How to Sew a Wig

Sewing a wig can be a project for a theater student.

Wearing a wig can serve multiple purposes. One purpose is to hide a loss of hair. Another is to create a costume for a party. Whatever the reason, you can create a more personalized wig by making your own. Hair strands can be sewn to a bald cap that fits around your head, hides your hair and secures the wig hair. Bald caps stretch and easily fit most heads.

Things You'll Need

• Bald wig cap
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• 2-by-2-foot sheet of plywood
• Four 1/4-inch-diameter wooden dowels
• Hammer
• Nails
• Fake hair strand bundles
• Tape
• Sewing needles
• Thread
• Comb
• Hair iron

Instructions

1. Place the bald wig cap on your head to make sure it fits comfortably.

2. Measure the diameter of the bald cap and mark that diameter on the plywood. Nail four dowels to the board along the diameter line in a square formation.

3. Stretch the bald cap over the wooden dowels to keep it open while you sew.

4. Arrange hair strand bundles around the bald cap and tape them in place. Each bundle is several dozen hair strands that connect at the top with a small square cloth that attaches all the strands. This is the top of the strand.

5. Cover the bald cap with hair strand bundles and arrange the hair so that the free ends flow downward and the bundle connecting cloth is at the top. Layer the hair so that its thickness will hide the bald cap. Make sure all the strands flow in the same direction to create a realistic wig.

6. Thread the needle with sewing thread that is as close as possible to the color of the wig hair. Push your needle down on one side of a strand bundle connecting cloth and pull the thread downward. Bring the needle and thread back up through the cloth.

7. Continue sewing across the connecting cloth in this manner until you reach the other end. Sew multiple strand bundles together in the same area if possible to minimize the number of seams. Continue sewing until all of the hair strands are attached to the cap.

8. Remove the cap from the dowels place it on your head. Turn your head to check for bald spots in the wig. Sew on more strands if necessary. Comb the hair or iron it to style it.

References

• Stitch and Save: How to Make a Wig