There are different methods to make wigs. This blog post will go in on how to make a wig by explaining four methods. You can basically make a wig by using the ventilating method, the sewing machine method, the method to sew a wig by hand, and the hot glue gun method.
How to make a wig: the ventilating method
The ventilating method is a technique used to tie individual (or more) hair strands on a piece of lace. This piece of lace has grids (tiny holes) and the hair strands are tied onto these grids. Tying hair strands onto the lace material creates knots, these knots are visible as tiny dots. A finished lace hairpiece or lace wig will have a lot of (black) knots/dots on the inside. The color of these knots depends on the color of the hair that is used to ventilate, you’ll usually see black knots.
As far as I know, this method is done by hand. The ventilating method is used to make hairpieces, like closures, frontals, toppers, toupes, and other hairpieces I don’t even know exist.
This method is also used to make full lace wigs. Full lace wigs make the base (roots) of the wig appear like a scalp. With full lace wigs, you can create unlimited parting sections in comparison to lace closure or frontal pieces.
I will explain this in another blog post in the future. The ventilating method is definitely not a beginner-friendly method to start making a wig.
Why? Because it requires experience to tie the knots. You don’t want to tie large knots because they will be directly visible and the one thing you don’t want is for people to see that you’re wearing a wig. You have to tie the hair strands in a specific way, to make the hair on the hairpieces or wigs fall in a natural way. Just like the way your own natural hair would fall.
This method also requires patience. You have to be very patient to get to the ‘bigger picture, the end result. If you’re interested to see how the ventilating method is done you can type in ‘ ventilating wig’ on google and youtube.
How to make a wig: the sewing machine method
The sewing machine method is another way to make your wigs on a sewing machine. It has a difficult learning curve in the beginning. It takes time (trial and error) to learn this method and its techniques. But once you know how to apply the sewing machine technique you will have your wig ready in 30 to 45 minutes.
I personally don’t consider this technique beginner-friendly, I also would not recommend this method if you’re just making a wig every now and then for personal use.
Why? Because besides investing in a heavy-duty sewing machine you have to learn how to use a sewing machine and how to take care of it. You have to learn to stitch and how to lock a stitch. If you don’t lock the stitch it will come off in a domino effect and you have to start over again.
When it comes to the sewing machine method you’ll have to learn the right settings. Then comes track placement. The cap can shrink or lose its elasticity If you don’t place the tracks properly.
Measurements are also important. People have different head sizes and you have to learn how to transfer these sizes to make the wig fit.
You can watch YouTube videos to learn how to use a sewing machine and what techniques to use to make wigs.
The sewing machine method is good for hair businesses. This method makes it possible to make wigs in bulk for customers. It also gives the outcome of the wigs a professional look.
Tip
I would recommend you invest in courses or classes when you run a wig business, so you can learn everything when it comes to making wigs on a sewing machine. You’ll definitely get your return on investment, especially when you deliver good work and services. Don’t be afraid to invest in your business.
The method to stitch a wig by hand
The method to stitch a wig by hand is a more accessible method. This method is easy to learn, even if you’re an inexperienced wig maker. It gives room for errors and you can always go back and correct whatever area needs to be corrected.
This is my favorite method, I use this method especially when I have expensive good quality hair that I want to re-use over time. I don’t like to cut the tracks of my expensive good quality hair bundles and doing this method makes it possible to fold the tracks over, instead of cutting the tracks.
The fold-over method is used to fold the tracks over instead of cutting each track to start sewing a new row of hair.
Cutting the tracks of the hair bundles increases shedding. The more shedding the thinner your wig gets. Too much shedding also decreases the chance to re-use the hair over time.
Over time the cap of the wig gets torn and worn out Sometimes it gets holes here and there and It just needs a replacement. That’s when I go back and remove the bundles from the old wig cap and sew them down on a new wig cap. Also when you have good quality hair bundles the only thing you need to replace over time is the closure or frontal.
Making a wig by hand is time-consuming. It takes a lot longer than using the sewing machine method. You will have to be patient to see the end results. On the other hand, the more you use this method the faster you’ll learn to develop your sewing skills and you’ll be able to finish sewing your wig in a matter of time.
I would also recommend this method to make wigs for customers and even more for personal use.
The hot glue gun method
The hot glue gun method or the glue method is the most beginner-friendly method out of all the methods I’ve mentioned above. Read more about it here
A newbie wigmaker? Try this method.
No time to lose to sew a wig by hand? Try this method.
Why? Your wig will be ready in no time, I mean a maximum of one hour, maybe two…? That’s fast!
But…
There are some cons to this method.
Using glue takes away from the elasticity of the wig cap. There is a chance that your wig might come out too small because the hot glue shrinks the wig cap when it dries down.
Also, the tracks come off easily and this depends on the quality of the glue. When you wash your wig with hot water or when you use a blowdryer on hot air to dry down the wig, the tracks that are glued down might come off. This is quite annoying when you finish styling the hair and notice some tracks coming off.
And worst-case scenario you didn’t even notice the track coming off until you’re out the door. Imagine walking like that outside not even noticing but everyone that passes you sees it….ulgg embarrassing!
There’s also a chance that you wouldn’t be able to re-use the hair because using glue is just too messy. Sometimes the glue might come off of the tracks easily but the glue can sometimes soak into the track and just looks nasty. All of this depends on the quality of the glue you use of course.
It is also possible to do the fold-over method using glue, but be cautious when doing so because the wig can easily get bumpy and bulky. I personally cut the tracks, I don’t think twice about doing that because I always use cheap non-Remy hair bundles when I use this method. I would recommend using this method on cheap low-quality hair too, but the choice is always yours to make.
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