How to Make a George Washington Wig

A George Washington wig is simple to make. In George Washington’s day many people shaved their heads and wore wigs powdered to look like white hair. Since the George Washington wig should look like a wig, it is easy to make using polyfill batting. The result will look very similar to the wig actually worn by George Washington.

Cut the brim off of an old baseball cap. Place the cap on a wig base to hold the shape of the head as you work. Cut the bottom off a paper bag leaving the end of the bag about 8 to 10 inches long. Place the long end of the bag toward the neck of the baseball cap. Trim the remaining edges of the bag so that no part hangs over the edges of the baseball cap. Glue the bag to the baseball cap.

Cut a piece of batting large enough to fit over the crown of the cap. Sew the batting to the baseball cap to create a white cap of hair. Leave the back of the batting slightly loose so you can gather it later to make a ponytail. Don’t worry about the back length; you will add an extra piece of batting to make it long enough.

Sew a line of stitches directly in the middle of the bating to make a part in the hair.

Cut ten, 5-inch wide strips of batting to a length of 12 inches. Roll the batting up to create side curls for the wig. Sew five rolls together for each side of the hair. Put the wig on your head and adjust the placement of the rolls with straight pins ensuring that you cover the ears, paper bag and all of the baseball cap. Remove the wig and sew the curls into place.

Turn the wig around to work with the back. Use a small, elastic hair tie to gather the back of the wig together to make a small ponytail. Cut two, 3-inch wide pieces of batting to a length of about 12 inches. Lay the batting pieces over the elastic band and sew in place. Glue the ponytail pieces to the paper bag hanging down the back of the wig.

Tie a wide, black ribbon over the ponytail to complete the back of the wig. While you are working on the ponytail, adjust the back of the wig as needed to ensure complete coverage of the baseball cap and paper.

Add a small piece of batting to the brim of the hat to create bangs. You can make miniature curls, or you can fluff the batting to look like short hair. Just make sure the hair lies flat against the forehead when worn. Sew the bang piece into place.