I recently traveled to Katsucon, and packing wigs is always a struggle, especially when the wigs have been styled. Last year I took my Catbus wig which has big ears attached, and this year I took my Sakizo wig which has delicate details and hairbuns. So without further ado, here are my tips for packing wigs with things like buns or ears attached to the top.
TL;DR: the secret to keeping wig attachments safe is to place them inside hard cases.
If the wig doesn’t need to be attached to a wig head:
First of all, if it’s a long wig, braid it! It will save you so much tangle and heartache later. Depending on the wig fibers, you may have to straighten it when you unbraid it, but if the wig is wavy then this step works in your favor:D For this particular wig the front fringe was curled, so I curled the fibers and pinned them to the wig with bobby pins. My Sakizo wig didn’t need to be attached to a wig head, so I sandwiched the buns in between two hard square plastic food containers that fit well around the circumference of the buns (see pictures). This way if the wig was pressed into the containers would keep the buns from being crushed. These containers then snuggly fit into a cardboard box. The braids would fit nicely beneath the containers and provide extra padding. If your box doesn’t fit as perfectly as the containers and box I used, you can fill the extra space with bubble wrap, air packets, or packing peanuts (keep in mind that peanuts might cause static).
If the wig needs to be attached to a wig head:
My Catbus wig needed to stay attached to the wig head, so I pinned it on by spreading the prongs of a bobby pin and pushing it through the top of the wig straight into the styrofoam head. I did this in a couple places. Next, place hard plastic cups over the ears. Since the Catbus ears are quite big, the large size soft-drink cups worked well for this wig (sorry I don’t have pictures, look at my silly drawing for reference). Use straight pins (like from the sewing machine) and push them through the rim of the cup and into the styrofoam head. Do this all the way around the rim of the cup. This wig had ringlets, so to travel safely with these, roll them up so they are compact (like compressing a spring or a slinky) and pin them with a bobby pin. If there is too much hair to fit in the bobby pin, bend it into a diamond shape. Insert the hair through the middle, and then squeeze the sides of the bobby pin together to tighten the hole (see my silly drawings). I then placed the whole thing in a cardboard box filled with packing peanuts.
If the entire wig needs to be protected:
Your best bet is to make a wig box if the entire wig needs protection. I’ve never done this, but the idea is to secure the base of the wig head to the bottom of a big box. Then secure the wig to the wig head with bobby pins. It’s optional to add bubble wrap or air packets around the sides of the wig.
Hope this helps, and safe travels<333
Oh, and as a bonus, if you’re flying ask for fragile stickers for your checked baggage. Tell them you’re shipping theater props:D
fuwafuwanwan 