From: "Lucky Stradley" <lrc-AT-gpcom.net> To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 19:59:50 -0500 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Unusual hair material - wig tutorial Mathieu, When I make a wig cap that is going to be removable so that one can wash and style it, I make it as follows: 1. I cover the head with saran wrap. Place a rubber band or tie it securely around the neck or base of the head. Pull it as smooth as you can, but don't get nutty about doing it. The saran wrap will eventually be pulled off. 2. Next I use a very loose woven piece of cloth, sort of like gauze. I buy mine at Hancock Fabric in the bridal department. It comes white so I use diluted acrylic paint to color the fabric to match the head color. Let it dry. Next, I cut a piece that will cover the entire head and be secured the same as the saran wrap. The excess will be cut away later. 3. Now that I have the size of the gauze measured, I coat the entire hair area with Fabric Tac following the hair line. Don't worry if you get a little to far out of bounds, it will be cut off later. apply it liberally. 4. Place the gauze over the head so that it is very smooth in the front to just behind the ears. Pull the front and the back so that the Fabric Tac goes through the gauze. Oh yeah, make sure you have a light coating of Vaseline on your hands. Leave the jars open so that you can dip your fingers in to reapply Vaseline if you find that you are sticking to the fabric. 5. There will need to be a dart on each side in the back. So pinch the gauze together so that the gauze makes a dart that then makes a fitted cap similar to a swimmers cap. If you need another dart, then put it in. I find it works best with just one dart on each side in the back of the head. If your head is rather large you may need more darts. Try to space them the same on each side. After you have pinched the darts in, you may need to add a little more Fabric Tac in order to get the darts to lay down towards the back. With Vaseline on your hands, give the gauze cap a good rub so that the Fabric Tac is not lumpy and all the way through the gauze. 6. Let it dry well... some where between 30 minutes to an hour. 7. Draw the hair line all the way around the cap with an ink pen. Remove the cap from the head. Now remove the saran wrap from inside the cap and cut out the shape hair line of the cap. It is better to cut to big and then refit it. Try it back on the head, being sure the Fabric Tac is completely dry on the inside. Caution: If it is still wet, it will stick to it's self on the inside. So you might want to turn it inside out while you are removing the saran wrap. If you need to alter the fit, do it now either by pinching another dart or by cutting the cap and over lapping it. Be sure to reglue it and let it dry 8. If your head is polymer, you can now attach the cap with just a spot of Fabric Tac at the temples while you apply the hair. If you head is fabric you would want to cover the head with saran wrap again (place a rubber band or tie it securely around the neck or base of the head. Pull it as smooth as you can.) then attach the cap with just a spot of Fabric Tac at the temples while you apply the hair. 9. Clean up your work area. If the Fabric Tac bottle has some glue on the tip, wipe it off using extra cloth or a paper towel. 10.You need to prepare the hair to be applied. If your hair is from a hank, then pull out very small amounts and lay then flat. I usually do this on my knee. Gather a small lock and comb it out with a fine tooth comb, holding the lock very tightly. Cut one end blunt (straight across) and lay in neat rows. Note: It does not take as much as you might think. In this case less is more realistic. What ever type of hair you choose to use needs to be laid out in rows first. But if you run out then simply prepare more. 11. Starting at the base of the neck apply a line of Fabric Tac about a half an inch long. Remember when using Fabric Tac always have a slight amount of Vaseline on you hands. Pick up your small lock of hair and lay the blunt end of the hair in the Fabric Tac. Hold on tight to the loose end and push the hair firmly into the glue and slide you finger away from the lock of hair. This makes sure the blunt ends are embedded into the Fabric Tac. If you finger sticks to the hair or pulls the hair upward, then dab you finger lightly into the Vaseline. Continue this around the base of the neck. Hint: I always draw the lines onto the cap so that I know where the locks go. This avoids uneven lines. I also draw the part line if there is going to be one, the bangs, the cowlick or what ever else I am going to include in my style. 12. Do not worry about the length of the hair. You will cut and style it afterwards. When you get to the part and all the other hair on the outside of the wig cap has been applied, remove the cap from the head by just pulling the cap away from the small dab of glue on the temples. Use small scissors and cut the part line. Turn the wig inside out. Put a line of glue on one side of the part line. Pick up your very small lock of hair and lay the blunt end of the hair in the Fabric Tac so that the hair lays across the cut line. Hold on tight to the loose end and push the hair firmly into the glue and slide you finger away from the lock of hair. This makes sure the blunt ends are embedded into the Fabric Tac. Caution: Be sure you do not get glue on the cut line or you will not be able to pull the hair through the cut line. After it is dry, just a few minutes, pull the hair through the part line. Now, do the other side of the part line. Pull this side through. Cut a piece of the gauze large enough to cover the hair that is still showing on the inside of the wig. You will want it to kind of looks like a tire tube patch. Cover one half of the gauze with glue. Apply it to on side of the area being sure the blunt ends are completely covered. Now apply glue to the other half of the gauze and pull it together to close up the part and cover the remained of the hair. Let it dry. 13. While it is still inside out, you will want to apply a very small amount of hair around the entire rim of the cap on the inside edge. This will help cover up the cap material when you style you wig. Let it dry, it doesn't take long. 14. Now, if you have saran wrap on your head, take it off. Fit the wig on the head. If there is an area that is too bald the use a needle tool and pierce a hole through the cap at that point. Use a very small crochet hook and pull a tiny lock of hair through the hole leaving about an eight inch of hair on the inside. The hole is very easy to see from the inside of the cap. One you have evened the hair out by applying the plugs, you will have the ends from the plugs that you just did that will need to have the gauze patch put over just like you did for the part. 15. LET IT DRY! 16. Give it a real good combing. A lot of hair will be combed out. This is okay, You probably used too much any way. Now sprits it with water, curl it onto curlers,or straws. Use styling gel sparingly. I use the non aerosol spray kind... Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine, Styling Gel. But assured that you can comb it over and over again. If you used a natural fiber, be careful when you wash it. You do not want to felt it. Cool water rinse is best. If ever you see a bald spot, the just put in another plug. 17. If it is a non porous surface then simply use the spot of Fabric Tac glue on the temple to attach the wig. Or you can devise some other way of attaching the wig to the head if it is fabric... such as hook and lope or a snap and be sewn into the cap after the wig is finished. Well, this is a speedy, write up a quick tutorial. I hope I did not make too many mistakes. If it is not clear, then feel free to ask me questions. I will tell you what I know. Lucky Stradley Hubbell, Nebraska lrc-AT-gpcom.net http://luckystradley.blogspot.com/ ~~last update 6/11/2008~~ http://www.picturetrail.com/13luckyme ~~picture trail last updated 6/9/2006~~ http://community.webshots.com/user/beenlucky I am trying this site out for listing pictures. ~~last update 7/13/2006~~ Always Lucky...well most of the time! _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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