HOW TO MAKE AND APPLY CLIP-IN EXTENSIONS

Hi guys,
     Its DIY time again! Since I started my Hair Journey I have avoided sew-in weaves like a plague. One reason is that I just hate having hair butchers stylists pinch and prod my hair with giant needles all in the name of fixing and second is the thought of all the damage said needle would do to my delicate strands. I wore wigs for a long time till I discovered clip-ins. If you have never heard of them, heres what they look like :

So basically, you sew the clips on to the pre-cut wefted extensions and when you are done, you open the clips, attach them to your hair and then snap them close. Cest fini. Its pretty easy. Here's how I make and apply my clip-ins. I used this really pretty synthetic weave from Expression :

N600

Step One:
 Cornrow your hair. You should do this first because you will need to measure the side to side length of the extensions before you cut them.

I did a side part

I braided the ends and tucked them in.

Step two:
Measure the length of each track from side to side starting from the back:  Each track should be meaqsured from the first cornrow on the left to the last on the right i.e. from ear to ear. When you are satisfied with the length move on to the next step.

Step Three:
Once you are satisfied with the length double the weft and cut it. You need to double it because if you use only one weft it will not be full enough. You may then need to make more tracks and use more clips. Most wefts are not thick so I either double it or triple it so I can achieve the fullness I want.

Step Four:
Sew the doubled or tripled wefts  together to form one thick track.

Step five:
Sew the clips on from one end to the other. Depending on the length of the track I use either 3 or 4.

Once you have sewn in the clips you are done with the track. All that's left, is for you to snap each one open and push the tiny combs into your hair and snap them close to attach. I found that my rows are usually too thick for the clips to snap close, so I attach the combs to the topmost strands of my hair on the row. I do not push the comb all the way through to the scalp, I skim the top of the row and pick as much hair as the comb will take and then I snap it close. Its best to attach the track to the hair as soon as you are done making them so you can figure out where you want your next line to be. I usually start from the back and take it line by line till I get to the front.

The front closure:
This bothered me for some time because my hair is natural and most of the extensions I like to use are synthetic so the difference would have been very clear. I tried to make a closure myself but after watching 2 YouTube videos I knew it would take more time than I could spare at the moment so I decided to do something else. After thinking for a while the answer came to me. What I did was:

1. Measure out the track:

2. Cut it , double it and sew it together to form one single track:

3. Fold the track in two and sew the top together tightly:

4. Turn the track inside out and straighten each side so it lays flat:

5. Turn the track and sew the clips facing opposite sides (to get a better grip):

and voila! A full closure:

Here's my final look:

I love how convenient clip-ins are. I made 3 clip-in weaves that I interchange when I want to go into protective styling mode. I don't sleep with them on most times,  as they can be very uncomfortable. I hope you find this tutorial helpful.

Thanks for stopping by friends,
KimB