MeltingMirror Cosplay

  • Home
  • Costumes
  • Upcoming
  • CosBlog
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • Costumes
  • Upcoming
  • CosBlog
  • Contact Me

Curly Up-do Wig Tutorial (Kida)

25/10/2016

1 Comment

 
PicturePhoto by Lichon Photogrpahy
​I’m a big fan of being able to re-use my wigs as often as possible so when I took on Kida (Hannah Alexander Vers.) I didn’t want to modify it too much. Also, I wanted the wig to remain full since reducing the fibers in light coloured wigs increases the chance of seeing through the wefts to the hair underneath. Finally, Kida normally has waist length hair so it makes sense that it’s pinned up for this hairstyle. In the end, I found a way to easily turn a long curly wig into a styled curly up-do.

Materials:
Wig head
Wig stand
Needle and thread to match the wig color
Scissors (for cutting the thread)
Sewing pins (To secure wig to foamhead)
A wig with ringlet curls - I used a Victoria provided by Arda 

​
Using a Victoria or similar will save you a lot of trouble since the top half of the wig is already styled and you will only have to worry about the long strands of the wig. 
​
Setup: Secure your wig stand and install the wig head, then place the wig on top, pinning it in place with the sewing pins. Section off any hair that you do not want included in the up-do. In my case, Kida has long straight strands framing her face, so I kept some curls aside.

Picture
Strategy: ​Pick a side to start, I worked from left to right, then find the top ringlet curl of that side. It is easiest to work your way from the top down as to not get tangled in the other curls while styling the wig. At this point you need to decide on where you want to stitch your curls in relation to the placement of the vertical lace strips. The lace serves as a stable sewing base. Since the Victoria wig has a lot of curls at the top, I started sewing the curls about half-way down the cap.

Sewing the Curls: Prep your needle and thread, tie a good thick knot and start stitching from the vertical lace strips. Once you have anchored your stitch, gather your curl and pass your needle through it (See photo below on the left). Once you have passed through all the rings of the curl you can lift it up and stitch it down to the lace strip. I do at least two stitches per curl to secure it down. Continue stitching curls along the length of the lace strip until you have sewn all the curls. Be sure to secure your stitches when you finish or run out of thread. Then move onto the next lace strip until you are done.

Picture
Stitching through the curls
Picture
Half of the wig styled
Finishing: Set the wig with a light coat of Got2Be Freezing Spray to reduce the number of flyaways. When wearing the wig, use a few bobby pins to keep it in place. If you ever want to return the wig to its original state simply remove the stitches and shake out the curls. 

To complete the look for Kida, I carefully attached some orange rhinestones using Gemtac.
Picture
Completed up-do
Picture
Complete with straightened sides ans rhinestones

Voilà!

Picture
Photo by Thislte Photography
1 Comment
Designer Tresses link
16/1/2025 08:23:48 pm

This tutorial is amazing! I love how detailed and easy-to-follow your steps are for creating the curly up-do wig style—it’s perfect for capturing Kida’s iconic look. Your tips on styling and securing the wig are so helpful, especially for cosplayers who want their wigs to stay flawless during events. Do you have any recommendations for maintaining the curls after multiple uses? Thank you for sharing such a creative and practical guide—it’s a must-read for cosplay enthusiasts!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    MeltingMirror's Cosplay Blog

    Learn more about my experiences in the cosplay world, from conventions to photoshoots and everything in between.

    RSS Feed

      Suggestion Box

    Submit

    Categories

    All
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2022
    2023
    Aion
    Anime
    Anime Convention
    Anime North
    Artist Alley
    Awards
    Book
    Colossalcon
    Comiccon
    Commission
    Conbravo
    Convention
    Cosplay
    Cosplay History
    Cosplay Trip
    CostumeCon
    Crunchyroll
    Dance
    Dragoncon
    Exhibit
    Fanexpo
    Fashion
    G Anime
    Guest
    Judging
    Katsucon
    Lifestyle
    Makeup
    Masquerade
    Montreal
    Nadeshicon
    Nycc
    Original Design
    Otakon
    Otakuthon
    Ottawa
    Panels
    Photoshoot
    Popexpo
    Prints
    Props
    Retrospective
    Review
    Social Media
    Travel
    Troubleshoot
    Tutorial
    Wigs
    World Cosplay Summit
    Yeticon
    Youmacon

© MeltingMirror. All rights reserved
Picture