Post by DugFinn on Feb 19, 2008 15:33:57 GMT -5
Ribbon Method!
1. Gather supplies. You'll need:
- Ribbon (about 1/4 in wide) in the color of your scalp or hair (I recommend ribbon in the color of your loose hair)
- Flexible glue that dries clear (Tacky glue/caulk/silicon, etc. I recommend Fabri-tac)
- Loose hair
- Scissors
- Tape
2. Cut out two equal strips of ribbon, about 6 inches in length. Tape one to a flat and stable surface. You can tape down wax paper, plastic, or simply work on a place mat to keep your area from getting messy with glue... I used a piece of wood I randomly found in my room, eh.
3. Cut out the loose hair that you'll need. Always cut extra length so you can trim your wig after inserting the wefts. Also, cut twice the length when cutting loose hair. So, if you're making a 5 inch long short wig, use 7 in wefts, so cut your loose hair at 14 in. (This will make sense when you reach the end of the tutorial.)
4. Apply glue to a small section of the ribbon that's taped down. You apply glue in small sections so it doesn't dry before you get a chance to put all the hair on it. I use (and completely recommend) Fabri-tac. It's like a glue gel that dries in minutes, it's permanent, water proof, flexible, clear, and just plain awesome. In other words, the glue of the Cosplay gods.
5. Grab a small bunch of loose hair (like a big pinch worth) and apply it on the glue. Do it on the half way point of the loose hair. Shift the strands onto the glue and use your fingers to thoroughly push it into the glue so that there are no strands that are not glued down. If there are strands that are still not glued down, then that means you applied too much hair. Simply shift that excess hair over to the next area that needs gluing after you add more glue to it. Keep adding glue and loose hair till you've filled the ribbon strand up.
6. Add glue to the entire length of the other ribbon (the other 6 inch strand from step 2) and apply it on top of the taped down ribbon. Push the ribbon into the hair with your finger tips to push the glue into the hair strands.
7. Let it dry. If you used Fabri-tac, this should take about 1 minute. If you used most other glues, give it anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. You might just want to make a bunch, leave them over night and then keep going the next day. Do not proceed until you are sure the glue is dry!
8. Cut the ribbon in half lengthwise. Be very careful to stay in the middle! If you cut too high or too low, it decreases the strength of the glue and the hair can come loose in that section.
9. Trim the edges and you are done! Notice how each ribbon side has produced a weft. So, you're 14 inch long loose hair, turned into two 7 inch long wefts. Remember, you can make your wefts as long or as short as you'd like. You now have home made ribbon wefts. These are very strong and are perfect for spikes and gravity defying and demanding styles.
Sewn Method!
1. Gather supplies. You'll need:
- Netting (or netting-like ribbon, like organdy) in the color of your scalp or hair (I recommend netting in the color of your loose hair)
- thread (the color of the loose hair)
- Pins or bobby pins (or both)
- Sewing machine
- Loose hair
- Scissors
2. Set your sewing machine to the highest tension and to the smallest stitch. Choose a straight line pattern (usually numbered two or three on most machines).
3. Arrange a strip of netting, or ribbon netting, on the sewing plate.
4. Cut loose hair twice the length as you need the weft. If you want a 7" weft, then cut 14" of loose hair. Place the middle point of the strand on the netting. Do not bunch the hair up. Only use a little at a time and strew it out evenly. Make sure it's very spaced out (about half as much hair as you would use for the ribbon method).
5. Begin sewing. Sew down the center of the strip of netting. If you have a twin needle, use it now and skip to step 7.
6. Sew it again down the center about a centimeter parallel to the previous one. Do not skip this step! If you do, the rest of the process becomes a bazillion types more difficult! This is the secret step that makes sewing wefts easy.
7. Fold the netting in half and use the pins or bobby pins (or both) to hold it in place.
8. Sew it again, only this time about a centimeter away from the edge of the folded netting. Use the smallest zigzag pattern to help "knot" the hair in place and keep it from falling out when being combed.
