O_O wow! This got a Daily Deviation!! Thanks everyone who's faved or commented, and thanks to *Talty for nomating me, you are sweet beyond words, dear!

[edit: Thanks to #FinalFantasy-Cosplay for their journal feature! I hope if you wandered into here through the group that this helps you out.]

Some people wanted to see how I made Shiva's wig, so here it is! I'm not a wig master by any means, so this was a bit of trial and error for me as well. The techniques in here that I used for foam core and wefting are basic techniques that are helpful for most advanced-styled wigs, so don't think they are limited to Shiva.

Some notes on the pouf tutorial:
Only follow the tutorial up to the part where the wire mesh is sewn onto the wig mesh. Do NOT start pulling and pinning up the hair onto the mesh. You don't need to do this because you'll be sewing wefts onto the mesh, which will cover it up.
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NOTES ON THE MATERIALS

[13 packs of Black and Gold Kanekalon braid] - I got mine from I Kick Shins. Be sure to buy the ones labeled "Jumbo Braid" on this page [link] and not the "silky straight" ones, which are more expensive and don't have the right texture for dredlocks.

[1 skein blue yarn] - the cheap stuff from Red Heart works great.

[20 yards gold ribbon] - Thicker metallic ribbons with a grain to them look better for this wig, so avoid satin ribbons, which have too muted a color and texture

[1 spool 12 or 16 gauge jewelry wire] - use jewelry wire, not regular hardware store wire, because it needs to be soft enough to thread and tightly twist without hurting fingers.

[6 small wooden rings / 2 medium-size styrofoam rings] - the size of the rings is really up to you and what your local store has, but the front rings need to be smaller than the back rings, and I could not find any small styrofoam rings, so I went with wood (which are easier to paint too)

[Aqua Net hair spray] - you will use the entire can of this, so get the cheapest hairspray you can find (usually AquaNet)

[Fabric glue or hot glue] - I like Fabri-Tac glue

[Blue thread (regular cotton/poly blend)] - don't use 100% cotton thread as it breaks easier

[Wig head and clamp] - VERY IMPORTANT! You cannot make this wig without a wig head + clamp

[Needles, both straight and curved] - you can find curved needles in any sewing store like JoAnn. They're commonly used for quilting.

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You'll notice in the tutorial that I didn't suggest you stuff the wig head in order to make sure it will be big enough to fit your head when you're done, like most heavily styled wigs. This is because it isn't necessary - the wig is so immensely heavy when it's complete that the wefts, foam, rings, ribbon, etc will drag the entire thing down and make the wig mesh sag, so that it will be too big for any normal sized human head.

To wear the wig, I suggest buying some hair combs like these [link] and sewing 3 or 4 of them to the inside of the wig mesh around the front hairline. Then when are you ready to put the wig on, French braid your hair around the front of your head (like Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi - see this tutorial if you haven't done this before [link]). The wig combs will dig into the braid and prevent the wig from slipping backward.

Painful? Yeah, it is, a bit - but if you're cosplaying Shiva, that's the least of your worries.

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I hope this helped prospective Shiva cosplayers out a bit, and offered the rest of you a look at what has so far been the most intense project of my cosplay life.

Let me know if you spot any typoes or mistakes in the tutorial. Thanks!