Make Your Own Wig out of Weave

Whether you are trying to grow your hair out or attempting a new look, learning the basics of a weave can be a great skill. Caring for your natural hair and choosing the right wig are essential to creating a natural look. Make sure you give yourself enough time to create the look you want especially if this is your first time attempting to weave a wig into your natural hair.

Steps

Preparing Your Natural Hair

1. Maintain your hair. Depending on your hair type, you may need special products to condition and treat your hair. From natural oils like coconut oil to specialty products like hair mayonnaise and a protein pack, use the right combinations that work to keep your hair healthy.
   • Consult a stylist or haircare specialist to find what works best for you.
   • There are natural essential oils and mixtures that can keep your hair moisturized like, lavender and rosemary if you are concerned with using a chemical formula.
2. Braid your hair into cornrows. Whether you use a professional or are create them on your own, braid about six big rows. Make sure to leave the front edges of your hair out. Specifically, leave the hair along your temples and front of your face out of your corn rows.
3. Twist and treat the hair that is not in cornrows. You may twist your hair out or use a clip to keep them from your face. Treat your hair with a product like Jamaican castor oil to moisturize and strengthen the hair. Allow the product to work while you move onto your synthetic wig.

Choosing the Right Weave and Weaving Cap

1. Shop online or check your local beauty supply store. Depending on your budget and timeframe, there are a variety of options when it comes to finding a weave best suited to create your wig. Whether you’re looking for curls, kinks, or straight hair, consult a hair care specialist or beauty supply store to familiarize yourself with your best options. Synthetic weaves are more cost-effective than ones made from real hair.
   • Most synthetic hair looks unrealistic. They may be made out of shiny plastic so choose one that looks as natural as possible. A curly weave looks more natural than a straight weave.
2. Choose a style that suits your hair type. Some people have hair that is curlier or kinkier than others. If you have extremely shiny kinky hair, do not choose a wig that has large curls without any shine.
3. Choose a colour that best matches your hair colour. Weaves can come in a variety of colours so don’t settle on something that is significantly a different shade from your own hair. Weaves that have a mixture of dark and light strands may look more natural than ones that are a single shade.
4. Decide how large you want your wig to be. One pack of 3 bundles is enough for a full hair wig. You can use 2 textures: natural texture and the remy closure texture on top. However, if you want larger curls or generally more volume, choose the appropriate bundles of weave to complete your look.
5. Choose a weaving cap with a mesh lining. If you have sensitive skin or your scalp gets easily irritated, choose a breathable weaving cap with a mesh lining. Mesh is less itchy than plastic or synthetic linings. Mesh is also easier to manipulate and conceal.
   • A breathable weaving cap allows you to wash your wigs and cut down on drying time. Find a soft elastic velvet that the skin on your head and neck do not get itchy and irritated.

Creating a Wig out of a Weave

1. Gather your materials. Whether you borrow your supplies from your friends or buy your own from a beauty supply store, you will need a styrofoam wig head, wig stand, weaving cap, hair-sewing thread and needle, scissors, tweezers, foundation, and hair care products. Create a budget to ensure that you choose the best products for your price. Look online for used beauty supplies to keep your costs low.
2. Use a measuring tape to find the size of your head and adjust your wig head accordingly. You will need to know the circumference of your head and compare it to the circumference of the wig head. The second measurement you need to take is from your hairline to the nape of your neck. If your head is larger than the wig head, use wrapping tape and continually wrap it around the circumference of the wig head as many times as you need until it fills out the difference. Do the same from the hairline to the nape of the wig head’s neck.
3. Place your weaving cap on the styrofoam wig head. Use pins to secure your weaving cap onto the styrofoam head. Pin the elastic dome band along the front of the head, above the ears, and along the nape of the neck. Also, pin the unhooked elastic bands down so that they are out of the way. Make sure to place the styrofoam wig head onto the wig stand.
   • Make sure to completely stretch your weaving cap down onto the wig head.
4. Use the blanket stitch method to sew around the track of the weave and right through the weaving cap. Place wefts of hair -- essentially, small curtains or bunches -- onto the weaving cap. Thread your needle and thread through the cap and around the track or the weft of the hair. Pull the needle through the loop of the thread as it comes up to securely form a thread track. This method helps to lay the tracks flush against the wig cap.
   • Don’t sew through the weave tracks because it slows you down and may cause shedding after too much wear.
5. Fold the weft over to start a new row of track to sew. The fold is going to be at the edge of the cap. Pin down the new row to hold it in place as you secure the new row of weave. Go right back through the edge of the cap and both of the wefts with the needle and hair thread. Use the same blanket stitch method twice on the small fold at the end of the track to make sure that the fold is very flat and flush to the edge of the cap.
   • There shouldn’t be anything sticking out or funny around the wig if you double blanket stitch the fold.
6. Use your fingers for correct track spacing. Use 2 fingers as spacing in between each track of hair that you lay down. As you get closer to the top of the wig head, start to space out each track closer together using just one finger for spacing.
   • Use the fold over method to keep the layers of weave together as a wig. Start off by sewing through the thickest part of the cap and go through the actual weft of the hair so that you’re sure that it’s down nice and tight.
7. Create the lace invisible part or closure before placing the last 2 bundles. Pin down a bundle from the forehead to the nape of the neck and sew all the way around to make sure that it’s down. You will be sewing along the centre of the styrofoam head, from the forehead to the nape of the neck. Make sure that you are covering the lace and that the tracks are secure. Use a regular stitch to make sure you’re securing the lace closure nice and tight to the weaving cap all the way around with a vertical stitch.

