If there’s a wedding or event to attend, a girl’s got to look pretty whether her hair is done or not. An African Turban headwrap is a perfect accessory to complete any fashion look whether you’re wearing a traditional-themed outfit or an English-wear. The fuller and higher they are, the better they look. Find out how to tie a voluminous African Turban – in this post. Read on!
The best part is that these headties are much easier to tie (than the full-on traditional gele headties). This post presents quick and easy video tutorials showing you how to tie a high African turban headwrap, step by step.
In this post, I also explained what to use to add volume and height to your turban (like Erykah Badu). Now, let’s get to doing it – get out a piece of cloth for the Turban and swipe or scroll down to practice along.
How to Tie a High and Full Turban Headwrap with Volumizer (Video Steps)
*Note that stuffing your turban with a volumizer is totally optional. You can still get the same style with or without putting added materials (volumizer) underneath.
How to Tie Ankara Turban Headwrap – 6 Styles (Step by Step Video)
Keep reading – somewhere down, I’ll tell you how to make your own turban volumizer and there’s also a video on that.
Ready-Made Turban-Caps Are A No-Tie Option
Cap-Turban Headgears are available in a lot of colours and materials/ fabrics, including velvet, lace, voile and more. They’re also affordable. You can find ready-to-wear cap-style turban gele headties in shops everywhere in Nigerian markets, online stores and at many Nigerian fashion designers. Many of them come in velvet fabric, and you can even accessorize it with a brooch to elevate your style.
Ready-to-wear Turban Caps are available in beautiful styles. These are an option for those lazy days that you want a no-tie turban scarf or if you just don’t know how to tie an African turban headtie from scratch.
DIY Turban Volumizer to Make Your African Turban Appear Fuller (Video Tutorial)
Shh! Turban Scarf Volumizers: The Secret to an Erykah Badu Style Full and High African Turban We all Love
Once you start tying turbans, you’ll sometimes want them fuller and higher. Think of the Erykah Badu type of ‘high African turban scarf’. But you don’t need to have full, long hair to have a high turban. The secret to the high African-style turban is to have a volumizer underneath the turban.
Before tying a turban, place a ‘hair volumizer’ or ‘turban lift’ on your head (under your turban) before wrapping the turban. The job of the hair volumizer is to act as a lift/ support that will give extra fullness (volume) to your turban headwrap.
What the volumizer does is to create a fake big hair bun shape anywhere you place it on your head – mid-bun, high bun – and then wrap the turban around it, Therefore, even if you have very short hair, you can add support or lift to make your turban scarf fuller.
Popular Types of Head Scarf Volumizers Sold in Stores: Tichel volumizer with/without anti-slip headband and a wrapunzel volumizer. You can make your own versions at home for free.
Here’s how to use a turban volumizer – Simply place it on your head and then tie the turban scarf over it to add extra height and volume (see video illustration below).
4 OTHER WAYS TO MAKE YOUR OWN TURBAN VOLUMIZER
Aside from buying a ready-made turban volumizer, there are a few everyday-ways that women use to make their turban headties appear very full. Here are 3 methods of adding volume to your turban without spending a dime:
i) Tie A Scarf or Old T-Shirt First
This method is to tie 2 scarfs in order to make your turban scarf appear fuller – tie nother scarf first, and then tie the turban. So, in this method, you start tying a cloth (a scarf, light t-shirt or tank top, knotted or thick scarf) or just scrunch a fabric and place on your head, before placing the main turban.
ii) Put Your Natural Hair in Ponytail
Alternatively, wear your natural hair in a high bun or thick ponytail under the turban. If you’re wearing a ponytail and your hair is not thick, you can wrap a cloth around the pony-tail as a first step.
iii) Pack a Piece of Cloth on Your Hair to Add Volume
Improvise any way to add volume to your hair, before tyiing your turban scarf. You can fold or wrap a piece of cloth or a tank top to make a turban volumizer. Just think – anything you find in the house. Some girls have even said of how they use styrofoam to add volume to their turban. Crazy, right? But it works, and no one will know.
