Curly Up-do Wig Tutorial (Kida)

Photo 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 

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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. 
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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.

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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.

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Stitching through the curls

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.

Completed up-do

Complete with straightened sides ans rhinestones

Voilà!

Photo by Thislte Photography