So, I want to win the office's costume contest this year, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.

Yeah, wishful thinking.

But no! I CAN save lots of money by making my own costume, being the crafty kind.

It's mainly cardboard and makeup, but I also need a wig. I'll dress as an "arctic witch", so white and strawy was what I was aiming for.

Boy did I deliver.

Here you'll find an easy, although lengthy, way to make yourself a fantasy wig, if you can overcome a little frizzy.

You'll need:

Raffia ribbon, the plastic kind (we call it rafia, but when I googled it, a strawy very organic thing came up and it's more of the material 80's cheerleader pompoms were made of.)
Scissors, of course.
A fishnet stocking, preferably without a leg. I reused one of mine. Fishnet stockings, I mean.
A frame for embroidering or any kind of frame that allow you to "weave".
A pet's wire brush. Preferably without pet hair.

Step 1: Measure Your "hair Strands"

Figure a nice length. Then double it and cut several strands of raffia. And I mean several. For my waist long wig, I used two balls of raffia, the size of a fist.

I get really bored with repetitive tasks, so I cut several strands, and then weaved them. But I strongly suggest you to go step by step, you don't want to be the chaotic mess I am, plus six cats pulling strands in six different directions.

Step 2: Mount Your Stocking

I don't have an embroidering frame, but I found a handy styrofoam half sphere and made it work!

The pattern I followed at first was one strand for every crisscross section, but then I figured out that after brushing it will get fuller, a looser pattern was enough.

Step 3: Weave Da Wig

fold your strands in half and grab 'em by the loopty loop.

If you can't use just your hands, like me, a hairpin is very helpful.

Bring the loop in, then out again just for a couple of inches. Then, insert the tips in the loop and pull. Kinda tight, but not so much since brushing will finish tightening 'em up.

Step 4: Vidal Sassoon, Eat Your Brush!

Why wire? Because you need to break the raffia into finer strands. It's super easy, as long as you're careful not to pull the stocking, Brush vigorously, brushing small sections first, then a final general brush, until you get the desired appearance. This is the less time consuming part, and the most relaxing!

It will get very frizzy, but it will improve after a while. And it will get MESSY. You'll end up with big balls of fake plastic hair, but fear not! The wig wont end up with bald spots. Some hair fall is natural, please notice.

The beauty of plastic raffia is that it comes in a variety of colors, and you can create very crazy wigs.

I loved mine, it turned up exactly what I want. It doesn't look more plastic than the wigs you get at a costume shop, and I spent like two bucks on the raffia. It actually can work for Cousin Itt costume, since you can go as long as you want. Mine was so long and full (even more than expected)!

Voilá! Wig on a budget!!

Please make your own, and show me!!