Doll Wigging - Part I

Types of Fiber

The most amazing thing about BJD are all the customizing opportunities avaliable for your doll. This post is going to talk about doll wigging and some of the different types of material that you can use to make wigs for dolls. You can use almost any fibrous material to make tiny wigs out of. I have made wigs out of yarn, fur, hair, and fabric. This is the first part of a suite on wigging with organics (Mohair, Alpaca, & Human hair) and organic synthetics (Ramie, Bamboo, Hemp, & Soy).

Organics
Organic fibers are amazing because you can treat them like real hair. They can be dyed, conditioned, teased and heat treated to produce amazing results. There are many types of organic fiber that are suitable for doll wigging. Mohair, Yak, Alpaca, and human hair are some of the easier ones to get a hold of.

Mohair

I adore mohair wigs, the very first wig I had commissioned was mohair on the pelt and I was very impressed with how soft and malleable it was compared to rayon fiber wigs. To find this fiber you can usually search 'Tibetan pelt' (on the pelt) or 'mohair locks' (off the pelt). Tibetian mohair is a really easy way to make a natural, full, curly or wavy wig. It is coarser in texture than alpaca so it holds shape beautifully. On the pelt, like a scalp, you can move the hair in any direction like you would with your own hair.

Mohair comes in a lot of beautiful natural tones but you can find it dyed in a rainbow of amazing colors. As it is on the pelt it is definitely not an animal friendly option, but if that doesn't matter to you it is certainly less involved than working with locks and glue. Mohair locks are exactly the same but they have been sheared off of the animal so you will have to use a headcap and glue method, or create wefts from the fiber to create your wig.

Depending on the size of the pelt and length of the locks, Tibetan mohair can run from a couple of dollars for a pukifee/LY wig to $50+ for a really long and large SD wig.


LaFiabaRussa
MohairWig
Morezmore


Alpaca

 

Ooh, alpaca wigs are all the rage right now in the BJD community. I had seen alpaca wigs before but the cost was very prohibitive to have one made. A while ago I saw Andreja so kindly showing off her handmade alpaca wigs for her minifee and posting links with info about learning the process. I admire Andreja's work a lot, and although I may never have her faceup skills, I knew making a wig like hers was something I could do. I did some research about alpaca and bought some cheap fiber to practice with and I was hooked.

Alpaca is a very soft, flowing fiber, it mimics human hair beautifully. It comes in locks, or you can buy some washed and straightened. If you go the locks route it is a lot cheaper but you will have to comb out the locks before you can use them. I like to flat iron them straight as well before I make the wig. Like mohair it comes in a wide array of natural colors and you can find it dyed or dye it yourself.

NewmoorBarn
AlpacaMeadows
Andreja's DeviantArt
RebornDollHair
Strings & Things

Human hair

I haven't used human hair yet but I've seen some amazing results for BJD and Blythe hair options. You can get it easily on etsy and ebay and of course use all of the products that you would use for yourself to treat the hair. If you have long hair then you have a 'free' option as well ;)


Organic Synthetics
Although I love organic fiber wigs the cost of materials makes it less appealing for wig experimentation. I certainly didn't want to waste money trying different styles or dye jobs. As a person who has dabbled in spinning I knew there were other fibers out there that could be suitable for wigging. It is amazing how fine manufacturing can get synthetic fiber. Hemp, Ramie (China grass), Bamboo, and other plants have been used to make clothes and utensils for thousands of years and is still being used that way today. Now you can find them in an extremely processed form with the same look but for a fraction of the cost of alpaca fiber ($1-3 per oz.). The only downside about synthetics is that the length of the fiber is limited by how long the plant is. It is best to buy all of these fibers as 'tops' (in a cinnamon roll like form). In theory I think you can use 'batts' as well, don't get a 'rolag'. To make a wig with these fibers you will have to create wefts or use a glue method.

Ramie

Ramie - A superfine fiber that has a longer staple length (6-7 inches). It is so soft and has a lovely sheen to it. It comes in a wide array of colors but is harder to find for sale. Heat resistant (this fiber is not going to hold curls well).

Bamboo  - A very fine fiber with a staple length of 5-6 inches. It is not as fine as ramie but is still extremely soft. You can easily find it for sale and in a large range of colors.

Soy -  A fine fiber with a staple length of 5-6 inches. It is not as fine as ramie but is still extremely soft. You can easily find it for sale but usually only in a light blonde color.


Hemp - This is a coarser fiber with a short (3-4 inch) staple length. A matt finish with little sheen. I would recommend this only for yosd or smaller sized dolls.

Hemp

OpulentFibers
WCMercantile
Myfelting
Manufactura