How to Make a Cat's Wig

Dressing as a cat for masquerades and holidays is a popular choice for both adults and children. However, costume options can be limited by taking the customary ears-on-a-headband approach. Crafting your own wig allows for greater creativity. You can select a look to match your personality or use the musical "Cats" for inspiration. If you have your own pet cat, you can even craft a wig to match your animal. The process is relatively simply and feasible for even novices to complete.

Things You'll Need

  • Pantyhose
  • Sewing machine
  • Yarn
  • Darning needle
  • Felt
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Hot glue gun
  • Feathers
  • Curly doll hair
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Instructions

  1. Yarn Method

    • 1

      Cut a portion of pantyhose from the leg and stretch this over the top of your head where you'll be wearing the wig. Tie a knot at the top of your head to create a good fit. Remove the pantyhose from your head and stitch around the opening of the pantyhose to add support to the segment that will be wrapped around your head. Consider adding a strip of soft cloth to maximize comfort. Alternatively, you may use a swim cap, a knit skull cap or even a mesh produce bag in place of the pantyhose.

    • 2

      Affix the ears. You may fashion these out of felt hot-glued to pipe cleaners for support. Sew them to the top of your wig base or attach them with more hot glue. Doing this before adding yarn will allow for a more natural look because the yarn can now be tamed to fall around the ears more naturally.

    • 3

      Select and adhere the yarn. You may choose a variety of colors and experiment with using them in combination with each other. Fasten the yarn to the base using a darning needle or uncoiled paper clip. Alternatively, knot the tops of the yarn and hot-glue them to your base. Cut and style the yarn to appear shaggy and to frame your face. Finish the look by using face paint to add whiskers to your face.

    Adding to an Existing Wig

    • 4

      Select a bushy wig and matching curly doll hair. Sew the curls to the front of the wig so they look like face-framing bangs and layers.

    • 5

      Sew cat ears to the wig. Ears may be hand-crafted or taken from a traditional cat-ear headband.

    • 6

      Hot glue feathers to the ears to match the hair. The feathers will produce more of a furry look.