So, two weeks ago, I shared that my hairstyles basically consist of straight, curly, or topknots and that I’ve been in a rut with hairstyle ideas. And because of that, I wanted to start challenging myself to be more creative with hairstyles and share them with you. In my last hair tutorial post, I shared a Half Up Simple Braid idea, and today I’m featuring this bubble ponytail tutorial!

After sharing my last tutorial, I asked for feedback on other hairstyles y’all would like to see and I got a few requests for creative twists on the ponytail… specifically for busy moms that want to be stylish but don’t have tons of time. So I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest for fun ideas. A lot of the styles include these crazy braids that, if I’m being honest, I’m not coordinated enough to do on myself. And even though I’m not a mom yet, I can empathize with the saying, “I just don’t have time for that!”

But what I love about this bubble ponytail is how simple yet stylish it is! It took me about 10 minutes to do, and with practice, I think it would eventually take me less time. So all you busy ladies out there – be encouraged! Cute hairstyles can still be achieved even when you have a lot to do!

|| Bubble Ponytail Tutorial ||

What  I love about this hairstyle (besides that it takes such little time) is that it’s even better with dirtier hair! Seriously – the more dry shampoo and product in your hair, the better because we want volume for this ponytail.

Also, this ponytail tutorial can definitely be done with shorter hair, but I think it’s more fun when your hair is longer because you get more “bubbles”! If you’ve been on the fence about extensions, I can’t recommend these clip-in Luxy extensions enough! They’re super simple to snap in and out, and they add so much more personality to your hair! You can use the code “HAPPILYHOWARDS” at checkout to get $5 off too!

To get started, you’re going to begin with whatever hairstyle you have goin’ on. I just so happened to have had my hair curled the day before, so that’s what I’m starting with. (And if you’re wondering: Yes, my hair holds curls really well and yes, this is what my hair looks like with day-old curls. Don’t hate me for it!) But this style can be done with straight hair, creased hair, and just crazy hair in general! Also, if your hair has zero volume up top, use a teasing comb and tease the top roots to give your hair some volume.

STEP 1 || Pull up half of your hair and secure it with a clear elastic. I also tug on some pieces that are pulled back to give the top section of my hair some volume instead of having it completely slicked back.

STEP 2 || Take a section of the hair in the half-up ponytail and wrap it around the clear elastic until you get to the end of your hair (don’t wrap it super duper tight though!). Then, you’re going to find the clear elastic underneath the ponytail (where it isn’t visible) and pull the small section of hair through the elastic so it stays in place. The only way you’ll have enough “give” to find the elastic is if you don’t wrap the hair super tight at first. Once the hair is threaded through the elastic, you can pull downwards to tighten the hair wrapped around the pony.

The goal is to completely cover up the elastic and to not see the end of the hair section that’s wrapped around the elastic (it should be hidden under the pony).

STEP 3 || Tease the ponytail. This ponytail is going to be your first “bubble” and you want it to have plenty of volume!

STEP 4 || Repeat Steps 1-3 until you get to the end of your hair!

[Repeat of Step 1] So what this means is you’ll grab the remainder of your hair and secure it in a ponytail. (I chose an actual ponytail holder versus a clear elastic because this ponytail has all of my hair in it and I have super thick hair and I want it all to stay in place and not loosen throughout the day.) And don’t worry if your “bubble” looks a little sad at first…

Pro tip: Because there’s not much of a “bubble” yet, you’ll have to tug a little at this section. Remember, you teased this part of your hair for volume, so it’ll be easy to create a fuller effect!

[Repeat of Step 2] Take a section from the ponytail and wrap it around the ponytail holder, tucking it in/pulling it through the ponytail holder on the underside of the ponytail. (Wow, how many times can I say “ponytail” in one sentence?)

Don’t forget the repeat of Step 3 – teasing the ponytail!

[Repeat of Step 1] Use a clear elastic to section off a new portion of hair (about 2 inches down, depending on how large/small you want your “bubbles”).

Don’t forget to tug and loosen the bubble to give it more volume!

[Repeat of Step 2] Take a section of hair from the ponytail and wrap it around the clear elastic, tucking in the hair underneath the ponytail so the elastic is covered and the end of the hair isn’t visible.

[Repeat of Step 1] Use a clear elastic to section off another portion of hair (around 2 inches down… keeping all of the bubbles the same size).

[Repeat of Step 2] Take a section of hair from the pony and wrap it around the elastic so that it’s not visible.

STEP 5 || Tug at all of the bubbles to loosen them up a bit and to give them a little personality. You want all of the bubbles to be about the same size (vertically & horizontally), and you want the overall look to be messy. If the hairstyle looks a little too polished for your taste, continue tugging and teasing until you like the overall look! And I always hairspray everything down to keep all of my hard work in place.

And there you have it – A fun twist on the normal, boring ponytail!

Don’t forget that you can grab your own Luxy clip-in extensions for $5 off with the code “HAPPILYHOWARDS’!

|| Save It For Later – PIN IT! ||

If you love hair tutorials, be sure to check out my Straight Hair Routine or my Loose Curls Tutorial!

Y’all are the best for checking out my bubble ponytail tutorial! Again, let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations for other simple hairstyles you’d like to see in the future!