How to make a beehive?

[DollyKim]

I'm thinking of making an Elvira/Boobarella out of one of the girls, how best to get a beehive on a rooted head? A reversible process would be preferred as my girls like to change their minds.

[tigerbaby]

iirc, back 'in the day' ladies often used detachable 'falls' to manifest the beehive look. I'd recommend making the pouf seperate, then attaching it with a decorative hairband or a strip of hair.

The 'pouf' is achieved with curl, then massive back-combing, with the hair smoothed overtop - I remember as a wee toddler, watching my Mom working on hers at the kitchen table before a 'big occasion', after a night in 'soup-can' hair rollers!
GL, it sounds like a fun project.

[delbelcoure]

OoO! The potential hairstyles between wigs and extra falls is astronomical.
Susan

[DollyKim]

Hmmm, it's the Monster High girl I'm thinking of giving the 'do to. Do people hair products work on Barbie hair?

The idea of a doll fall is intriguing, I have some clip on doll pony tails but nothing substantial enough for what I need, or the right color. Now to ponder how to go about making what I need...

[Eseme]

Someone on the JemCon forums gave Aja a beehive-ish do at one point. I believe they swirled up the hair (rather like a bun for a person but right on top of the doll's head). They tucked under the ends, and then used pins to hold it in place. I think they were sewing pins poked right into her head! I'd be worried about ripping through the vinyl or "green head" (like vintage Barbies getting green ear, the metals in the pins could react to the vinyl).

However, as a person I use hairsticks to hold up my hair, and similar principles could be used on dolls - pins might work very well, so long as they didn't end up embedded in her scalp. I'm assuming the Monster High Doll is Frankie, for the traditional Bride of Frankenstein look?

[DollyKim]

Actually it's the girl from the 2 pack with the guy. The bun idea might work.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

Would this do? Zannah has Saran hair which was easier to work with than the nylon hair gals. I twist the long ponytail somewhat tight and twirl it around the top of her hair and stick some tooth picks in. A hair clip would probably do well to secure it but I don't have one handy



Well yeah. I have short hair myself


Not exactly beehive but braids. Obi-Chun had longer hair back then so I tied the loose ends to another loose braid

[Eseme]

Oh no! Erm, the toothpicks don't need to stick up like that in the back. I think.

I make buns with hairsticks using the methods detailed on this (and other) sites.

http://www.longhairloom.com/howto.html

Click on each style to see the step-by-step photo how-to. The only real issue with dolls is that their hair is inhumanly thick. My hair is "classic length" which is about mid-thigh length. My bun is nowhere near larger than my head.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

Oh no! Erm, the toothpicks don't need to stick up like that in the back. I think.

I figured as much but toothpicks done that way was the only thing I could do in a short time span.

[DollyKim]

I did play with her hair a bit, a little bit of back combing did give some lift. Lightly done with the top layers it works okay and combs out. To get some structure a small bun at the crown of the head with a layer of hair over it worked. Another interesting result came from taking the crown and a little bit from each side, dividing that in half, tying a knot in it and putting a layer of hair over it. A little clip on the knot the same color as the hair holds it in place. You can also make a partial pony tail and carefully lift up the very top layer while the rubber band holds the layers in place.