Every wig on the market was made either by human or machine. Would you like to learn how to make your own wig? It will save you a lot of money as good wigs are super expensive. You can learn how to make your own wig by following the detailed wig making guide we have for you. So if you are like the many ladies out there who want to learn wig making, follow our guide, and you will be rocking your first wig sooner than later.
However, before we jump into what tools you need to get started, let’s understand the different types of wigs. If you want to write a comprehensive piece on wig making and wig care process, Essayhave an essay writing service.
Types of Wigs
For you to truly appreciate the process it takes to learn how to make a wig properly, a basic understanding of the types of wigs is crucial.
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When it comes to wigs, we have five main types that are clearly defined by their closure namely lace frontal, closure, partial, full regular and the 360 lace frontal.
So let’s see how each one works.
The 360 lace frontal wig
This is a wig that the lace extends the entire perimeter of the forehead creating the illusion of your natural hairline. This type of wig when properly made will look like you natural hair.
Lace frontal wigs
Lace frontal wigs are the most popular type of wig known to ladies and the most commonly recreated when making a wig in your own. Just like the 360 lace front, the lace frontal also mimics the appearance of your natural hairline.
Closure wigs
Wigs made with closure are a closure wig. Don’t get this confused as all wigs have a closure used in different manners. The closure is a piece of mesh fabric onto which the hair is sewn on that resembles the base of your hair and allows the wig to sit flat when you wear it.
The partial lace wig
Also known as the half wig is a wig that allows you to incorporate your natural hair when worn. The full lace wigs – The full lace wig is a wig made from a wig cap that will cover the entire circumference of the head. These wigs are usually the easiest to wear and make. Although they require full attention to needle the strands through each mesh hole, the ending results are always amazing.
Now that you know the types of wigs, we are sure you are deciding which you will love to make first. Don’t rush off just yet; you need tools some tools to get started.
Essential Wig Making Tools
Regardless of the reasons you want to dabble into wig making, you need the right tool, while the list isn’t long, the items are essential in learning how to make a wig (or in this case, your first wig).
- A mannequin head
- A wig cap (adjustable is better)
- Needles and thread
- Pins to hold the cap in place (you can use tape or adhesive too)
- Scissors for cutting and trimming as you string along
- Tweezers
- Comb and hair conditioner
- Lace closure
- Hair bundles
These are the basic items you need, you can buy them once and use most except the hair bundles to continue to create unique wigs for yourself or for sale.
How many Brazilian hair bundles do you need to make a wig?
The choice of hair (extension) is a must when looking into making a wig. The hair will determine how the finished product will look like.
While synthetic hair is cheap and comes in wild colors you will like, they aren’t durable and lose their luster and shine in a couple of months.
Human hair, however, is durable, looks good after finishing your wig and can be subjected to the regular natural human hair treatment like washing, conditioning, heat treatment, or curling.
Furthermore, a choice of virgin hair is the best option if you are making a straight hair wig. With that said, buy your Brazilian straight hair 3 bundles with 4 by 4 lace closure here.
You must be dying to jump into the process of how to make your wig; relax, we will get there in a moment. Check out Essaydoc cheap essay write for quality essays on a wide range of topics:
How to make a wig?
Are you ready?
The Hair Bundles
The first thing you will need is bundles of hair, in this tutorial we are using the Brazilian straight hair; 3 bundles of it. We are using this hair because it is easy to work with; it is original and natural-looking. It also works well for new beginners in the wig-making business.
This hair is straight, silky and will sit on your head like a real hair, the hair extensions measure in length 24 inches, 22 inches, and 20 inches respectively.
The Closure
This is the next item we need in our wig making process. A closure is basically a patch of hair that resembles your real hair and lies right in the front of your head by your forehead and helps close the wig off.
When you buy closures for wig making, they have tiny knots right where the hair is, and that is how the hair is secured unto the lace as you make your wig. However, in wig making the knots looks so artificial, and unprofessional.
So to remove this unfinished look from the closure, you can bleach the knots with hair bleach, so that the hair looks more natural and blends in perfectly with your scalp.
The Bleaching Process
Now the bleaching process is meant for professionals, but since you are here, we can help you with the process. Take the accurate quantity of the bleaching product you want to use and mix them until the mixture is mixed properly.
- Remember the final mixture must be thick, and pliable to allow you to apply it to the knots properly.
- If the mixture is too runny, it can bleed into other areas of the hair and cause damages that you won’t like. So thick is the right way to go
- Now wash the bleach off the knots taking care not to rub roughly, but squeeze gently to remove excess water.
- Next, apply some toner of the closure part to remove any excess yellowish color from the closure so that it looks very natural.
- Condition the hair, by rubbing an ample amount unto the hair and rub across the length of the hair with your hands, then rinse off under running water.
- Place the closure on a towel and allow it to dry out while you get on to the next process. We are using a 4 by 4 lace closure here.
Preparing the mannequin head
Place a dome cap on the head of the mannequin. Next, you take a measuring tape; placing the end tip on the middle of your forehead, measure the circumference of the head following the sides of the ears, the nape of the neck and back to meet the other end of the tape in the forehead.
- Now place the tape at the same point on the forehead in front and let the length of the tape pass through the middle of the head, this is the front to back measurement.
- These measurements allow you to know how deep and how wide you are working on the mannequin head.
