lining wigs with black caps

Simple Lining for Wigs

Notes: I also have a tutorial for washing wigs and setting loose dye with a vinegar soak. But for some wigs, even that isn't enough to prevent them from staining if they're worn all the time. These marks build up over time and is almost impossible to remove without removing your doll's faceup (even though they usually do not actually "stain" the resin permanently). A Mr. Clean sponge or Volks sponge will remove the marks, but much scrubbing with those ALSO removes coatings and the blushing underneath! If you have your doll in a wig with a black wig cap that you use as a "default wig", or if you have a wig with a dark cap that's styled in such a way you can't wash it, here is another solution.

Click on images to see them larger.

|+| supplies |+|
~ Wig (duh)
~ Needle and thread (black)
~ Scissors or thread snips
~ Thin fabric in a flesh-toned color, strip around 9.5" long by 1-1.5" wide (for SD)
Note on fabric: The material here is a spandex designed for lining swimsuits and dancewear. You don't have to use this, but it is close in tone to normal skin resin, and does not fray at the edges.

Flip your wig inside out. Get your needle ready (thread and tie your know) and line the edge your strip of fabric up with the edge of the wig cap, putting the end of your strip at the center back of the wig. You will notice that the wefts (sewn-together wig fiber sections) of the wig don't go all the way to the edge of the wig cap; there is about a 1/4" gap. This will let us sew to the wig cap without getting tangled in the fibers. Just run a whipstitch (shown) along the edge of the fabric, through the wig cap.

When you get back to the end of your strip, you can fold under the edge and whipstitch the two ends together. If there's a lot of excess fabric, trim it off before you do this. Don't sew the ends to the wig cap; you can just sew them to each other.

Here's the wig right side out again, looking inside. The reason the fabric strip is wider than it really needs to be is that it will protect the majority of your doll's head from staining. I've never had staining from the very top of a wig cap, personally, since most of the contact occurs at the bottom edge. Because the fabric is thin, it shouldn't affect the wig's fit, either.
I hope this will be of use to others.

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	\|+\| supplies \|+\| ~ Wig (duh) ~ Needle and thread (black) ~ Scissors or thread snips ~ Thin fabric in a flesh-toned color, strip around 9.5" long by 1-1.5" wide (for SD) Note on fabric: The material here is a spandex designed for lining swimsuits and dancewear. You don't have to use this, but it is close in tone to normal skin resin, and does not fray at the edges.
	Flip your wig inside out. Get your needle ready (thread and tie your know) and line the edge your strip of fabric up with the edge of the wig cap, putting the end of your strip at the center back of the wig. You will notice that the wefts (sewn-together wig fiber sections) of the wig don't go all the way to the edge of the wig cap; there is about a 1/4" gap. This will let us sew to the wig cap without getting tangled in the fibers. Just run a whipstitch (shown) along the edge of the fabric, through the wig cap.
	When you get back to the end of your strip, you can fold under the edge and whipstitch the two ends together. If there's a lot of excess fabric, trim it off before you do this. Don't sew the ends to the wig cap; you can just sew them to each other.
	Here's the wig right side out again, looking inside. The reason the fabric strip is wider than it really needs to be is that it will protect the majority of your doll's head from staining. I've never had staining from the very top of a wig cap, personally, since most of the contact occurs at the bottom edge. Because the fabric is thin, it shouldn't affect the wig's fit, either. I hope this will be of use to others.