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Tribal Hair Extensions
Accessory pieces can be quite expensive. Tribal jewelry can
be pricy and challenging to locate. Costume pieces take time
and require fabric and trim. Tribal hair extensions can be an
easy, inexpensive and quick decorative accessory to add movement,
flash and color to your costume. Here is a sample project made
by my client Peggy to accentuate her SCA ensemble.
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The first and most important supply needed is a long hair
fall. There are many beauty supply stores that carry loose hair
used for weaves and extensions. This hair is very inexpensive
- the fall to the left only cost $1.25. Check at your local beauty
supply store and be prepared to buy multiple shades to mix a
close match to your hair color.
Other items needed are rubber bands, a comb, a selection of
embroidery floss and broken tribal jewelry pieces, beads and
other 'stuff' to hang from the hair extensions.
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Bring all the embellishments together in one place. Hair extensions
can be a work-in-progress with decorative elements added over
time. Peggy's hair will be embellished with some of the items
to the left. As time goes by, she will add more jewelry pieces
to increase the sparkle and shine of her hair extensions.
If you don't have lots of cash, you can take a trip to your
local thrift stores and see what kinds of jewelry they have.
Even contemporary pieces can be harvested for chain, drops, beads,
pearls and other elements for this project. The total cost of
the tow braids was less than five dollars.
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Use a rubber band at the top of the hair. Attach the hair
to a heavy object, such as a chair or door. This will leave your
hands free to braid, wrap and embellish the hair.
Peggy found it easier to braid the entire length, before wrapping
the braid with multiple colors of embroidery floss.
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Once you have your braid prepared, wrap it firmly with the
embroidery floss. As you wrap, make sure to keep the threads
even and smooth by controlling the amount of tension.
Thread your embellishments onto the embroidery floss and continue
to wrap. Tie the ends off firmly, knot and clip. Peggy layered
her thread colors as she worked creating color combinations that
harmonize with her ensemble.
Tip from Peggy: Make sure you firmly wrap heavy tribal pieces
several times for security.
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Peggy uses corsage pins to attach her braids to her
turban base. Your braids can be long or short, thick and chunky
or long and elegant. Braids can accentuate a number of different
costume styles, from tribal to historical recreations and a wide
variety of folkloric styles.
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