MORE HEADTIE FASHION STYLE TUTORIALS:
- How to Tie a Simple Pleated Gele Headtie by Yourself (Video)
- How to Tie Ascot Rose Gele (Video)
- How to Tie Ankara Infinity Gele Style (Video from Start to Finish)
Where to Buy Turban Volumizers in Nigeria
You can find ready-made turban volumizers sold in stores — they’re widely available on the streets and in markets in Nigeria. Turban Volumizers are sold as ready-made in any Nigerian market, usually by Hausa men who hawk or sell makeup – they also sell hair ruffles and cap-turbans.
However, you can make your own Turban Volumizer by wrapping a piece of cloth/ fabric (just like the native fabric used to carry loads on the head, called ‘oshuka’ by the Yorubas). Many girls and women also improvise by using anything as their turban volumizer.
5 Fun Ways to Rock a Nigerian/ African Turban
We at NaijaGlamWedding HQ, here, are loving the different outfit types our Naija women are rocking the velvet turban. The regular Gele is too ‘serious’ and just doesn’t go with many types of outfits, but the velvet turban matches almost every type of attire.
Whatever outfit or style you wear with a velvet turban, you’re sure to slay. Here are 5 turban scarf styling ideas:
- Tie your turban plain or jazz it up with a brooch on the side or centre for added glam
- Tie a nice colour velvet turban when you’re wearing an ankara gown or skirt-and-blouse;
- Rock it with denim/ jeans or office-wear or with a church outfit, and you’ll look like a polished African princess.
- Of course, you know you can rock a velvet turban to a wedding or any owambe occasion, that’s why we brought it here in the first place;
- Have your bridesmaids or aso-ebi girls wear it – it’s top on the Nigerian wedding trend at this moment.
Tying a Fashion Turban Turns a Bad Hair Day to Glam Hair Day
Yass! Every stylish African woman knows the power of a colourful turban headwrap for transforming a look on a bad hair day from bland to glam.
The African velvet turban fashion is back and stronger! This fashion and style statement piece has been making its way into the Nigerian wedding fashion scene – bridesmaids are loving it and wedding guests are rocking the hell out of the thing.
Every African woman has been in that situation when you have a wedding to attend the next day, your hair is in a bad shape and you know there’s no way you can squeeze time to be at the hair salon before that occasion.
In a situation like that, what’s a fine girl gotta do than to turn to the trusty, draped velvet turban? You know it – wrap that hair in colourful ankara or velvet turban, or throw on a cap-turban and look fabulous from head-to-toe.
Are You a Team ‘Tie-from-Scratch’ or Team ‘Cap-Turban-Headwrap’?
A turban headwrap always saves a bad hair day when you have a wedding or special occasion to attend. But if you’re attending a Naija wedding, you gotta turn up your ‘turban gele’ tying game IF you must represent.
Also, if the traditional Nigerian Gele is too much work for you, you’ll keep your glam on by tying a velvet turban. Turban, as a fashion statement piece, always adds class and glam to even the most ordinary female dressing.
That’s all I’ve got for you on how to tie an African-style high turban. If you like this post, please share it, comment down below, follow us on social media and subscribe to our GlamWedding newsletter for more.
Now, I’d like to hear from you – what’s your favourite turban style – is it the high and full African style or do you prefer to tie a normal-style turban without volumizer? Also, I’d like to know the type of Nigerian turban that you prefer – is it the ready-made cap-turban or you prefer to tie-it-yourself with a fabric/ cloth? Reply to me in the comments section down below.
Photo Credits: Instagram.com/bmpromakeup | @omobolamissglam | @abekeMakeovers | @molurlahsmakeover | @glamtouch1
This creativity is interesting, mind-blowing and encouraging. I appreciate it so much. Keep it up!
Thank you, dear. I’m glad you liked watching the Nigerian TURBAN-scarf tying video tutorial.