People used to make Hair Rats from rags or cheap animal fur stuffed with other materials. But these days these materials is not so easy to find. I have prepared much more easier DIY Tutorial on How To Make a Hair Rat. The rolled forms of hair rats are about the size, shape, and color of living rats. (I should also note that people who grew their natural hair long in ancient times frequently had living rats’ nests in their hair because they did not tend to the matted hair, which resulted in rodents taking up residence on one’s head, or so the tale goes.)
Since you have come looking for information on hair rats, here’s how you can make one or more hair rats of your own at home with some pretty common materials. Best of all, these hair rats are machine-washable, so you never have greasy, dirty hair rats in your hair.
How to Make a Hair Rat?
Now you are ready to create your hairstyles with the rat or create an Edwardian or Victorian hairstyle. These periods in history are notorious for high, lofty hair that rolled around multiple rats. Our DIY Tutorial on How To Make a Hair Rat is Finished!
Total Time: 3 minutes
Step #1
Buy nylon socks and stockings. The shorter the nylon sock/stocking, the smaller the hair rat, although you could buy a full-length set of pantyhose, cut the legs off, and cut the legs down to the size of rat you want. Besides, if your hair is dark, choose black or dark brown-colored nylons. If you are blonde to medium red-haired, use a nude or light-colored nylon.
Step #2
Stuff the nylon sock or stocking with cotton batting, cotton balls, or any soft stuffing fiber. Make sure the material you use to stuff the nylon is loose and easily manipulated or squished around.
Step #3
Once you have the nylon stuffed almost to the point of being overstretched, tie off the open end of the sock or stocking. Cut the “tassel” of the nylon off, and your rat is ready. If you stuff an ankle style or “invisible” ankle-less nylon sock, you may need to sew the opening shut instead of tying it off.
Step #4
Shape your nylon rat into an arch or circle, depending on how long the stocking or sock is. Furthermore, if you made a tiny bun-sized rat, try to get it as round and as high in the middle as you can to help push your hair higher.
Step #5
Test the rat by wrapping your hair over, around, or through the rat. You should not see most rats if the nylon is the right color for your hair. Finally, do not stuff it too thick because you have to match the thickness of your hair.
Supply:
- nylon socks and stockins
- cotton batting
- cotton balls
Men Used Hair Rats Too!
Pompadours were popular long before Elvis made them so. In the eighteenth century, men would use rats to create pompadours to frame their faces and push their hair higher. It symbolized wealth and power if you could have high hair and carry it off well. Likewise, they even put rats in their powdered wigs to get the pompadour style they craved!
Ratting Pompadour Braids
Ratting your hair in the ’80s is not distinct to that period. Firstly, using a comb to back-comb one’s hair and tease it to new heights to achieve fullness and volume is as old as time. Secondly, the only difference between the ’80s and the ratting of hair in previous centuries is that they had a lot of hair spray and blow dryers to freeze the ratted-up hair in space. Eventually, such things did not exist in the last centuries, so hair rats were used as supports to achieve “high hair” and keep it high.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy playing around with hair accessories and hairstyles, you should make some hair rats of your own. First, try the hairstyles of a bygone era. Then, ultimately, come up with your hairstyles to express yourself as an individual and creative person.
FAQ’s on How to Make a Hair Rat?
What is a Hair Rat?
Well, it’s a very old means of creating an artificial accessory to support updo hairstyles. It can trace its roots back a few hundred years. Pictures of period hairstyles through each new century depict uses of rats for height and volume of hair.
What Is an Edwardian Hair Rat?
An Edwardian hair rat, or pompadour roll rat, was used to achieve a high hair roll on the top of the head above a bare forehead. They were a single arch made of wire and had two side combs attached to hold them in place while you rolled your hair over the top.
What Is a Victorian Hair Rat?
A Victorian hair rat isn’t that different from an Edwardian hair rat, except that the Victorian one is generally an entire circle that stretches around and back to the nape of one’s neck before folding the hair over the top. Women usually created a bun in the center of the hair gathered over the rat and pinned everything in place.
