Hair Style Tips

20 Quick Messy Bun Ideas for Short Hair

The Art of Making A Messy Bun for Short Hair

Trying new hairstyles can be scary especially if you are used to wearing your hair the exact same way, messy buns are a chic hairstyle that can be rocked with both long and looks great on short hair. Below we are discussing how to make a messy bun with short hair and looking at different types of messy bun ideas. 

Hairstyles with hair bun extension

How To Make A Messy Bun with Short Hair

You don’t need long hair to make fancy hairstyles and short hair does not only have to be cut into a style and trimmed to keep it in place. It is possible to make with the use of hair extensions or simply just using your own hair. Just grab your hair tie, scrunch all your hair upward towards the crown of your head and wrap it in a bun. You can use the pancake method to create volume and make your bun look wider if you have short hair. 


Pull some hair strands out and have them frame your face, these can be curled or left to hang while you place bobby pins in your hair to keep the rest in place and intact but keep it messy. Use hairspray to spray those stray hairs and keep your hairstyle in place throughout the day or night depending on when you need the style. 

20 Detailed Ideas To Make A Messy Bun for Short Hair!

There are different types of messy buns that you can do on your own. Here are the tutorials for each. 

Headband stylish
1. Messy Knot Bun 

    You need to divide your hair into two parts and separate them into two pigtails. Each part needs to be tied into a knot. Use an elastic band and tie it below the knot. Split the hair below the elastic band into two and then tie it into another knot. Tie another elastic band under the second knot. Depending on how long your hair is, that is the number of knots you would have to make. Fold the knots up and use bobby pins to put them in place. You should leave the ends out. 

    Pull on the hair at the crown to add some of the volumes at the top and make the hairstyle messier. Spray with hairspray to set the hair in place. 

    2. Messy Sock Bun 

      You need a donut bun, if you have a fringe or bangs leave that out and tie your hair in a high ponytail with an elastic band. Put the ponytail through the donut until it is at the base of the ponytail. Let your hair fall over the donut band. Arrange your hair, so that it covers the whole donut entirely. By keeping the donut-covered tie an elastic band into place to shape the hair over the donut. Take the rest of the hair that has been and twist it around the base of the donut and then use bobby pins and pin them in place. 

      3. Messy Wrap Around Bun 

        Tie your hair into a ponytail at mid-level while leaving out some of the hair in the front. Then take a small piece of hair from the ponytail and wrap it loosely around the base of the ponytail making sure to cover the elastic band. Do not wrap the hair too tightly. Then take another section of the hair from the ponytail and wrap it around the previous section. Do this process until the entire ponytail has been made into a bun. Push the front piece of your hair to one side. Comb it around that side and wrap it around the base of the bun neatly. If your hair is on the shorter side, then pin it. 

        4. Messy French Fishtail Bun 

          Divide your hair into two sections and take some hair from the front and put it on one side. Weave the sections into a French fishtail braid. Keep adding hair to the weave and as the weave starts at one end it will move towards the center of your head as you braid it. After braiding it, pin it into place. Take the rest of your hair and put it into a high ponytail. Then take an elastic band and put your hair through it but don’t tie it. Then twist the elastic band and bring it over the other side. Half of your hair should look like a bun at the top. Wrap the lower part of your hair and wrap it around the bun. Pin it at the sides and pull the bun into a pancake to make it look bigger. 

          5. Messy Double Knotted Bun 

            Detangle your hair and part it down the middle. Brush all your hair to the back into a low ponytail. Split the ponytail into two parts and tie them into a knot, do not tie the knot so tightly by leaving a gap between them and the elastic band. Tie another knot under the first knot, the longer your hair the more knots you are going to have to make. Use an elastic band to secure the knots. It should look like a knotted braid. Take the braid and roll it into a bun. Use pins to keep the bun in place. Use hairspray to keep the hairstyle in place. 

            6. Messy Double Bun 

              Start by teasing your hair at the crown of your head. Comb on top to make it neat. Take your hair and tie it into a high ponytail. Divide the ponytail into two pieces and plait each piece. Pancake the braids to make them look wider. Take one braid at a time and wrap it around the base of the ponytail. Then pin it in place. Use hairspray to keep the hair in place. 

              7. Messy Flipped- In Bun 

                Make a high ponytail. Flip your hair over and push it through the ponytail before the elastic band but don’t pass it through completely. Take the lower half and wrap your hair around the base of your bun and pin it in place. Pancake the bun to make it look bigger. 

