Summer hair is tricky. Thanks to the heat, I constantly want to have my hair off of my neck and face but get incredibly bored with the same pony-tail everyday. It’s no secret that braids are en vogue this summer and have been spotted on as many celebrity fashionistas as gladiator sandals. However, I am a bit of a braid novice, my mother always braided my hair for me when I was younger (she’s a pro at the snake braids) and for some reason my attempts at french-braids always end up inside out. So I’ve started mixing it up by twisting and braiding small sections of my hair before pulling back into the pony-tail or pulling my hair to a low side braid. I don’t worry about how neat or prom-perfect the braids are because the whole point of this summer look is to keep hair unfussy, up, and out-of-mind. Here are some cute ideas, some easier to achieve than others:

No matter how skilled you are, you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you prep your hair with Bumble and Bumble Holding Spray. This awesome hairspray gives your hair great hold but lets it move. So you can work your hair into the perfect (or perfectly messy) braids and they’ll keep for hours and hours:

Photo Credits: Style.com, Nicole Richie Fashion, Glam Beauty, The Haute List, WWD