Nothing is more frustrating than trying to figure out how to reset your antique doll's wig, whether it is human hair or mohair.  Frequently, the original set of your antique French or German bebe's wig was those wonderful "sausage" curls!

It is very easy to recreate that "sausage" curl style, even if you are a fumble-fingers like me!

Human hair and mohair wigs alike can be curled with a curling iron (low heat for mohair) if the look you are trying to achieve is one of loose curls or waves.  For sausage curls, all you need is a little patience, a plant mister, and some flexible rod hair rollers.

 I have seen these marvelous, inexpensive rods in a variety of sizes ranging from 1/4" in diameter to 1-1/2" in diameter.  They are made of a firm, smooth foam padding over a flexible wire, and have an end cap on each end.  Flexi-rods usually come six to a pack and they can be found in most beauty supply stores, and possibly on eBay.

Recreating the look of sausage curls is fun and rewarding!

Your antique bebe's wig can be styled while on her head, but please protect the clothing with plastic wrap or some other covering.  Start with dry human hair or mohair, and gently spread & smooth the section of hair with your fingers.  If you must comb the hair, be very gentle and hold the hair tightly between the fingers of one hand near the cap while combing the hair below your fingers to prevent the hair from pulling out.  Lightly mist the hair with water so that it is slightly damp.  Do not saturate!  Determine how high you want the curls to sit,  then wind the hair evenly around the rod in a downward motion. (For this 19", doll I started winding the hair about 2" down from the center part of the crown.)  Bend either end of the rod toward the center to secure the hair; repeat for each curl.  The mohair curls are usually set after 24 hours, unless the hair was very damp. I have found that human hair usually takes a bit longer to dry, sometimes up to 72 hours.

When the curls are thoroughly dry, straighten each end of the flexi-rods and remove the rollers by either gently unrolling the hair from the rods, or by slipping the hair from the roller.  The flexi-rods have a smooth surface and they can easily slide out of the curl.

 If the hair has been wound too tightly for the rods to slip out, simply turn the rod in the opposite direction from which the hair was curled.  This will loosen the curl sufficiently so that the rod will slip out. 

I don't like curls that are too thick, and at times I do not have enough rods, so I usually separate one curl into two to provide the affect seen above. 

I am sure there are many methods that can be used to curl your antique bebe wigs, but I have found this method to be easy for me as well as effective, and it provides attractive results!