                8. Messy Low Side Bun 

                  Make sure to detangle my hair. Gather your hair and make a low-side ponytail while leaving some hair out in the front. Use an elastic band to tie the upper half of your hair into a bun and let the lower half hang loose. Wrap and pin up the lower half of your hair underneath the bun. 

                  9. Messy Braid Bun 

                    Detangle and divide your hair into two sections. Plait each half into loose braids. It can be any braid of your choice. Place one braid along the hairline at the nape of your neck so that it reaches the ear on the other side. Use pins to secure it in place. You can tuck the extra part of your hair along the braid if your hair is long. Do the same with the other braid. 

                    10. Messy Braid Wrapped Bun 

                      Tie your hair into a high ponytail and leave out the hair that is at the back of your head, closest to your hairline. Put the ponytailed hair in a clip and divide the left-out hair into two pieces and plait each piece. Wrap the ponytailed hair into a bun and use pins to keep it in place. You can then cross the braids over so that the right braid is on the left side of the bun and the left side braid is on the right of the bun. 

                      11. Messy Two- Minute Bun 

                        Make your hair into a low ponytail. Split your hair in half right above the elastic band, this will create a gap. Flip your ponytail upward and pass it through the gap. Then roll the tail of the ponytail upwards and pin it up over the gap. 

                        12. Messy Double Flipped- In Bun 

                          Put all your hair in a low ponytail and then flip the hair up and within itself right above the elastic band. Then, taking hair from both ends, tie your hair into a ponytail over the first ponytail. Then take the second ponytail and push it through the second one before you get the elastic band. Take all the hair from both ponytails and tie them with an elastic band. Flip the hair over and tuck it into the ends of the first two ponytails. Use pins to hold the bun in place. 

                          13. Messy Double Dutch High Buns 

                            Divide your hair down the middle of your head to your neck. Then start from the back of your head plait in a Dutch braid, your hair moving upwards. Once you’ve plaited until the crown of your head stops and wrap the rest of your hair into a messy, loose bun. Pancake your hair to make the bun look wider. Do the same on the other side of your head. 

                            14. Messy Double Braid Bun 

                              Part your hair on one side of your head and then section off some of your hair in the front. Divide your hair at the back into two halves. Twist one half and wrap it into a messy bun leaving the ends to hang out. Weave the side-parted hair that you left into two braids in the front and pin them both above the bun. 

                              15. Messy Criss Cross Top Knot 

                                Divide your hair into two parts: top and bottom. Take the top half and wrap it into a bun and pin it up. Take the bottom half and pin it in between two halves. Take the right half and cross over the left half and wrap the ends around the bun. Then do the same with the left section to the right side. Use pins to secure the hairstyle in place. 

                                16. Messy Twisted Top Knot

                                  Tie all your hair in a high ponytail and split it into two. Twist both halves. Take the twisted hair and form a bun. Pin the bun in place and spray it. 

                                  17. Loose Messy Top Knot 

                                    Detangle your hair and tease it with a comb. This will make your hair look thicker. You can also clip-in Juvabun hair extensions to help make your hair look thicker. Gather all the hair and leave some strands to be loose. Twist your hair upwards and wrap it in a bun and tie it with an elastic band and hairpins. 

                                    18. Messy Knotted Bun 

                                      Split your hair into three sections. Make it large in the center and have two small sections on the side. Divide the large section into two. Tie them into a knot. Continuing tying knots until you reach the end. Secure the knotted bun with pins. Tie the two smaller sections on the side in a knot underneath the knotted bun. Then, pin the ends over the knotted bun. 

                                      19. The 10- second Top Knot 

                                        Mess your hair up and gather into your hair and put it in a high ponytail. Twist your hair and wrap it to form a bun. Lift the bun higher to create a pouf and secure the bun with an elastic tie and some pins. 

                                        20. The Perfect Messy Bun 

                                          Take all your hair and gather it into a high ponytail. Pull out a few pieces of hair to frame your face. Hold one end of an elastic band at the base of the ponytail and pull it over the other side of your hair. Be sure to not pass all your hair through the elastic band. You can twist the elastic band and put it over the bun a few times. This allows the loose ends to be tied in as well.

                                          Messy bun hairstyle for a wedding

                                          Are You Ready To Make A Messy Bun?

                                          Be sure to check the Juvabun website and online store to get a sneak peek at the products on offer to help you achieve these hairstyles. Experiment with different types of hair extensions to find out which one works for you best and which is better suited to your hair type and its texture.

                                          Read More:

                                          Stylish And Cute Hairstyles That Are Easy To Do

                                          Reading next

                                          How to make a messy bun
                                          Hair bun styling with bun clips for hair

                                          Leave a comment

                                          This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.