- Note: stretch caps are better dome caps for wig making, they allow the wig to stay put, and it is adjustable in case a bigger head person wears your wig.
- Place the head with the dome cap on a stand or anything that will hold it in place while you are working.
Placing the Closure
You will notice that the dome cap has two lines in the front, let this point be the front of the head, this is also where the closure will be fitted.
Using a wig pin, hold the closure unto the dome cap into the head. The edge of the closure should line up perfectly with the edge of the dome cap on the mannequin.
Before measuring your head, prep your needles and set them aside, we will be using curved needles and nylon threads. Nylon threads are easier to sew with, they don’t get tangled up, and they are water repellent, unlike cotton threads.
Sewing the Closure
Insert the threaded needles through the bottom part of the dome cap; lace the thread through the needle and pull to make a knot.
You keep threading the needle through the loop along the length of the closure on one side. When you are done with one side, DON’T sew around the closure; knot the end, cut off with the scissor and move to the opposite side of the closure.
This technique allows you to even the closure properly to create a flat top for the wig. Repeat the thread in the loop process for the other side and end at the back of the closure.
Now you can sew the back end of the closure after you have strengthened the closure ensuring that it is not chunky but flat.
Note – try to thread the needles the length of your arm when stretched, this way you work effectively. If the thread is too long, it tangles and the situation is just messy. So armlength is the best and also thread at least ten needles so that you don’t need to constantly thread a needle when the thread is done.
To end the knot, do the wrap around the needle a couple of times to create a strong and firm knot.
Next, you flip the dome cap inside out and place it on the head, this way your closure is on the inside now.
Creating the side flips
The side flips allows you to brush your hair inside or that part that gives it more body when the wind blows.
- Take about 4-inches of hair in two places, position one piece at the side of the closure and using the same thread and loop process, stitch it to the dome cap starting from the sides of the closure.
- Repeat the process with the other side and cut off any excess thread from both ends after doing the wrap around the needle knots.
- Next, take another piece of hair that will be attached at the back. Don’t attach a long piece around the remaining part of the cap as you will lose the elasticity of the cap which isn’t what we are aiming for.
- Now take a hair piece the length of about 5 to 6 inches – a little longer than what was used in the front side. Add a little nail glue at the edges of the piece; this will stop the hair from losing as you sew the hair to the lower end of the cap.
- Repeated the needle, and loop process for the length of the hair cut off excess threads, and now we flip the dome cap back to position.
- Now the work begins, we have gotten the closure, the sides and the nape of the neck done.
- Take a longer bundle, the 24 inches, (if you want volume, double the weft of hair by folding it over itself).
- Attaching the ends to the nape of the neck, precisely where the shorter pieces are placed at the back of the cap, and then start sewing the new piece from the same line.
- You will notice that the edges protrude a little, to level this, thread over the point a couple of times to smoothen it out. Continue sewing across the length of the hair until you reach the edge.
- Now when you fold the edge over, it will look bulky, so open up the hairpiece and only fold on the piece over then continue across the curve of the dome cap until the bundle is done.
- The spacing in between the rows depends on how much hair you have; we are using three bundles, so space should be about one finger or one and a half wide.
- Use the wig pins to hold the hair bundle in place, this way you sew faster and cleaner, but also see what you are doing and avoid mistakes.
- Take the next bundle, double only half of it and place over where the last one stops and keep sewing. Always make sure that you sew joints properly and tightly so that it does loosen during use or maintenance.
- Basically, you keep working your way through the circumference of the dome cap until you reach where the closure is seated in the front of the head.
- In case you have a little gap, cut off excess hair and sew the remaining piece unto space. Take the hairpiece and fill in any gaps in the wig cutting off excess hair and thread as you go along.
- Keep going, and sew in the final piece right into the lace of the closure on both side of the wig to give a flowing pattern
Now that the hair is sewn onto the cap, remove it from the head and try it in your own head to see how it fits.
Take the scissors and cut the portion of the dome cap over the closure, since this area will be over you scalp hence you don’t want people knowing it is a wig.
Wow such a long process, but we aren’t done yet.
We have to attach a band to avoid the wig from flying off your head on a windy day.
Fixing the Band
This requires a little maths, but it is easy.
If your head was 22 inches around, you subtract the length of the closure from this number; our closure was a 4 by 4.
So 22 – 4 = 18 inches
- Take off an additional 2 inches from 18 inches to get 16 inches which are the band length; this will allow the wig to sit tightly on your head without fear and give it some stretch too.
- Measure the length for the elastic band; in this tutorial, we used a one and a half inches thick elastic band. One end is attached on one side of the closure from the inside and threaded using the same pattern used in fixing the hair unto the cap.
- Repeat on the other side too.
Finally to give the wig a natural front look, use tweezers to pluck the closure and comb out the excess hair (it is better to tweeze the hair when it is wet).
Cut off the excess lace of the front lace closure.
Wearing your Wig
To give the wig a grip on your hair, you can wear a scalp cap or better cornrow your hair; place the wig frontal to the forehead and the elastic band over to the back.
Flip over and arrange the hair, condition and comb out, look for the part and tweeze it for some natural look.
For the front of the hair, add a touch of black eyeliner or mascara to cover up any extra lace in the front to match with the rest of the hair. Spray the hair with a leave-in conditioner and comb out.
And we are done your first wig, and now you know how to make a wig. Go try it out and let us know how it turned out.
Good luck!
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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This was so helpful
Thank you