How to Weft a Wig

Wigs are made up of horiztonal strips of hair sewn into an undermesh.

Wefts are what wigs are made of. When you weft a wig, you sew loose hair together to form a row of hair and sew it horizontally into the undermesh between the existing wefts on the wig. Wefts are added to make wigs thicker or longer, or to change the wig's shape and style. Patience and accuracy is important because the hair must be sewn with straight lines and without clumps so that the new weft blends into the wig.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine
• Hair extensions
• Tulle
• Scissors
• Rubber bands
• Straight pins
• Comb

Instructions

1. Thread your sewing machine with thread that is close in color to the hair you're wefting and set the stitch length to a small stitch.

2. Lay the loose extensions on a smooth surface so that they are straight and parallel, with the ends even.

3. Secure the extensions into bundles by tying a rubber band around the end or the middle. This makes the hair easier to handle and prevents tangling.

4. Cut tulle fabric that is similar in color to the hair extensions into strips that are 2 inches wide by 16 inches long. This typically is the maximum length needed for a wig, and the strips can be cut later into smaller pieces to suit your needs.

5. Lay one end of the tulle into your sewing machine horizontally, then remove the rubber band from a bundle of hair and spread it evenly onto the end of the strip so that the top ends line up along the strip and the rest hangs down.

6. Feed the tulle horizontally through the machine as you add the strands of hair, beginning the stitch at about the center of one end of the strip.

7. Pause as you add each bundle of hair, taking time to position it evenly before continuing with your stitch.

8. Continue to add more hair evenly along the tulle strip as you feed it through the machine until you've stitched hair along the entire length of the strip.

9. Lock the stitch at the end of the strip and trim away the loose thread with scissors.

10. Move the strip to the starting position and stitch a parallel line about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch above the line you just stitched. This fixes the hair to the strip.

11. Lock the stitch at the end and trim away any loose threads.

12. Fold the tulle between the two lines of stitching and secure the fold with straight pins.

13. Lay the folded tulle in the machine and stitch another line along the fold, then trim away the excess tulle and loose threads.

14. Detangle the weft of hair using a comb, then sew the weft into your wig horizontally between the existing wefts.

References

• Antonette Cely Dolls: Wefting Hair
• Cosplay; Wefting Tutorial; May 2007