How to Make Sacred Dolls
A sacred doll is a figure made for a sacred tradition, such as Native American, Pagan or Voodoo rituals. This type of craft goes back thousands of years; archeologists have found these dolls in burial sites and in homes. You can make your own sacred doll for your personal tradition, in a few different ways. You can use things found around your home, such as plastic wrap, cloth and glue.
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic wrap
- Scissors
- Cloth strips (2 inches wide and 2 to 3 feet long)
- Sewing needle
- Thread
- Decorations (buttons, ribbons, cloth scraps)
- Two sticks
- Spanish moss
- String
- Glue
- Seven pins (yellow, white, red, purple, green, blue and black)
- 10 to 12 corn husks
- Large bowl
- Water
Instructions
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1
For a Pagan poppet, measure off a piece of plastic wrap about a foot long. Fold it into a rectangle about an inch wide. Measure off another foot-long piece of plastic wrap and fold it the same way, then fold the first piece over the second to create a capital "T." Crumple a smaller piece into a ball. Cut off another piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a strip. Wrap the strip around the head and body, tying the head in place. Create another strip, and start wrapping it around the body to hold the arms in place and create legs. Wrap more plastic wrap around parts of the body to define the limbs. Trim the plastic wrap on the hands and feet to complete the doll.
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2
For a New Orleans voodoo doll, tie two sticks in a cross shape with the string. Wrap the vertical stick with one continuous piece of moss. Wrap the fabric strips around the moss and sticks, covering all except for the head, hands and feet area. Tuck or sew the ends in. Make a face with the decorations, and decorate the rest of the body. Push the seven pins into the doll to finish.
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3
For a Native American corn husk doll, soak the husks until they are soft and pliable. Use a small piece to make a lump. Layer two of the husks on top of each other, then fold them vertically over the lump and a third husk to create the "T" shape. Tie the head off with string. Divide the lower part into legs and tie them off. Separate each end of the third husk and braid them into arms.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the Native American corn husk dolls with children, and teach them about the dolls' origins in the Northeastern United States.
Some may be uncomfortable with making these dolls, especially voodoo dolls. Just remember that each doll is meant to be sacred; they're a physical representation of a spiritual focus, just like religious statues or prayer beads.
