, materials, techniques and overall finish of your design.
From Technique to Art
For me, hairstyling isn’t just about knowing how to perform a technique.
It’s about knowing why you’re using it.
A braid is a technique.
Texture is a technique.
An upstyle is a technique.
But when you understand how to combine those techniques with shape, proportion, balance, movement, structure and creativity, you begin to create something that is uniquely yours.
That’s when technique can become art.
And that’s what I want my Mix & Match Hair Design Course to help you discover.
You don’t need to consider yourself an “artistic” person.
You don’t need to have every idea figured out.
You simply need to be willing to experiment, learn and look at hair differently.
Just Get Started
My biggest piece of advice is simple:
Get started.
Open your creative mind.
Be curious.
Educate yourself in different areas.
Experiment with techniques.
Look outside the hair industry for inspiration.
Don’t be afraid to create something that doesn’t work.
Some of your best ideas can come from the experiments that didn’t go according to plan.
The more you give yourself permission to explore your creativity, the more ideas will begin to flow.
And most importantly, enjoy the excitement that comes with creating something that didn’t exist before you imagined it.
Your creativity is there. Sometimes you just need the tools and confidence to unlock it.
I’d absolutely love to see what you create.
Below is a FREE DOWNLOADABLE file for you to use to start creating your next creative look and start designing.
The downloadable file is a PDF worksheet with blank head canvas’ allowing you to draw on side, front and back profiles.
Katie x