Still looking for that unique look you can’t buy anywhere? Here’s a fun and easy way to create your own multicolor wig: take two wigs apart and sew them together!
This method is perfect for styles with clearly defined sections in contrasting colors, like Black Jack (black/white) or Yuri on Ice’s Minami Kenjirou (blonde/red). Today, I’m using it to create a black-and-orange Halloween wig – two colors that I love!
You’ll need: two wigs in different colors, sewing thread, sharp scissors and a needle. That’s it!
Step One: Butchering the Base Wigs
Turn both wigs inside out. You can see the wefts (rows of hair) mounted on the undermesh. For my Halloween wig, I want to replace the back / bottom part of my black wig with orange, so I cut the wigs apart crosswise from ear to ear. The undermesh is made of elastic bands, so I simply cut open the elastics. (Lower-quality wigs are sometimes made entirely of mesh material, which is a little more tedious to work with.)
If your cutting line goes across some of the wefts, carefully cut the wefts in two at the seam. Do not cut into the hair! I recommend using a seam ripper or small, sharp scissors to remove the wefts around the cutting line first. Cut into the thread only, the wefts will then come off easily. Removing some of the wefts will make it easier to cut and splice the undermesh without hair getting in your way.
Now you’ve cut your wig in two, set the other half aside (the bottom part that you want to replace with a contrasting color). Don’t throw it out yet – we’ll harvest the wefts later in case we need to thicken up our wig!
Cut the second wig in two, just like the first. To determine where you need to make the cut, place the wigs on top of each other, using the first wig as a model – only be sure to leave a seam allowance this time! Place the cutting line about 2cm / 3/4″ higher than on the first wig, so the two half wigs will overlap when you sew them together later.
Pro Tip: If the wig didn’t fit your head perfectly in the first place, now is a great time to make it smaller or larger!
Step Two: Sewing the Wigs Together
Pin the two half wigs together. Have the elastics overlap by about 1cm. To make sure you don’t change the size of your wig, you may want to try it on (inside-out so you don’t stab yourself with the pins), or put it on a wig head that’s your size.
Sew the elastic bands together by hand, I use a slip-stitch. When you’re done, turn your wig right side out and put it on a wig head.
When you part the hair, you’ll see the seam and a gap where the wig is missing some of its wefts that I removed earlier. We’ll need to re-attach the wefts and maybe sew in some more to close the gap.
Brush and clip the hair out of the way, and pin the first weft to the undermesh (elastic bands). Make sure the undermesh is stretched so you don’t shrink it in the process. I recommend using a wig head that’s your size and pinning the wig to the head along the edges to keep it stretched. When you’ve pinned the weft in place, sew it on by hand – you can use either a curved needle, or take the wig off the head and use a regular sewing needle. Whatever works for you!
Pin and sew in as many wefts as needed. You still have the other halves of the wigs that you can harvest for wefts in both colors. When you think the wig is thick enough, turn it right side out, put it back on the wig head and finish styling it! My short, fluffy bob haircut just needs a little hairspray and it’s ready to go.
Pro Tip: Want to make a wig with contrasting bangs or weird patches of colored hair? Does your wig have a skin top (fake scalp) that you need to cut into? I’ve got this covered in my tutorial for a Minami Kenjirou (Yuri on Ice) wig that I posted on my Facebook!
Or if you just want to add a few colorful streaks to your wig, try this method instead.