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FireLilyCosplay — Sharpie Wig Dyeing Tutorial
Published: 2010-03-04 07:24:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 240141; Favourites: 4075; Downloads: 1570
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Description
I know there are a few others out there, but here is my tutorial for Sharpie dyeing a wig! This works best with Kanekalon and other premium synthetic wigs. Eleora and cheaper synthetic wigs may not dye evenly. Make sure to check your wig fiber content before attempting to dye!I've had a lot of practice with this method, and this is the formula that works best for me, so I hope it can help you dye your wig the custom color you are looking for!
Many thanks to my friend Envel who helped me with my first Sharpie dyeing experience. Tutorial and all images therein are Copyright Fire Lily and FireLilyCosplay.com.
EDIT: Since so many people ask this question, I'm addressing it here. "How do I dye a wig black?" Since Black Sharpies are concentrated purple, you will have to use FW Ink, India Ink, or another Artists Ink and follow the FW Ink Dyeing Method: [link]
Another method is to color/sharpie the wig by hand using a black Sharpie. This will give it a slightly purple sheen, but it will come out black.
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Comments: 1392
I was wondering, I plan to dye this greyish white wig of mine a sort of light greenish color ((faded perhaps?)) so do you know how many sharpies I outta use for this? I mean the wig is pretty long too so idk
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I'm not sure how many you would need - it's up to you to experiment 
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Alrighty, I'll try that, thanks~ ouo
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about how many sharpies would I need to dye a wig from blonde to brown?
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Depends on how long the wig is. I'd say 3-5 for a short wig, 6-8 for a medium wig, 8+ for a long wig.
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I have a question~! I tried to make the solution in just a 250 ml of 70% Alcohol. So, it's like not enough to dye my wig. Is it okay to add and mix it with another plain Alcohol just to make sure it is 32 oz?
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Yes, but the solution will be diluted by the addition of more alcohol and you may need more sharpies for a richer/deeper/stronger color. Also, if it's a longer wig, you will need more sharpies just to get enough color onto the wig fibers.
I usually mix 1-2 32oz bottles for wig dyeing (which is about 1000-2000 mL).
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I use 32 oz bottles for a sharpie dye bath. The dye keeps, so I store it for future use if I have any left over (or for touch ups). It's just easier and cheaper to buy the larger bottle rather than several small bottles. One bottle for a short wig, 1-2 for a medium wig, 2-3 for a long wig. The alcohol is just a carrier for the sharpie ink, which is what is coloring your wig. The alcohol keeps the ink fluid until it evaporates and deposits the ink onto the wig fibers.
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Thanks for the fast reply! 
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thank you so much for this tutorial! if i'm just wanting to color the roots of a wig, what would be the best method?
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Okay I have tried dying my wig with sharpie to see if it hopefully will get darker but it doesn't seem to have changed much. (I am using brown) Can I add a bit of black to the mixture (like one black sharpie) so that the brown can be dark brown?
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You can certainly try, but make sure you test a bit of hair before the whole wig - black is generally purple. I'd recommend using India ink or FW ink in black if you can to darken it. Since brown sharpies are red based, they won't really make anything darker, just more reddish brown looking.
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Nice! *will keep this bookmarked for future reference*
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Have you ever had problems with colors bleeding while wearing wigs after you dye them? Like if they had gotten wet, or if you sweated?
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Yes, specifically the red based colors (pink, red, brown). You have to wash it very thoroughly, but there will always be a little residue. Something to consider for white/light costumes.
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Would you happen to know if you can use types of markers other than sharpies? Because the only colours available where I live are typical black, blue, red and green >__<
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Sure! You can use any permanent ink marker, like Copics, Prismacolor, etc. You can also use fabric dye, though you have to follow the fabric dyeing method in the instructions.
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That's good to know, thanks! ^-^
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I'm trying to just dye half of a wig pink for a Monomi cosplay, how would I keep the pink out of the other half of my wig if that's possible?
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Just section it off and cover it in a plastic bag. Dip dye as much of the other half as you can, then use a spray bottle to color the roots.
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Just wondering, if the wig is blonde and you use a pink sharpie do you think it would give the wig a blonde/pink kind of look? That weird color between blonde and pink that no one ever seems to carry.
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Yes. That's what I did for my Lightning wig and it's the perfect dusty pink color.
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How can I make a wig gradient? Can I use this method?
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Yes, but it will be easier to use a spray bottle and spray the gradient in.
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Thank you very much!
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Would I be able to dye a light lavender wig into a sort of, brownish blond?
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I'm not sure? You can make it brown, but I'm not sure about the blonde since you are going from a blue base to a red base.
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Would this work on a bright red wig? I mean to make it a darker brown.
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It may turn out more auburn than a super dark brown. You will have to ass in some black ink to turn it dark. Brown sharpies are more of a rust red color.
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Do you have to let the dye sit so it can concentrate? I need it for a con this coming weekend and I thought it would just be a one day dying process.
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Nope. You can use it right away - if you want a more concentrated color, just use more sharpies.
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Wait, would this work on a pure black wig? Just wondering because it's a part of this one female Eridan cosplay I'm working on
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How are you trying to dye a black wig? Black won't turn any other color. You can sew in wefts of other wig fiber. If you are trying to a dye to black, I'd recommend using India ink or FW ink instead of Sharpies (because it's just concentrated purple).
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what if I use 99% isopropyl alcohol instead?
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I've never used it, so I'm not sure. I would assume it would either evaporate faster or dilute the ink so you may have to use more sharpies, but I couldn't really say.
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I've been looking for a tutorial on how to properly dye my wig for forever! I'm glad I finally found this one that's easy and fairly simple! Not to mention I have rubbing alcohol in every bathroom in my house! Thank you so much for providing this!!!!
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this has probably been asked before but I have a black wig with red streaks, would this method be possible to make the entire wig black?
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Sure! Just make sure you either Sharpie it twice or use FW ink for a true black.
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Yes. Red based colors (red, brown, orange, pink) bleed more than blue based colors, though. You have to wash as much of the excess color out as you can or it will stain.
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Sorry abouyt my english u.u
If does it stain too much D:
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As long as you rinse it out well, it shouldn't stain very much.
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