I'll admit that anytime I'm on the lookout for a cool hair accessory [1], yarn has never been the first thing that comes to mind — but a few looks at yarn braid hairstyles on social media may have caused me to reconsider that. In case you've never heard of them, yarn braids are just like any other kind of box braids [2], except that they're created with — you guessed it — yarn that's weaved into the hair.

To get the look, you can pick up the yarn from any crafts store in any colour you desire — pink, red, blue, or even multiple colours all at once — so it makes sense why lots of people use this as a go-to Spring and Summer hairstyle [3] to brighten up their looks. If you're doing them on your own, just make sure you're using acrylic yarn instead of wool, since wool has a greater chance of locking up in your hair. Read ahead to see some of our favourite takes on yarn braid hairstyles [4].