Anyone know how I could pull this off?
How do you dye a wig? Especially just portions of it?
Two-tone hair
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warmdarksky
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:28 pm
Two-tone hair
Well, since the stickies at the top of the forum seem to be pretty much ignored, here's my old question.. which is still pretty much my biggest problem X3 Such complicated hair.. anyway
Anyone know how I could pull this off?
How do you dye a wig? Especially just portions of it?
Anyone know how I could pull this off?
How do you dye a wig? Especially just portions of it?
I would definately buy a white wig for this one.
When I first started dying wigs, I always used Katie Bair's stuff. I think her website is still katiebair.com. The stuff works great, but it can get pretty pricy if you need multiple colors. It's about 20$ a kit, so only 2 colors will obviously set you back around 35-40$. For an easy first time wig dying experience, it's worth it.
I just began mixing my own wig dyes and I'm still working on a definate formula. I've broken up sharpies, squeezed out the ink and used that (I believe I mixed it with warm water to lighten the colors). I've also just become familiar with a new method using callgraphy ink. If you buy some bright colors of ink at your local art store, you can take a few drops of that and mix it with rubbing alcohol to make a simple dye. Put the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray away! You just have to wash the wig when you're finished to get rid of the alcohol smell. I actually like this method the best because it's pretty cheap, and Sharpies can get pretty messy.
For you're wig.. like I said before, I would buy a white wig to start. Cut it to match the style of the character, and then seperate the hair into 2 seperate layers, a bottom layer and of course a top layer. Simply clip and pin the top layer up, and maybe wrap some scrap fabric or a towel around the hair to protect it from the dye. Dye the bottom layer of the wig, let it set for a little white, rinse it out, and let it dry. Then start with the top layer in the same method as the bottom.
Goooood luck! Dying wigs is an interesting experience!
When I first started dying wigs, I always used Katie Bair's stuff. I think her website is still katiebair.com. The stuff works great, but it can get pretty pricy if you need multiple colors. It's about 20$ a kit, so only 2 colors will obviously set you back around 35-40$. For an easy first time wig dying experience, it's worth it.
I just began mixing my own wig dyes and I'm still working on a definate formula. I've broken up sharpies, squeezed out the ink and used that (I believe I mixed it with warm water to lighten the colors). I've also just become familiar with a new method using callgraphy ink. If you buy some bright colors of ink at your local art store, you can take a few drops of that and mix it with rubbing alcohol to make a simple dye. Put the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray away! You just have to wash the wig when you're finished to get rid of the alcohol smell. I actually like this method the best because it's pretty cheap, and Sharpies can get pretty messy.
For you're wig.. like I said before, I would buy a white wig to start. Cut it to match the style of the character, and then seperate the hair into 2 seperate layers, a bottom layer and of course a top layer. Simply clip and pin the top layer up, and maybe wrap some scrap fabric or a towel around the hair to protect it from the dye. Dye the bottom layer of the wig, let it set for a little white, rinse it out, and let it dry. Then start with the top layer in the same method as the bottom.
Goooood luck! Dying wigs is an interesting experience!
Alternatively, you could merge two wigs into one. Get 2 cheap-ish wigs, one in each color: party or Halloween wigs would be great, no need to go overboard with super nice wigs. Examine the underpinnings of the orange wig very closely. Using a seam ripper, carefully detach the lower wefts/rows of hair from the wig base/netting without disassembling the wefts or tearing the netting. This'll take awhile, but the effect will be worth it. On a party wig, you'll probably remove about 5 rows starting from the bottom of the wig and going up; on a higher quality wig, you might remove more hair. You can then attach these wefts higher up to fill in the top of the wig better. I've been able to sew them with my sewing machine, but you might find hand stitching easier. Glue for hair extensions would probably also work, but you'd have to make extra sure that the wig is put onto something that's at least as big as your head before gluing because the glue won't stretch after it's dried. Styro wig heads are smaller than actual people so try something like a volleyball that you know for sure is as big or bigger than your head. A sheet of plastic wrap on the ball will help you remove the wig afterwards because the glue will probably seep through and stick to the ball otherwise. Maybe a friend will volunteer to be your "wig head," and in that case, definitely use a shower cap or something to protect her/his hair from the glue.
Next, detach as many wefts as you want from the blue wig (starting at the bottom), and attach them to the orange wig where you removed the orange wefts. Party wigs usually have their wefts spaced at least one inch apart, but since you're doing a custom job, you should space your rows closer to get a thicker wig. With an entire blue wig at your disposal to populate the lower portion of the orange wig, you should be able to fill in nicely. When you're done & the glue is dry, you might need to trim or use a Sharpie marker to add some blue streaks to the bangs. You won't know until you try it on to see how it looks.
When gluing or sewing, start at the bottom of the wig and work your way up. Use clips or hair scrunchies to keep the rest of the hair out of the way, and allow the glue to dry completely before trying to style the wig or putting it on. Good luck!
Next, detach as many wefts as you want from the blue wig (starting at the bottom), and attach them to the orange wig where you removed the orange wefts. Party wigs usually have their wefts spaced at least one inch apart, but since you're doing a custom job, you should space your rows closer to get a thicker wig. With an entire blue wig at your disposal to populate the lower portion of the orange wig, you should be able to fill in nicely. When you're done & the glue is dry, you might need to trim or use a Sharpie marker to add some blue streaks to the bangs. You won't know until you try it on to see how it looks.
When gluing or sewing, start at the bottom of the wig and work your way up. Use clips or hair scrunchies to keep the rest of the hair out of the way, and allow the glue to dry completely before trying to style the wig or putting it on. Good luck!