On wigmaking: MEGAPOST
Many dolls can accomodate or be modified to accomodate a wig, that allows for many hairstyles and hair colors in a faster and easier way than re-rooting hair.
Now, while is true that wigs can be purchased from several sellers there are also ways to make them yourself which, depending on the option can be cheaper and in many cases more satisfying.
When talking about materials, we have to take into consideration the kind of fibers because depending on them, it will be easier or harder to come across and to work with.
Acrylic yarn: The material is one of the easiest to obtain as most of them will do, but it is recommended that the yarn is thick so the strands can be separated more easily, obtaining more free fiber with less effort. This is one of the easiest tutorials for wigs, that takes less preparation of the materials to do the wefts.
Wool (needle felting wool): This material will give a poofier result than yarn, but is much easier to take apart and work with, and also more delicate. It's not advised to straighten it with hairstyling tools as it can melt or lose strands. It is soft and pliable and it's best suited for voluminous hair and for beginners, as it can be given shape with the finges and using some hairspray.
Mohair: It's a natural fiber of better quality than the prior. It can be heated with hairstyling tools and molded to shape. It is more expensive but oftentimes gives better results.
Saran. Shiny and soft. Barbie-like. Once boiled down it sits straight and doesn't take styles very well. Can take up a greasy appearance when handled too much. It melts easily with heat but can endure it if it's wet.
Nylon. It is easy to style and takes the styles well. It's slippery and thicker than saran, and it's harder to break. It can take hot styling tools in the lowest setting.
Polypropylene. A known fiend in the doll world, it might look similar to nylon but feels coarser and drier and gets tangled easily, hard to melt but doesn't take shaping well.
Kanekalon: It's soft and light and breaks easily. Doesn't take heat well so it requires to be wet to apply any kind of heat.
Costume fur: Fake fur. The advantage is that it's not needed to make a wigcap as is as the fabric base is the foundation for it. Popular at the beginnings of the doll custom community as other fibers weren't as easy to come across. You need to pay attention to the direction the fur goes so that you can cut it properly.
Lambskin: Real animal skin. Expensive and not vegan/vegetarian-friendly. Doesn't require a base as the skin is the foundation.
Other: There is no restriction to the materials you can use to make hair for your dolls. For instance other unusual materials that have been used are: (please click to open the hyperlinks)
Feathers. Tutorial by inhaletheresin.
Clay. Some bjds already offer the sculpted wig option, that is divided in two parts and joined by magnets or pegs over the head of the doll or replacing the wigcap in its back half. It can be done form air-dry clay as well. Other dools such as nendoroids use hard wigs as well. It's better to check for the compatibility of the materials. Examples of BJD with clay hair include SIO2's dolls.
Human hair. Preferably, from reliable sources (like you chopping your ponytail). In the source video there's shown the way.
Some of the fibers can be dyed and some others can't. Eitherway be mindful because dyed fibers can stain your doll and it can be extremely hard to remove them.
For the wigcap, there are several options as well but among the most popular we find:
Elastic mesh wigcap: Such as the ones made from pantyhose fabric and elastic cord. Can adapt a little to different heads but depending on the skill can take more or less time to make. Takes heat well and in many cases it's skin-colored so it's easier to hide.
Regular stretchy fabric: Such as that of t-shirts and elastic cord. Not as easily hidden as the elastic mesh wigcap, but can adapt a bit as well. Depending on the color and material, it could dye the doll.
In both of the prior options you can either search for patterns, do it by stretching the fabric over the head, or making a pattern by covering the head with saran wrap, then sticking washi/other tapes over it and then cutting it open. Tracing that shape over paper and adding seam allowance will provide the final pieces you will have to sew together and then add an elastic to.
Fabric and glue wigcap: Very extended because it's easy to do. The kind of fabric used can vary but the technique is mostly the same for most of them. Requires a tight fabric around the doll's head and several layers of white glue unitl it's turned hard.
Mesh, swisslace or tulle wigcap: Similar to the elastic mesh wigcap but with less support surface. If the holes in the mesh are too big it can become an issue when adding the hair fibres. Allows for the wig to be made with the ventilation technique.
Hot glue wigcap: It is fast and cheap, and allows for modification after the glue has hardened, however won't take boiling water to style the hair nor is good with hairstyling tools that use heat. Some materials might not react well to the heat of the glue gun.
Tissue paper wigcap: Made with the papier-mache technique using white glue.
Crochet wigcap: Made out of wool and similar fibres. Not very extended, more often used on soft dolls.
Tape/medical tape: I've seen this technique more used by certain korean doll customizers to do their wigcaps. It is fast and cheap although the wig can't be dipped in hot water and might not hold up well with hot hairstyling tools. The addition of wefts must be made with glue. HERE you can see how to do it.
