Step-by-step techniques for getting gorgeous at home.

Clip-in extensions are a great way to add length and thickness to your hair without the commitment of longer-lasting extensions methods. Plus, if they' re well made and installed correctly, they can look amazingly real. Although there are several readymade brands available, I would recommend making your own clip-ins. It's quick, easy, and requires only a few basic supplies and access to a sewing machine. Best of all, you'll get higher-quality extensions that you can customize to your head's measurements.

To begin, you need to purchase some hair. Look for the color and texture that most closely matches your own, in a length that's approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches longer than the length you want to achieve. For clip-ins, it's best to buy hair that's mounted on hand-tied, rather than machine-sewn, wefts (wefts are long strips of hair that resemble grass skirts); chances are, you'll find a better selection on the Internet than you will at a local store. The advantage of hand-tied wefts is that the hair is better quality and doesn't shed.

You can purchase human hair (such as Bohyme or Extensions-Plus) or synthetic hair (such as PlastikHaar, of Switzerland, one of the few synthetic manufacturers that offers hand-tied wefts). If you only want to add fullness, but not length, 2 to 4 ounces of hair should be sufficient. If you're adding both length and thickness, you'll need 6 to 8 ounces of hair. In addition, you'll need toupee clips (available at hairpiece.com or hisandher.com) and upholstery thread in a color that matches your hair (available at sewing stores). I like to sew clips on my wefts about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart, and I make my wefts about 12 inches wide, so four to five clips per weft works great. I wouldn't suggest using less than four clips on a weft that goes around the head’s circumference. Although I've seen premade wefts with only three clips on them, I don’t think that provides enough support.

Once you have your supplies, it's time to get work. Keep in mind that you should never cut hand-tied wefts, since they will unravel; instead of cutting, you'll need to fold them over and/or stagger them to create the widths you need. When preparing to sew your wefts, first figure out how many hand-tied wefts you want to use per track (I usually stagger three to four per track, since I wear a total of 8 ounces of hair, which equals sixteen hand-tied wefts). Lay one weft out on a table, and layer the others over that, staggering or folding them to the desired width. Then, sew the staggered pieces together with your sewing machine using a zigzag stitch and standard sewing thread. Once you've sewed them together, stitch the toupee clips on by hand using the upholstery thread.

Wearing clip-ins is fairly straightforward, but if you have thin or fine hair, you'll need to style your hair a bit to give the clips a sturdy base to hold on to. I like to part the hair, backcomb, and spray over the backcombing with a sticky hair spray like AquaNet before attaching the clips. Once you've installed them, you're good to go. Just remember to remove them at night, since wearing clip-ins while you sleep is not only uncomfortable; it can damage your hair over the long term.

Hairstylist Lisa Wallace, owner of Metamorphosis Hair Design in Shingle Springs, California, is trained in fifteen methods of hair extensions. She has been making custom clip-in extensions for her clients and herself for more than five years.

Photo credit: Paul Butchard

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