9. Cut the extra netting and threads off. That's it, you're done!
1. Gather supplies. You'll need:
- Ribbon (about 1/4 in wide) in the color of your scalp or hair (I recommend ribbon in the color of your loose hair)
- Flexible glue that dries clear (Tacky glue/caulk/silicon, etc. I recommend Fabri-tac)
- Loose hair
- Scissors
- Tape
2. Cut out two equal strips of ribbon, about 6 inches in length. Tape one to a flat and stable surface. You can tape down wax paper, plastic, or simply work on a place mat to keep your area from getting messy with glue... I used a piece of wood I randomly found in my room, eh.
3. Cut out the loose hair that you'll need. Always cut extra length so you can trim your wig after inserting the wefts. Also, cut twice the length when cutting loose hair. So, if you're making a 5 inch long short wig, use 7 in wefts, so cut your loose hair at 14 in. (This will make sense when you reach the end of the tutorial.)
4. Apply glue to a small section of the ribbon that's taped down. You apply glue in small sections so it doesn't dry before you get a chance to put all the hair on it. I use (and completely recommend) Fabri-tac. It's like a glue gel that dries in minutes, it's permanent, water proof, flexible, clear, and just plain awesome. In other words, the glue of the Cosplay gods.
5. Grab a small bunch of loose hair (like a big pinch worth) and apply it on the glue. Do it on the half way point of the loose hair. Shift the strands onto the glue and use your fingers to thoroughly push it into the glue so that there are no strands that are not glued down. If there are strands that are still not glued down, then that means you applied too much hair. Simply shift that excess hair over to the next area that needs gluing after you add more glue to it. Keep adding glue and loose hair till you've filled the ribbon strand up.
6. Add glue to the entire length of the other ribbon (the other 6 inch strand from step 2) and apply it on top of the taped down ribbon. Push the ribbon into the hair with your finger tips to push the glue into the hair strands.
7. Let it dry. If you used Fabri-tac, this should take about 1 minute. If you used most other glues, give it anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. You might just want to make a bunch, leave them over night and then keep going the next day. Do not proceed until you are sure the glue is dry!
8. Cut the ribbon in half lengthwise. Be very careful to stay in the middle! If you cut too high or too low, it decreases the strength of the glue and the hair can come loose in that section.
9. Trim the edges and you are done! Notice how each ribbon side has produced a weft. So, you're 14 inch long loose hair, turned into two 7 inch long wefts. Remember, you can make your wefts as long or as short as you'd like. You now have home made ribbon wefts. These are very strong and are perfect for spikes and gravity defying and demanding styles.
Sewn Method!
1. Gather supplies. You'll need:
- Netting (or netting-like ribbon, like organdy) in the color of your scalp or hair (I recommend netting in the color of your loose hair)
- thread (the color of the loose hair)
- Pins or bobby pins (or both)
- Sewing machine
- Loose hair
- Scissors
2. Set your sewing machine to the highest tension and to the smallest stitch. Choose a straight line pattern (usually numbered two or three on most machines).
3. Arrange a strip of netting, or ribbon netting, on the sewing plate.
4. Cut loose hair twice the length as you need the weft. If you want a 7" weft, then cut 14" of loose hair. Place the middle point of the strand on the netting. Do not bunch the hair up. Only use a little at a time and strew it out evenly. Make sure it's very spaced out (about half as much hair as you would use for the ribbon method).
5. Begin sewing. Sew down the center of the strip of netting. If you have a twin needle, use it now and skip to step 7.
6. Sew it again down the center about a centimeter parallel to the previous one. Do not skip this step! If you do, the rest of the process becomes a bazillion types more difficult! This is the secret step that makes sewing wefts easy.
7. Fold the netting in half and use the pins or bobby pins (or both) to hold it in place.
8. Sew it again, only this time about a centimeter away from the edge of the folded netting. Use the smallest zigzag pattern to help "knot" the hair in place and keep it from falling out when being combed.
9. Cut the extra netting and threads off. That's it, you're done!
