Make a Tinkerbell Bun
You have your Tinkerbell costume all done. Now, all you need is the hair. If your hair is long enough and the right color, you can easily pull it up into a bun. You can also style a wig instead using a short-length wig and extra wig fibers. With a little bit of time, you can too can rock a Tinkerbell bun!
Contents
Steps
Styling Your Hair
- Pull your hair up into a high ponytail that sits right on top of your head. Tie it off with a hair tie. The color does not matter because you will be covering it up.
- If you have bangs, exclude these from the ponytail. You can style them later to create Tinkerbell's poofy bangs.
- Slide a bun maker that matches you hair color onto your ponytail. The bun maker should be covering the hair tie, and you hair should be sticking out through the middle of the bun maker. Use a bun maker that is proportionate to you. If you have long, thick hair, use a large one. If you have very thin hair (or styling a child's hair), use a small one.
- Spread your hair around the bun maker to cover it up. Use your hands to smooth your hair down evenly onto the bun maker. Make sure that there are no gaps showing. If you can see the bun maker through your hair, you might want to switch to a smaller size.
- Slide another hair tie over the bun maker. This will cinch your hair under the bun maker, creating the perfect bun look. If you need to, shift your hair around so that it covers the bun maker completely.
- It is best to use a hair tie that matches your hair color.
- Twist the ends of your hair around the bun for a neater touch. Take a small strand of hair and twist it into a rope. Add another small strand to the rope and twist again. Continue adding strands and twisting, working your way around the bun. Tuck the tail end of the rope under the bun, and secure it with bobby pins.
- If you plan on making false bangs, sweep all of your hair towards your forehead instead. Secure it under the bun with bobby pins so that it stays in place.
- Wrap a green ribbon around the base of the bun. Tie the ends of the ribbon into a bow at the back of the bun. The exact shade of green does not matter, but it should match your Tinkerbell costume. If you don't have a Tinkerbell costume, go for a bright, spring green. Use a 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) wide, satin ribbon if you can.
- Style your bangs, if needed. If you are using your own hair to make fake bangs, you can curl it under slightly using a large curling iron. If you are using your own bangs, you can brush or curl them into place; if they are too thin, tease them with a rattail comb.
- Set your style with hairspray. For extra sparkle, try dusting your hair with a small amount of mica or extra-find body glitter.
Styling a Cosplay Wig
- Buy a high-quality, short wig and extra fibers. You will be making a separate bun to put on top of the wig, so make sure that the colors match on both. Look for a short bob or pixie-cut wig with long bangs, and loose wig fibers or extensions. You can find both in well-stocked wig shops. The exact shade of blond does not matter; pick something that looks good on you.
- If you can't find matching colors, buy a long wig, then cut it. Save the fibers you cut off for making the bun.
- Avoid buying cheap wigs from the Halloween or party-supply shop.
- Make sure that the fibers on both the wig and extensions are the same type. If they are different, they may not match up in terms of shine.
- Gather the extensions into a ponytail. Pull all of the loose fibers together and tie them off at one end with a hair tie or rubber band. Trim the ends down above the hair tie so that they are even.
- Seal the tied off end on the ponytail. Apply a liberal amount of caulk, tacky glue, or fabric glue onto the stub of hair above the hair tie. Really get it into the fibers and onto the hair tie. Don't worry about it not looking pretty--you will be covering this up later on. Allow the caulk or glue to dry completely before moving on.
- Sealing the top part of the ponytail is important. It will prevent the fibers from coming loose while you style them.
- Insert the tied end of the ponytail into a large bun maker. If you can't find a bun maker, you can make your own by rolling up a piece of fleece, then folding it into a doughnut shape and stitching it together.
- Use a bun maker that closely matches the ponytail's color.
- Bun makers are also called "hair doughnuts." They are made from spongy material and shaped like doughnuts.
- Stitch the ponytail to the bun maker. Use a curved needle and thread that matches the wig color. You only need to sew through the underside of the bun maker and the base of the ponytail. Leave the loose hairs sticking out of the top of the bun alone for now.
- You can also secure the ponytail to the bun maker with fabric glue.
- Begin wrapping and stitching the loose ends of the ponytail in place. Take a small section of hair sticking out of the top of the bun maker. Wrap it around the side of the bun maker and hold it in place against the bottom, right by the stub. Stitch it in place using a needle and thread.
- Continue wrapping and stitching the ponytail in place. Keep going until you have used up all of the hairs from the ponytail and the bun maker is completely covered. You may have to go around the bun maker a few times.
- Cut off the excess hair at the bottom of the bun. Unless your ponytail was the perfect length, you will likely have some excess hair extending beyond your stitching. Use a sharp pair of scissors to trim these off.
- Seal the bottom of the bun once more. This time, apply the caulk or glue over the stitching and the cut ends of the hair. This will seal the ends of the hair against the bottom of the bun and keep them from coming undone. Avoid getting any glue up the sides of the bun, however, or it will be visible in the end. Let the caulk or glue dry before moving on.
- Secure the bun to the top of the wig. If you need to, finish styling the base wig first. You can secure the bun to the wig by carefully stitching it in place. Keep the stitches small, and make sure that you pull the needle through the bottom part of the bun doughnut inside the hair. For a less-permanent option, you can use safety pin or bobby pins.
- Place the wig on a Styrofoam wig head. Secure it around the hair line with sewing pins. This will make styling it in the next steps easier.
- Wrap a ribbon around the base of the bun. You can use a cloth ribbon or a satin ribbon, whichever matches your Tinkerbell cosplay the base. You can sew the ribbon in place, like a band, or you can tie it into a bow at the back of the bun.
- Add the final touches. Smooth down any stray hairs, then lightly mist the bun with hair spray. If you want to, you can add a light dusting of mica or super-fine body glitter to the wig for extra sparkle.
Tips
- Bun makers are also called "hair doughnuts". They are made out of spongy material and look like doughnuts.
- If you can't find a bun maker, cut the toes off of a sock that matches your hair color, then roll the sock up into a doughnut shape.
- Use a rattail comb to tease your hair wherever extra volume is needed.
- You don't have to have blond hair in order to do a Tinkerbell bun.
- You can use any color of ribbon you want if it is just for fun and not a Tinkerbell costume.
Warnings
- Unless your wig specifically says "heat-resistant", do not use any hair straighteners or curling irons on it, or you will melt the fibers.
Things You'll Need
Styling Your Hair
- Bun maker
- Bobby pins
- Hair ties
- Green ribbon
- Hair spray
Styling a Cosplay Wig
- Bun maker
- Bobby pins
- Hair ties
- Green ribbon
- Hair spray
- High-quality wig, short style
- Loose wig hair, matching color
- Needle
- Thread
- Scissors
- Caulk or fabric glue
- Hairspray
- Green ribbon
- Wig head
- Sewing pins
