{Tutorial} The Perfect Sock Bun

Part 2. The Perfect Sock Bun.

Welcome to the second part to my sock bun series! Yesterday’s post showed you How to Make a Sock Bun at home. Today’s post will show you how to use your homemade Sock Bun donut for “The Perfect Sock Bun.” Btw… If you can’t get it to work, you might want to give my Messy Sock Bun Tutorial a try (view here)!

Here’s a little background on how my sock bun obsession started…  I’d seen tons of sock bun photos all over Pinterest for months but never paid attention because I didn’t think it would work for me.  Then while waiting in line at H&M, I saw the donut looking thing (pictured on right) and made the impulse buy. Half expecting it to fail, I bought it just so that I could say that I tried. Boy~ am I glad I got this little guy. 

I now understand what all the hype is about. Not only is the sock bun super sophisticated, polished, and cute… it’s very easy too! If you’re thinking “blah blah blah, this will never work for me” like I did for months… just give it a chance. All it’ll cost you is an unwanted sock. The picture below was my very first attempt at the sock bun! No teasing, hair spray, or bobby pins were used! Beginner’s luck? Maybe. Or maybe it’s that easy! Amazing right?!

Read This Before You Start!

So, first things first, take the 1 minute (literally) to make your own sock bun donut. Then pick the method you want to use for your sock bun look. There are 2 easy ways…

1. Perfect Sock Bun- A super polished look described in this post. Best for: most types of long(er) hair. Scroll down for this tutorial and step by step instructions.
2. Messy Sock Bun- The messy sock bun is a super easy way to achieve the sock bun. Best for: short(er), thin, or layered hair (view tutorial here)!

♥ 5 Steps for the Perfect Sock Bun ♥

Here’s the short version:

1) Tie hair in ponytail and place donut 2) loop ends of hair around donut 3) tuck ends 4) roll down to base 5) gather and pin.

Here’s the longer version with helpful tips:

1. Secure your hair in a high ponytail and pull the ponytail through the center of your sock bun donut.
2. Place the donut about 1/2 way down the length of your ponytail and get ready to rock and roll.
   
3. Wrap the ponytail end around the donut once. With the remaining end of the ponytail, continue to wrap/tuck around the sock bun donut using your index finger and thumb to grab and pull the hair through the donut center.
   * Put your fingers through the center and use them to gather and pull the hair through. Trying to shove the hair through the center of the donut without catching with your index finger and thumb will result in a messy and loose bun.
   * At this point, it’s easier to move your hair in and through the donut center rather than trying to move or roll the donut.
4. Once the ends are wrapped around the donut, begin rolling the donut down the remainder of your hair. As if you’re rolling your sleeve, roll the sock bun down towards the base of the ponytail.
   * For this step, roll and move the donut down as opposed to step 3 where you’re just moving the hair.
   * Use the end of a comb to help tuck in the strands while you roll/wrap. Don’t worry too much about it being neat at this point. Just need those ends tucked and wrapped.
   * If the bun is too loose (too big), gently hold the entire bun with both hands and pull the rolled bun away from the base of the ponytail. This will tighten the hair around the donut, therefore tightening the bun. Start to roll/tuck again towards the base of your ponytail.
5. Gather the ends of the bun to close and complete the look. Use a couple of bobby pins to secure and tidy up the bun!

♥ Having difficulty? Some tips on getting the perfect sock bun… ♥

• Hair too short, layered, and/or thin? My Perfectly Messy Sock Bun is perfect for you. Click here to see the tutorial.
• If you have very thick or long hair, use a smaller sock bun donut. Cut off a small portion of your tube sock to make a thinner donut which will make it easier to roll all your hair. I used a black cotton dress sock which is much thinner than a normal sock.
• If you find the rolling portion difficult, use the pointed end of a comb to help tuck the ends in. When you’re rolling, just roll and don’t worry about how it looks during this step. Once you get to the base and you keep tightening/rolling the bun, it’ll clean itself up.
• Can’t get your hair to roll on the sock bun? The messy sock bun is a more casual look but easier to achieve. Worth a try if this method is not working for you. View the messy sock bun tutorial here.
• Don’t give up. Try it a few times and I’m sure you’ll figure out what works best for you. And when you do, please come back and leave your suggestions in the comments below. I’m sure other Pretty Gossip-ers would love to hear them!

♥ Added Bonus: Beautiful curls without any heat! ♥

Finally, here’s a picture of my hair after a day of being in the sock bun (note: hair was completely dry when I put it up into a sock bun).  Imagine the curls I’d get if I put slightly damp hair into the bun and let it dry! Hello~ gorgeous curls! Can’t wait to try it out. I’ll be sure to share photos of those curls on Instagram, so be sure to come find me~ More pictures to come!

 

I hope this tutorial has been helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below! I love hearing from you so don’t be shy. Until next time, please stay pretty… inside and out.
xo,
Mindy

Please follow and tag me on your sock bun photos on Instagram (@prettygossip)!

Complete Sock Bun Series.
Part 1. Make a Sock Donut to use for a Sock Bun.
Part 2. The Perfect Sock Bun. This post!
Part 3. The Perfect Messy Sock Bun.
Great for thin, short, layered, and/or even super long hair.