How to Make a Voodoo Doll With Household Items

Voodoo -- or "Vodou" -- has its modern origins on the island of Haiti in the early 19th century.

You can make a powerful tool of sympathetic magic -- the voodoo doll or poppet -- with common household items. Generally, one makes a voodoo doll to affect a specific person, as any action made to the doll also affects its intended target. You might use one of these dolls in a healing ritual to signify the affected area and the healing being brought to it. Think of the intended target and your intent throughout the doll-crafting process. This is thought to imbue the doll with the appropriate energies.

Things You'll Need

• pillow case
• pen or grease pencil
• scissors
• needle
• thread
• herbs (varies by need)
• personal effect
• tailor's pins (optional)

Instructions

1. Draw or obtain a pattern for a simple doll. Many use a "gingerbread man" pattern.

2. Choose an old pillow case or sheet from around the house -- in the color appropriate to your magical need -- to provide the cloth for the doll. For instance, use red for love, pink for romance and green for money needs.

3. Trace the doll pattern onto the cloth using the pencil.

4. Cut out the doll shape using the scissors.

5. Trace the doll pattern onto the cloth again.

6. Cut out the second doll shape.

7. Place the two doll shapes back-to-back with the outside of the fabric facing one another. If you are not accustomed to sewing, you may want to use tailor's pins to hold the edges of the two shapes together while you sew the seam.

8. Sew the edges of the two doll shapes together beginning at one shoulder and working your way around the doll's edges to the other shoulder. Leave the head unseamed for now.

9. Tie off the thread so the seam does not unravel.

10. Turn the doll inside-out so the outside of the fabric faces you.

11. Stuff the doll with herbs that match your magical need. You can use many common household herbs. For instance, basil represents love, wealth, protection and exorcism, while ginger represents power, money, success and love. You can even use salt and pepper. Use salt for purification, healing and protection and pepper for both exorcism and protection.

12. Insert the personal item into the head area of the doll.

13. Sew the head shut and tie the seam off. Your doll is now ready to use in your magical work.

References

• Witches Tutorial: Poppet Construction
• Earth Witchery: Poppet Magick
• Magic Spells and Potions: Magical Properties of Salt Protection Purification Healing
• Earth Witchery: Magickal Uses of Herbs

Resources

• Earth Witchery: Poppet Pattern