Gather hair in a ponytail at bottom of your neck(no band) hold all of your ponytail with your left hand, thumb towards neck.
keep holding hair, but now hold with your thumb and index finger. lift your other three fingers up.
with your 3 fingers up(still holding hair with thumb and index) grab the thick ponytail just under your hand(palm up), bring it up and loop it around your three fingers, now hold it with your 3 fingers. Your left hand should now be holding all of your hair.(you should have a loop of hair with a long tail hanging down)
Now take your right hand and put it on your left shoulder, elbow pointing out in front of you.Reach behind your neck and grab the hair hanging down,grab as high as possible at the top,wrap the hair around the base of the ponytail clockwise, repeat this until you have about 6-8" of hair unwrapped. (never let go of your hair with your left hand)
your index and middle finger should be sticking thru the loop of hair. grab the little remaining tail with these fingers and pull it thru the loop,pull the hair thru and hold the bun up by this tail. Tuck the tail under the top of the bun to hide it, you now have released your left hand from holding the hair. cup your hand over the whole bun and get the clips. use 4-6 small 1" jaw clips,(depending on weight of your hair) . or use 2- 3" larger clips, one on each side.
grab the edges of the bun.
(written directions from 2005! Confusing?? This is why I joined youtube and made tutorials!)
Lifted cinnamon bun animation...my version from 2006
Video tutorial links 
& 
2015
FLUFFED UP PRETZEL BUN ( 
BRAIDED PRETZEL BUN (