Customizing Your Wig

1. Cut off any irregularities. Whether it’s uneven hair, odd patches, or excess mesh lining, use scissors to personalize your look. Cut off excess mesh at its hairline to ensure that it never shows when you wear it.
2. Use tweezers to customize your wig. Pluck out random strands of hair to clean up your part and create a smooth transition to your natural hair. Don’t remove too much hair or you may look like you have thinning hair or a bald spot.
   • Create a natural part. Don’t try to create a completely straight line because it will look unnatural.
3. Use foundation makeup to match any exposed material of the wig to your scalp. This may take trial and error depending on the material of the wig. Your wig won’t take the same shades as your real skin so you may have to use colours that are a couple shades darker or lighter than what you normally use.
   • Don’t be afraid to use a variety of colours until the wig matches your scalp and looks natural. Be liberal with the makeup as you apply it onto the meshing of the wig. Keep in mind that the meshing may take a while to get your desired look.
4. Use talc powder to remove shine. Add some talc powder to a hair brush and brush through your wig. The combination of brushing and talc powder removes some of the shine from synthetic hair. This will give you a more natural and muted look.
5. Increase the volume of your hair. Using your fingers, separate the curls in your wig to increase the volume. For a natural look you don’t want your wig to just lay there. Add shape and depth by increasing the volume.
   • Detangle your wig every day using your hands in order to prevent knotting. If you use a comb you may pull out the hair or damage the wig.
6. Work water based moisturiser or mouse through the ends of dying hair. Breath some life back into your hair before applying your weave especially if it looks dry matted. Avoid using any oil as this will make the ends stick together.

Applying Your Wig

1. Ensure you weave the wig securely to your head . Use a needle and hair thread for maximum security. If you do not have the time, you can also use bobby pins. Hair thread is a lot more secure than bobby pins, which tend to fall out if you play with your hair or are planning to be active.
2. Strategically combine your wig with your natural hair. Placing the wig just behind your natural hairline, sew it to the cornrowed hair at the middle of your head, the back of your head, the nape of your neck, and at both sides of your head. If you have chosen to create a part in your hair, also sew your wig at the part.
   • Depending on your time and budget, you may seek a hair care specialist to attach your wig. Don’t be discouraged if this is your first time. With time and practice you will become more proficient at applying both a secure and natural look.
3. Unravel your natural hair. As you have placed your weave behind your natural hairline and kept the natural hair at the edges of your face in twists or clipped, unravel your natural hair once you’re satisfied with the positioning of your wig.
   • Adjust your natural hair together with the wig you have just made out of weave to create a natural looking blend. Ensure that the texture is maintained throughout your head. Make sure your natural hair still has the same type of kink or curl as your wig.

Tips

• Before going to bed, take your wig off. You do not want to damage the wig as you toss and turn because the synthetic fiber can easily lose their shape depending on the quality of the wig.
• Do a twist out with your natural hair before going to bed if you want fresh curls in your natural hair the next day.
• Sew the wig back onto your head at the same spots on head each successive use.
• To increase the use of your wig, care for it as if it were your own hair.

Warnings

• Make sure you create a budget and timeframe when creating your wig. If this is your first attempt at creating a wig, you will need a lot of time and practice to ensure it looks as natural as possible.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Foundation
• Hair-sewing thread and needle
• Oil, moisturizer, natural hair care product
• Wig Head Stand
• Styrofoam female wig head
• Weaving Cap

Sources and Citations

See also

• Straighten Curls on a Wig
• Dye a Synthetic Wig
• Make a Lace Front Wig
• Make a Wig
• Straighten a Synthetic Wig
• Apply a Wig
• Apply a Lace Front Wig
• Attach a Merkin
• Straighten a Frizzy Wig
• Protect and Care for a Wig