How to Make a Voodoo Doll Without a Kit

Voodoo dolls have in popular culture been associated with revenge and evil spells to attack people, but in reality these dolls were most often used in magic aimed at healing, finding love, protecting or bringing prosperity. You don't need to purchase a kit to make a voodoo doll, as you can make them with common materials that are easy to find and use. Here is an example of two different forms of voodoo dolls.

Things You'll Need

• Two sticks Moss or stuffing Twine or thread Clay Fabric Needle and thread

Instructions

Traditional New Orleans Style

1. Take two sticks, one about 1/3 shorter than the other, and form a cross with them. Use twine to tie the sticks together where they cross.

2. Wrap the sticks with dried Spanish moss or other dried herbs or grasses. If you prefer, you can just use some pillow stuffing.

3. Starting from the bottom, wrap a strip of fabric around the stick, moving upward. Criss-cross as you get to the horizontal sticks, covering the "arms" with fabric as well. Continue wrapping up to the top to create the "head" of the doll out of fabric. If you prefer, you can fashion a small head out of clay around the top of the stick.

4. Wrap twine or thread around the doll to bind the wrappings. Add details if you like, in the form of feathers or flower petals for decoration, or beads or seeds to create features on the face.

Simple Voodoo Poppet

1. Get a template for a human form, such as for a paper doll, and cut it out. Trace the form onto two square pieces of fabric and cut them out.

2. Lay one fabric doll on top of the other and begin stitching the edges together, going all the way around, except for the top of the head.

3. Turn the form inside-out. Stuff it through the opening in the head with herbs, dried flowers or leaves; Spanish moss; or any type of stuffing you wish. Then sew the head closed.

4. Add details if you wish, such as stitching fabric on it for clothes; sewing beads or bits of yarn to it to create features; or gluing seeds, feathers or flower petals onto it. Decorate it however you would like.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at some pictures of voodoo dolls on the Internet to inspire you in decorating your own voodoo doll.