Larger wigs will need a wire construction, this does not necessarily mean it needs to be thick or heavy wire.

 

Wire can be soldiered together with a soldering iron in the work shop.

 

Rounded shapes are always easier.

 

Wire structures always need to be padded out to make it comfortable for the individual wearing it.

 

You can make pin curls for anchor points if the structure is not too heavy.

 

The hair needs to somehow be attached to the frame. Cover it with caul net or tutu net if the hair is coloured so that the hair doesn’t fall through the structure.

 

Net can be roughly sewn as it will be covered, you can knot into the net or you can use wefts.

 

The structure must be symmetrical and look good from all angles as it is the stable part of the design and needs to hold the hair in place.

 

Can plait the hair and stitch the structure into it.

 

Or you can stitch tabs onto the bottom of the structure, pin curl the hair and cross grip on the tab onto the pin curl.

 

What will not work is pushing a grip into the structure alone.

 

The placement of the structure is really important as you cannot sit the structure too far back or to the sides as it will pull and drop and it will also be uncomfortable.

 

The frame must be made to fit the models head.

 

Can use oasis, memory foam, various wires, gardeners’ wire, and chicken wire.

Think about heaviness as model will be uncomfortable.

 

Wire can be covered in ribbon to give a nicer finish and also more comfortable, additionally you can stitch hair onto the ribbon.

 

Using synthetic hair

• Get a fine layer of synthetic hair on the table.

• Spay loads of hairspray onto it.

• This will create a sheet of hair that you can manipulate and bend the sheet of hair.

• You can layer it with different colours or in a pattern to make it abstract.

• Can use oil on the surface to prevent the hair from sticking to the surface.

• Add another layer on top.

• Depending on how much you would like to see hair underneath or how thick you want the hair depends on how many layers are added.

• Can put greaseproof paper onto it and lay some books on top to flatten it.

 

Synthetic hair doesn’t curl very well and if you are looking to make synthetic hair to look real you will be disappointed.

 

If you can buy bulk real hair to make it look real it will look better.

 

Synthetic hair will melt so you can curl with hairdryer however too much heat will ruin the hair.