Making a hair accessory that can combat the fro

[Mermaid Momo]

Okay so after seeing all my mer friends on facebook with their mer accessories, I felt like I was slacking and that I needed to do some more mer stuff and crafting and what not so I decided to make a hair accessory. I went and bought materials (I'm looking around for greenery now)

(sorry for giant pic. copied from my blog)
I got netting, a bag of variously sized shells, an abalone shell (not polished on outside) and some nautical rope (I have clips laying around from past projects that I'm thinking of using.)

Now the thing that has me stumped is how I'm going to make an accessory that will be able to tame my fro.Usually I have a hair tie like this

Which is pushing my hair back to make that puff. It has to be tied somewhat tight to keep the puff from pushing the tie forward or poofing up and looking really weird. I know if I use a clip like a lot of hair accessories (the ones with a clip on either side) the netting might not be able to hold my hair down and will just pop off, but I don't want to tie the netting on like my band in that pic because I might not be able to untie it after that. I'm trying to figure out a way of making a clip that works like my hair tie to keep my hair looking nice after swims. Any ideas? (I'll post some of my sketches too.)

This is a sketch I did before buying my materials (hence why there's a nautilus shell which I don't have in my possession lol)

[Mermaid Momo]

Ignore the colors on the sketch, I cropped it and those correspond to the tail sketch that's suppose to be above it

[Yulia]

Kinda non-related, but I love your sketch.

[XMermaidMarinaX]

Awesome idea!

[Mermaid Enora]

if you want to tie it mostly the same way, mark where the knot/bow begins on the headband/scarf and then decorate the parts that will show. You would probably need to decorate it on a mannequin of the same size as your head to get it just right.
Otherwise, do elastic hair bands work for you?

[Seraphina Suds]

I am so excited to see this progress!!

[Prince Calypso]

Oh that is gonna come out beautifully!
I cant wait to see it

[Mermaid Momo]

Kinda non-related, but I love your sketch.

Thanks!

if you want to tie it mostly the same way, mark where the knot/bow begins on the headband/scarf and then decorate the parts that will show. You would probably need to decorate it on a mannequin of the same size as your head to get it just right.
Otherwise, do elastic hair bands work for you?

Yeah, elastic bands work, but I have to use gel to keep the front part down and looking sleek if you know what I mean, rather than frizzy and puffy, and I usually have to double it which makes it really tight

I was thinking about using the rope for the part I'd tie and sandwich the netting between two pieces of rope

[malinghi]

Kinda non-related, but I love your sketch.

seconded.

[Mermaid Momo]

seconded.

Thanks!

[Imogen Finnly]

Wow! Your sketches! And your hair ! I luuuv eeett!
What about using a "base" so you get the puff you want than just adhering the rope and what not around it to cover it up?

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Enora]

What about using the two rope pieces with the netting for only the top half of the headband and then attaching rubbery elastic to the bottom half ie the part that goes by the back of your neck
ive had better luck with rubbery elastic bands holding my hair better than cloth covered headbands

[Mermaid Momo]

What about using the two rope pieces with the netting for only the top half of the headband and then attaching rubbery elastic to the bottom half ie the part that goes by the back of your neck
ive had better luck with rubbery elastic bands holding my hair better than cloth covered headbands

That's a good idea! and I can make the shell and greenery a separate clip that'll go on top! the clips will give the top more hold too! But how would I connect the elastic to the rope? where it'll have a super strong hold together and not snap when I stretch it?

[Mermaid Enora]

Knot the rope to form a circle and then lay the rope out to a flat two rope line then loop the elastic over the rope and sew it to itself with upolstry thread and then seal with e6000 glue do it on both sides
thats what I do with anything that needs a tight hold
it you can't find the right color elastic sharpie in brown or black works great

hope this makes sense

[QueenZero]

I'm sorry, I really don't have any helpful advice. I just wanted to say that your hair is fab and I love your concept; I think it'll look really pretty when you're done. Good luck!

[Dreadful Mermaids]

Momo, I fully understand the hair thing. I hate my hair. I have an idea. You remember those headbands from back in the day that stretched like accordian style with the teeth all around it? I'll try and find a pic. .. 1 sec,


or this


Or maybe this style, it's more like a wire headband with teeth too


Similar concept but plastic


Have a go with those and try attaching your pieces to those. With our hair type it's harder. I have not tried making accessories yet but when I do, I figured these were my go to bands I would need to hold my hair down and keep it down.

Hope those help

~Mermaids blessings~

[mermaidopal]

I too have no helpful advice, but I love your hair (you're so gorgeous!) and your art (seriously, I want to buy prints) and your concept! I love the idea of a mermaid with a fro and I think the hairpiece will come out splendidly!

[QueenZero]

^^^ Everything Opal said. You should sell prints!

[Mermaid Momo]

Thanks everyone! I actually did sell prints once upon a time but I never restocked after I sold out (they sold out in one day at an event I went to and I never restocked or made new ones ever again lol)
An Update on the hair accessory: I still haven't started on it because I've been swamped with school and I've been sleeping a lot lol. (I also want to figure out how to polish my abalone)

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Beautiful work, really. Good luck. Have really curly hair, myself, though not a fro. Definitely find this thread interesting. Also, make sure that the hair piece has some stretch to it, because your hair will expand a little in the water. As for the netting, try some hair nets, maybe. Even on my co-worker's fro-est days, the hair net stays on. They're kinda fragile, but it MIGHT work.