How to Make a Raggedy Ann & Andy Wig

Make a cute, creative version of a Raggedy Ann and Andy wig.

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are the creation of illustrator and children's author John Gruelle. Gruelle introduced the pair to an receptive audience of children and adults alike in the first decade of the 20th century. Since that time, the Raggedy siblings have been the protagonists in a number of adventure tales, and today are most often seen in the form of dolls with signature red-orange hairstyles. Because Gruelle's original drawings depict Raggedy Ann and Andy as rag doll characters, you can create a more historically correct costume wig by using "rags" for hair rather than the usual yarn.

Things You'll Need

• 2 half-yard pieces of different orange print fabrics
• 2 half-yard pieces of different red print fabrics
• Pinking shears
• Fray check
• Quick-drying white glue
• Old pair of panty hose
• 2 sailor hats
• Large-eyed crewel needle
• 2 yards hair ribbon

Instructions

1. Cut strips of fabric from your four 1/2-yard prints. Fold each piece of fabric in half and then in half again so it is eight layers thick. Using sharp pinking shears--specialty scissors with zigzag blade edges--cut strips 1/2 inch wide across all eight layers. Continue until you have turned each piece of fabric into strips.

2. 

   Use a sailor's cap as the base for your wig.

   Prepare the wig base. For each wig, the base will be the sailor cap; decide in advance whether you want the cap brim to be folded up or folded down, and measure in this position. Cut a piece of panty hose leg the measurement of the center top of the sailor cap to the lower edge, plus 2 inches. For example, if your hat measures 5 inches from center top to lower edge, cut a tubular piece of panty hose 7 inches in length. Repeat for second wig.

   For each wig, tie one end on the panty hose tube into a knot; treat the opposite, open edge with fray check--a product that comes in a tube, available at fabric stores, to prevent edges from fraying--all around and allow to dry. Using a few drops of white glue, glue the panty hose knot inside the sailor cap at the center top, then glue the opposite edge in place inside the rim of the cap, stretching if necessary.

3. Cut about 30 strips of fabric for each wig. For Raggedy Ann, cut 20-inch lengths; for Andy, cut 6-inch lengths. Thread a strip of fabric into the crewel needle, folding in half lengthwise, if necessary, to fit through the eye. Place the tip of the needle into the inside lower edge of the sailor hat liner, about 1 inch up from the edge, and pull a bit less than one half of the fabric strip through the nylon liner. Take a small stitch close to your first, then pull the end of the fabric strip out of the needle. You should now have two strands of fabric hair with slightly uneven ends.

   Repeat, varying fabrics for a rag look, placing each strand close to the previous strand. Leave a 5-inch gap at the front of the sailor cap for bangs. Add a second row just above the first inside the rim of the cap, adding 1/2 inch to the length of the fabric strips you cut--for Ann, a second row of strips should be 20 1/2 inches long, for Andy 6 1/2 inches long. Add a third row just above the second, using 21-inch strips or 7-inch strips, respectively.

4. 

   Cut varied length fabric strips for your Raggedy wig.

   Add bangs to your Raggedy Ann and Andy wigs. Cut fabric strips into 4-inch lengths and apply across the gap in front just as you did the longer hair strips. Add a second row of bangs if you desire more volume. Lightly press into place if needed.

5. Finish the Raggedy Andy wig by tying random knots in some of the longer hair strips to suggest snarls. Braid Raggedy Ann's fabric hair into two braids and tie with hair ribbon, or make pigtails tied loosely with hair ribbon. Add knots to hair strands if you wish.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a fabric stiffener to style curls into your wig, if desired.

References

• Raggedy Ann: Raggedy Ann and Andy, History and Legend
• Craft Own: Yarn Wig