How to Make a Voodoo Doll - New Orleans Style

Introduction

Making Voodoo dolls can be a lot of fun. It is an activity that elicits laughter and is food for potentially therapeutic conversation among family and friends. Invariably, the stereotypical reasons as to why people make Voodoo dolls comes up, and you have an opportunity to discuss how you want to win the lottery, who you are in love with, and who deserves a good hexing. What a great forum for a self-help group! This how-to tutorial will explain how to make your very own Voodoo doll based on the traditional New Orleans folk art style. Keep in mind that there are as many ways of making Voodoo dolls as are people making them! Nonetheless, here are a few basic guidelines to get you started.

By: Denise Alvarado

Length: 4:43

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

Be creative! There is no end to where you can go with this tutorial.
You are limited only by your imagination.
Voodoo dolls are an icon for controversy. Before passing judgment, please learn the facts: Voodoo dolls and fetishes of all kinds date back to ancient Greece; Voodoo dolls are used as focusing tools in ritual and meditation; Voodoo dolls are a very small part of the Voodoo religion; Voodoo dolls were a coping mechanism utilized by slaves who sought empowerment and control over their dehumanizing conditions; the negative stereotype about Voodoo dolls can be attributed to the process of colonization which resulted in the oppression and discrimination against indigenous peoples, their cultures, and religions. These stereotypes persist today through general ignorance, Hollywood, and the media.
These instructions are not in any way intended to encourage the use of Voodoo dolls in a negative fashion, or in any way to cause ill-harm to fall upon anyone. To do so subjects you to karmic forces of your own making. and I ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ILLNESS, UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, DEPRESSION, CONFUSION, BAD LUCK, OR DEATH THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF ANY ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAKING OR USE OF YOUR VOODOO DOLL.

Step1

Materials for Making a Voodoo Doll Gather your materials. Make a cross shape with your two sticks and tie them together with your string. I prefer hemp cord or waxed thread as opposed to regular string as they tend to be stronger.

Step2

Voodoo Doll Made with Spanish Moss Take the Spanish moss and wrap it around the sticks, starting at the middle for reinforcement, and going up around the head, down to one arm, back across to the other arm, back to the middle, and down to the bottom. If possible, use moss that is connected together in a big enough piece to cover the sticks without breaking it apart. The idea is to wrap the doll in one continuous motion. If you break the moss apart and have to use more than one continuous piece, that is okay. However, you may have to wrap string around the moss to keep it from falling off.

Step3

Basic Voodoo Doll Take your fabric strips and wrap around the moss. Make sure to leave some of the moss showing, such as on the head (for hair), at the ends of the arms, and at the bottom. Secure with tacky glue. You may want to reinforce with a couple of stitches with your needle and thread. Now you can add contrasting fabric, yarn, or other embellishments.

Step4

Voodoo Doll Face Make a face. Take your beads and attach them with the needle and thread for eyes, or glue 2 black eyed peas to the face for eyes. Add a button or bead for the mouth. Stick some feathers into the top of the head, making sure to dab a little glue on the ends first to secure them in place.

Step5

New Orleans-Style Voodoo Doll Add your 7 pins and you have created an all-purpose Voodoo doll!

Symbolism of the Seven Pins: yellow - success, white - positive, red - power, purple - spirituality, green - money, blue - love, black - repelling negative energy.