Jan 1, 20172 min read

18th CENTURY HAIR/WIG CAGE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

As a guest lecturer I was asked to teach this workshop for Fareham College Level 3 Production Arts Students. It is very hard to find information on this so I've decided to share the workshop with you... Some of the students used single wire taped and twined together... I have only photographed the sample I made which used chicken wire. The college didn't have any smooth weft hair strips to cover the cage to make it re-usable so I just encorporated the cage within the practice doll's own hair. I call her 'the model' in the instructions...

You'll need:

Either a live model or practice doll head with long hair. You can of course use any long wig (attached to a block) or weft faux hair if you want to create a permanent hair covered wig cage.

Brush/comb.

Hair pins and grips.

Lots of hairspray!

Chicken wire/wire cutters/safety glasses.

Matted faux hair and a stitched line of smooth faux hair (for rolls and extra cage coverage).

Ultra fine hair net (matching hair colour).

Optional extra hair pieces.

Hair coloured or neutral netting.

Large curved needle and strong thread (matching colour).

Decorative hair pieces. Pearls, flowers, jeweled combs, etc.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make your cage. Careful with the edges! Turn them over to avoid sticking in sharply to the head!

2. Cover with large holed netting - taking care to fold over all raw edges. Fold and twist the top like a 'cracker'. Sew to secure edges and top.

3. Brush the model's hair forward from the crown, falling in front of the eyes.

4. Secure the cage to the hair crown with hair pins. For a 'moving' model secure pins into cornrows/plaits/spirals (front/back/sides).

5. Comb up section by section sprayed with hairspray. Hide/smooth all joins. Fix to cage with criss-crossed hair/kirby grips.

6. Add a matching colour faux hair piece (this one is too light but I didn't have a darker sample to use) to cover top if messy or just use several faux hair rolls (see next step no. 7 to make them). You can of course cover with decorative items too which will hide joins/clips.

7. Use two fingers and wrap a flat, matted, hair sprayed, rough, faux hair piece neatly into a tight roll. Fix with two hair grips. Spray again. (Cover with an ultrs fine net if you wish). Cover this with a smooth line of faux hair. Cut enough strip to stick approx 2cm into the end holes. Use the ends of the grips to steady your piece of hair whilst winding it around the matted faux hair roll. Spray. Add grips again for secirity. Do finger pin-curls at the ends and poke into the holes to disguise the matted base roll. Steady with a couple of pins. Spray again. Cover with an ultra fine hair net (cutting off the elastic) and poke into the end holes. Remove the pins unless ultra fine and invisible. I have left my 'rough' matted rolls uncovered on my model (they should obviously be covered). At the join - use two more hair grips along length of the roll to secure the shape.