Wigs:
"So Innocent Charity" was Cynthia in her childhood, or rather: someone else's childhood. Cynthia was not mistreated, she was loved to death. Her hair hadn't been cut, it was worn thin from constant play. She needed new hair, so we did an "extreme makeover." MEAURE THE HEAD. Measure the circumferance of the doll's head to determine how many inches. Measure around the head, just above the ears. Wig sizes are determined by inches.
SELECT A WIG. You can buy doll wigs from many sources, including our doll shop. PREPARE THE SCALP. Remove the old doll hair first and clean the scalp. (This is not necessary with the bald Berenguers of course.) First, I shave off the old hair using an electric hair clipper.
It is very important to select a glue that will adhere to vinyl. Because vinyl is oily, there are some things that do not work. Hot glue will come off easily, sometimes within hours. I don't recommend hot glue on vinyl, although it's great for other things. Superglue is not very good for doll projects either and it can damage doll eyes as well as other kinds of plastic so I don't use it.
APPLY THE GLUE. When the "hair" is shaved as short as possible, then I apply glue generously over the dolls' scalp, painting the glue only where the wig will be. The scalp does not need to be scrupulously clean. If there is glue residue from an old wig on the doll's head, the old residue can actually help the new glue by giving it something to grab hold of (rather than a shiny bald surface.) APPLY THE WIG. Turn the wig inside out and tuck all the hair strands inside. I apply glue to the crown of the wig and around the edges but be careful not to get any in the hair. Glue is difficult to get out of doll hair especially after it's dry. Then, position the crown of the wig on the crown of the dolls head (with the cap still inside out), making sure that it is centered properly etc. Gradually unfold the wig down over the head of the doll. Pull it into place and allow to dry. Quickly use a comb and rag or tissues to get rid of any glue that is stuck in the hair strands. If you comb the hair and dab it while the glue is still wet, you won't have trouble with matted hair later. If you need to apply more glue under the edges of the wig to make it more secure, do that last. Then allow the glue to dry for several hours or overnight.
THINNING SHEARS are my favorite for styling doll wigs. This Ginger wig has been thinned using thinning shears, so it looks wispy enough for an infant. I thin the hair by holding the shears in a vertical position (up/down) and I work around all the way 'round the head in sections. I use the wide 28 tooth thinning shears. My thinning shears are so old they are rusty in spots but they still work great. You don't need to buy expensive equipment: cheap shears will do. I comb out the cut hairs as I go so I can see if it's thin enough. Be sure to go cautiously because if you cut too much hair with the thinning shears there is no way to undo it. It's easy to ruin a wig by being too enthusiastic. Be cautious until you are confident about using your thinning shears. I also use a regular hair scissors to trim away stray hairs, but I try to use the thinning shears for the most part, so the infant hair will look wispy and irregular the way baby hair really is. Babies don't have straight blunt bangs for example.
The hair dryer is the only method I've found that takes the "wigginess" out of those Wispy Wigs.
Copyright (c) 2002, 2003 Cynthia Stevens All rights Reserved |
WHAT KIND OF GLUE TO USE? 
STYLE THE HAIR. Most wigs
will require some restyling and
possibly some trimming before they
look nice and natural on the doll. 
TAKE THE "WIGGINESS" OUT OF
WISPY WIGS. I use the Wispy Wigs on my
little 14" Lots to Love dolls. The black 9-10"
partial cap wigs are the right size for the doll
but I have problems with the hair creeping
up so it looks like a beret hat perched on top
of the doll's head. And, the hair is too curly
for an asian. 