Silicone wigcap: Used to hold wigs in place when put between the head and the wig rather than making one out of it. Bought more than made.
Air foam clay wigcap: Can also help with keeping bigger wigs in place for smaller heads. You need to check for compatibility. Wefts can be glued to it.
In order to make the
To keep the hairs stuck to the wigcap, the main two methods are:
Sewing: with thread and needle. Can scratch the scalp of the doll if no protection is provided. Done by hand. Industrial wigs are made with special sewing machines. Usually, a long weft of hair is sewn in circular shapes around the wigcap until reaching the top.
Gluing: The kind of glue can influence the result as some are water-soluble and some aren't (which can affect the way the wig is pressed down). The most popular ones are white glue, hot glue and fabric glue. Contact glue and superglue work as well but are less safe for the user due to the fumes. In every case, it's important to check for the compatibility of the materials and to respect drying times. The wefts can be either long or short, added in small layers or without cutting the strip.
Other less extended methods exist, such as the ventilation technique, that provides with very sightly results but is rather time-consuming and requires certain skill. Here you can access a tutorial made by Whispering Grass.
Unusual technique: In this video you can see someone doing individual grafts of hair over air-dry porcelain clay so that the hair ends up embedded in the wigcap.
No Nap Time has rooting patterns that can be helpul to follow.
In regards of the top of the head, there are several techniques as well. The more extended ones imply slipping a bit of folded/rolled hair wefts into a hole in the wigcap although there is the ventilated option as well. Another option, if the partition is in the middle, is to make a tight u shape that once sewn into the wigcap, has its opposite strands criss-crossed to hide the base of the wefts (SHOWN HERE).
Once the wefts are attached you will notice the hair sticks out too much in most cases. In order to keep it down we have to take into account its shape (straight or curly), its composition, and the wigcap and glue used:
Hot water pour: It entails heating water in a pot, and pouring it over the wig or sinking the doll or the test head with it , and then dipping it in cold water. Can't be done when any of the components of your wig is hot glue because it will soften and become sticky and there is a risk of it coming apart. It has no issue with fabric wigcaps, waterproof wigcaps and heat-resistant hair fibres. Might undo or soften curls and is a burn hazard.
Heat tools: Hair straighteners, curling irons, a hairdryer or small clothing irons can be pressed against the top parts of the wig to keep the hairs from the top down. Lomi from Lomi's playground does this in one of her videos using another cap to keep the hair down and work more easily. This could be done to hot glue wigs as well if they're only pressed for a brief moment. Not advised for non heat-resistant materials for the same reasons as above. Some fibres may frizz and it's ill-advised to use it with glues with volatile solvents due to the fumes and the fire hazard. Might affect the curls it touches and it's a burn hazard.
Saran wrap: Covering the hair all the way over the doll's head with tight saran wrap, adding some rubberbands and waiting for a few days. The safest, sometimes the results might not be completely satisfactory and takes time but is the less resource-consuming. May lay the curls flatter.
Depending on the partition of the hair, the way the wig is made may differ.
Smartdoll's creator has some videos on professional wigmaking and styling:
The whole wigmaking proccess
Styling a short hair wig
Styling a mid-length wig
Styling a long hair wig
Other helpful info includes:
Mozekyto making and styling a middle parted wig.
Dinga makes a short haired wig using short wefts at the begginning of her video.
Mini Bitsy shows how to do a buzzcut hairstyle to a barbie doll (can be done on a wigcap as well).
Antique Lilac's hard wigcap tutorial and weftmaking
Take into account you can use a tiny bit of double-sided tape to keep the wig in place in lieu of a wigcap (easier done on hard wigcaps- might not work well with those made of gentler materials like tissue or tape).
And always remember: Cut longer than what you expect because it's always easier to style and then trim the extra than to deal with a too-short result!
In regards of safakeeping and storage of wigs, the most space-efficient and safe method includes:
Stuffing a ball of soft tissue paper big enough to keep the shape of the wigcap.
Arranging the hairs in a way that won't affect much of the shape despite being stored (keeping curls all wound together, that short straight wigs get their tips pointed inwards towards the paper towel).
Covering it with a mesh, and then surrounding it with a strip of soft cardboard/poster board that is as thick as the wig when laid down (This step can be skipped but it's recommended).
Placing it into a drawstring or plastic bag that will protect it from dust.
Other options include wooden or doll head stands (HERE you can see a tutorial on how to do one yourself) that can be exibited, but might cause the wig to catch dust.
As always, keep in mind this post can be subject to modifications and updates so please check it from time to time and tell me if you've spotted something missing or wrong.
