So you have a great wig to wear. It’s good quality and fits fine but there is something missing. That’s right, it needs styling. Thankfully, these days it is much easier to style your wigs than in the past. Styling wigs can be done in a variety of ways but you want a specific style. You need it to spike up and stand to attention.
Maybe you have already tried spiking a wig and it seems impossible. Don’t worry as we are here to help you. There is no need to worry about tearing your hair sprayed wig apart if you spike it correctly. Whether you are spiking your wig for a costume party or fancy a change of style in your everyday wig, we will take you through the steps below. Follow our handy tips and your wig will be like Sonic the Hedgehog in no time.
Step 1
What You Will Need
Before you start spiking your wig to your heart’s content, there are a few materials that you will need. Of course, firstly, you will need a wig. Got it? Good. Next is a wig head to place the wig on to maneuver the hairpiece easily whilst staying in one place. Pins will be important for this task so you can hold the hair in position when working on another piece of hair. You will also need a hot glue gun, a writing utensil, fabric that matches your wig’s color, craft foam that also matches the hair’s color, hair spray (and lots of it), hair clips, cutting shears, hair wax, tacky glue (again, lots of it), and, of course, a comb.
Once you have all of these materials, you are ready for step 2.
Step 2
Wig Cutting
I hope your wig has a lot of hair on it. If it has, get those shears out and start cutting. That’s right, your beloved wig needs to be cut and cut a lot.
The best type of wig for styling short spikes is a medium length wig. Depending on how long you want the spikes, you will need a longer one. Once you have cut the wig to a preferred length, don’t throw away the discarded pieces of hair. You have to save these pieces and keep them in a plastic bag in an even manner so they’re not all over the place.
Step 3
Building Up the Spikes
Now we’re already on to step 3. In this step, you are going to build up your wig using craft foam. All you have to do is make triangles from paper first and then on to craft foam. Place them on your wig and see how they look. Fabric will be used for your hairline so you should measure your head for this. When you are happy with the shapes and sizes, hot glue the craft foam and fabric on.
Step 4
Placing the Hair
This is the exciting part. This step involves using tacky glue. This is amazing at styling wigs as it holds extremely well and dries clear. Be prepared though. This step requires a lot of patience as you will need to add each piece of hair onto each spike.
Spread the tacky glue onto the craft foam with small dabs on the tips of the hair. Squeeze off any excess glue and smooth out the hair as much as you can.
Next, you will place the hair onto the craft foam spike where the glue was spread and it should stick. Rinse and repeat this for every spike until the craft foam is completely covered by the hair.
Step 5
The Wig
Congratulations! The hardest part is over. Now that every piece is done and in place, pin your spikes onto your desired areas of the wig. Using hair clips, separate as much hair away from the spikes as possible. When you have figured out where the spikes will go, hot glue each one onto the wig.
The next step may be the longest part but it will be worth it when you see the end result.
Step 6
Styling the Wig
This is where it may get a bit tedious for you but don’t worry, you are almost there. Steadily start pulling parts of the wig back to cover any traces of that dastardly craft foam. Do this slowly so you don’t tear any hair or foam parts off. AS this takes quite a long time, make sure you take breaks in between.
Once you have determined all the foam is covered, the fabric that makes up the hairline should be covered in extra hair wefts. The wig will probably need some smoothing out so simply use some hair wax to pat down any stray pieces of hair. To end, hairspray the whole wig to seal the hair in place.
Step 7
You can relax and admire your masterpiece. Your wig is now complete. The spikes should be standing up straight and proud. If they do start to fall over a little, simply add some more glue to the craft foam and hold the hair in place until it refuses to move. With enough glue and care, your spikes should survive a tornado.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Whether your wig is for a fun cosplay party, Halloween, a party, or you just wanted to style your everyday wig a little differently, it should be looking amazing right now.
It doesn’t have to end at spikes. If you feel something is missing, don’t be afraid to add some more hairpieces to the wig. A ponytail extension can look great on a cosplay wig. JUts make sure you have enough hair left over.
We hope this tutorial has helped you in making your ordinary wig into a glorious spiked headpiece. Now there is only one thing left to do. Put on that wig and wear it with absolute pride. And don’t forget to tell people that you were the master behind the design.