Constructing a Wig Box

Materials You'll Need

Turn on your hot glue gun

And put it somewhere safe for it to dribble. Set it to low setting, you won't need it hotter than that. Better to get it all heated up now than getting to the first step of use and realizing you need it.

Finding your base size and making it

Put your wig on a wig head and place it on a piece of cardboard. Use another piece as a straight flat edge to figure out how long and wide you wish to make the base. The ideal measurement is from the furthest back your wig can go without being poked by the sides, and up to the nose/or furthest point for forward portion of the wig. You also want to measure from the sides again to the limits of safety of the wig. The closer you can put it to safely bumped edges the better, since that will give the head little room to wiggle (and save you some materials.) Use the sharpie to mark off the length and width and cut it down.

Optional: If your cardboard seems a little flimsy for the base, cut out another piece the exact size and glue it down. Of all the things you want sturdy, the base is it. Especially for heavier wigs.

Finding your wig tube position

It's time to tackle where you're gonna stick your stick to support the wig. Using your flat edges and the wig, figure out the aprox point of where your tube will go to support the head itself. Then put a sharpie inside the head itself and shift and bounce it around that point while the head is still down. This will give you a marker of exactly where the tube should go.

Make your tube and stick it in

Find your ideal item you could use to make a tube for your box. This could be a rolled up toilet paper roll, another piece of cardboard rolled up thin, anything. You want it to be thick enough to hold the wig head and small enough for the wig head to come flat on the base. If you use duct tape to wrap it tight, surround it with another tape like painters or masking so that it is a bit smoother for your wighead.

With that made, measure the circumference around the bottom of the box on your marker and then stab through the center of that hole. Either by making triangles or using a pair of scissors to twist open that hole, you want it to be as close to the exact size of the tube or tighter. Put the tube through the hole until its flat through the other side and give it a close circle of hot glue on both sides of the box. Once its cooled enough put a sticker of duct tape on the bottom for support.

Optional: Cut the edges to make an octagon

I've found it easier and takes up less materials to make an octagon shape than a perfectly square shape.

Using the same methods of the base, put the pieces up to every edge and find your absolute limit to where a corner could be cut away. Find the smallest one of the four and measure the smallest distance from the corner to that marker. Repeat that mark on every corner and cut them away at that distance.

Trace and make your lid

Place your bottom on another piece of cardboard and trace around it. Then add about 0.25” to each edge of the box and cut away from it. Use arrows on each one to mark which side matches. This will be the top of the box eventually, but for now it's cut.

Measure your box up

To find the height, use either your lid or another piece of cardboard and place it as close as it can go to the top of the wig without messing it up. Try to keep it from touching and either use a ruler or measuring tape to make an approximate height. Every time I've done this I've always had 1-2”+ on it so no worries about it being too short.

Then put your ruler around the edge and take in the total length around the sides. Add about 2-3” and that is how much cardboard you'd need to wrap around.

Cut your cardboard sides and attach

Cut out a piece or several pieces of cardboard to your width/height. In this case it is better to have added pieces to the side than adding it on top, so make sure you can reach the max height and add on the side pieces later with duct tape.

With that done, put the edge of your cardboard to one corner of the box and hot glue one side edge of the base (don't be stingy love the glue) and place it to the edge. Hold it until it has pretty much cooled down. Add glue to the next edge and roll it around the corner until it too is flat to that edge. Repeat this step over and over again until it has reached the other side. Use a marker to mark off the end of the final edge against your excess and cut it away. Seal off the edges with a line of hot glue down the sides and then two extra pieces of duct tape to cover up the holes. For added support you can duct tape the bottom edge of the box as well.

Double check the sizing

Put your wig in your wig box and see how much extra room you have on top. Using another piece of straight something mark off that limit from the inside and measure that from the edge. Pull out the wig and cut away that extra lid.

Also put the top of your box on top of the lid matching your marks. Chances are; it's not the exact size anymore (even more chances says it's no longer shapely either). Simply trace the top of the box against your lid again, and cut away the excess to as close as the line as possible.

Making your lid

Either using fresh cardboard or the excess from the top of the box, cut your initial length at about 1” heigh for the edge of your lid. Use the exact same methods you did for the edges of the box on the lid with the hot glue. Add extra hot glue to the inside seam of the box and lengths of duct tape to the outside for support. Put it on the top of your box and see if it fits!

Optional: Add fabric to your sides

Take a length of excess fabric to the same length as your cardboard edges and maybe 2”+ high from the height. Add hot glue line to one edge and glue your box down on the fabric straight. Then add hot glue to every panel and roll it around until you've reached the end. Use the hot glue if you wish to make a more clean seam by folding it in half and then gluing it down to the opposing side.

Optional: Add fabric to your lid

Much like the sides, put your lid to your fabric and cut at least 2-3” from the edges. Hot glue the top and place it down on your fabric. Once that's about cool, give a test wrap of the longer edges around and cut away further if you're comfortable with it. Be sure that it at least wraps around the edge fully. Then like the top glue down the longer edges first, and then the smaller.

Optional: Make velcro attachments to hold lid down

I don't like the idea of my wig somehow escaping if the lid comes off, and especially if the lid is just a little bigger than my edges. Make some extra fabric swatches that are about an inch thick and long enough to hold to the edge of the box and loop over. Glue the swatches down. Cut small pieces of velcro with the loops on the top and the hooks on the swatches, then glue these down as well. TO make sure they're the right length glue the hooks first, pull them up over the lid, and then pull it back just enough to see the velcro and glue in the spot right in front of it.

Optional: Make a carrying string

To make ease of travel by putting a carrying string, measure out two lengths of yarn or string or whichever is studier to hold your heavy wig and place it at two edges of your box. Use the smaller edges instead of the larger for placement, and make an estimate by leaving the string on the inside of the box, twisting it up towards the middle, and back. After you cut your two, glue them down to the inside of each panel and cover them up with duct tape to seal it in.

You're done!

Wow lookit how nice that is. Your box is protected, easier to store anywhere, and generally unce unce to look at. Think of how much easier it will be to bring those to cons now!

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