How to make a Russian folk doll from fabrics yourself

In the modern world, fewer and fewer people support traditions; technology has long come to the fore. Russian people have always been hardworking. All toys, protective amulets and many other things were made by hand. For example, dolls that were always in the house.

History of Slavic dolls-amulets

Amulet dolls are part of Russian culture. In ancient times, they served as toys for children, protection for adults. Therefore, folk dolls made of fabric with their own hands were distinguished:

• Play. Made for children's games.
• For rituals. Made on holidays.
• Amulet (for children, pregnant women, families, etc.)

How to sew a beautiful doll from fabric: instructions for beginners

For beginning craftsmen, there is a short plan for making dolls:

1. Prepare the blanks for the future doll using templates.
2. Transfer the markings onto the fabric using a pencil, leaving a 1cm seam allowance.
3. Attach the limbs to the body with thread.
4. Connect the halves first with a basting stitch, then with a machine. The bottom is not stitched.
5. The bodies and limbs are filled with rags and cotton wool.
6. Sew up the open hole.
7. Face and hair. A doll doesn't have a face. Spirits enter through the eyes.
8. At the end there is clothing.

Baba Yaga doll (rag)

Head and neck. Prepare a square of fabric. Fold diagonally. Put cotton wool in the middle, secure with threads, make a nose. Secure a cotton ball to skewers. Cover with fabric, connect with the previous detail.

For the woman's arms and body, you need to wind cotton wool onto skewers. Connect them together with a thread. Make a skirt from polka-dot fabric. Strengthen the figure with a thread. Make an apron from gray rags, strengthen it with a sash. From the same fabric, a vest. Flax is needed for the hair, attach it to the head and straighten it. Tie a red scarf on the head. For the broom, you can take a branch, a pencil and glue burlap to it.

Folk doll-motanka in national costume

The making of motanka should be step-by-step. They are created without piercing/cutting things. You can only prepare patterns using scissors. The parts of the body are connected with threads, wrapping several times. Threads of natural production and mainly red color are taken. It protects from evil spirits and evil spirits. The head must be decorated with a scarf or any other headdress.

Arkhangelsk stolbushka - traditional folk doll

Arkhangelsk stolbushka is a Russian folk doll with a pigtail. Similar dolls were made in the Arkhangelsk province.

The process is quite easy. They prepared a roll of thick fabric. They pulled out a certain number of threads. The longer the thread, the longer the braid. They tried on a shirt on the finished column and tied it with threads, leaving a slit near the neck. They put on a skirt, decorated it with ruffles. They wove a long braid from threads and tied it with a ribbon. Instead of a headdress, they wore a headband.

Herbalist doll

Fill a good Slavic Herbalist with various flowers and leaves that emit sweet smells. Thanks to this, catching the smell, a person's mood will rise. For a peaceful life and comfort, put dill in the herbalist. For bright moments, put mint; to improve health - raspberry or currant leaves. Each leaf, blade of grass will bring what you lack. Handmade fabric dolls carry more energy than store-bought ones, so it is better to make them yourself.

Ten-handed doll - a folk rag doll

Desyatiruchka is a traditional Belarusian autumn doll. It is made in October. Many handles to help the hostess with household chores.

1. For the doll's body, take a rectangle of fabric. Fold it in half. Put a twist of a piece of cotton wool and tie it with a thread, making the head. Make a roll of fabric around the cotton wool. Do not cut the threads.
2. Five pieces of fabric are needed. They are twisted into rolls and secured with threads on both sides. They are also used to make a cross on the body.
3. The next step is a blouse for the doll. Cut a hole in the square and put it on the ten-arm. Fasten with a belt. Skirt. You can make an apron.

Ritual doll "Bird of joy"

Make a tight twist of fabric. It is tied with threads in 3 places. Wrap it in a white rag, tie it with a red thread, dividing it in half. Fold the rag for the limbs diagonally and tie it to the neck. For the chest, roll up a tube and put it under the clothes. Put the shirt on the doll, tightening it from below with a belt. Put on a skirt, an apron. Then make a headdress. The long side looks up, from it make a beak.

Spiridon Solstice Doll

The stuffing is placed on the fabric. It is folded in half, a ball is made with thread. The arms and legs are formed. The patch is folded on both sides and rolled into a tube.

Then fill the body. Dress from below. Place the fabric under the doll and wrap the trouser leg. Then put on the shirt, fasten it. Make a hairdo from flax and pull on the hat. It is enough to simply wrap it around the head. And tie the wheel to the handles.

Day and Night - Folk Doll Amulet for the Home

The head is made from the blanks with filler and wrapped with lace fabric. Bundles are made from a rag, and hands are obtained. The waist is outlined with a thread, the dress is decorated and the doll's hair is done. The doll - day should be light, and its back side - dark.

Lovebirds - a folk wedding doll

The stick is wrapped in white cloth and secured with threads at the edges.

A twisted piece of fabric for the girl is bent over a stick. It is fixed to the stick with threads. Then the head and body are formed with thread. All that remains is to decorate.

Male doll. Roll the flap into a tube and attach it to a stick in the form of legs. Boots and pants are put on the legs. Then a shirt and a hat.

Children's amulet "Bunnies"

This Russian folk doll is made by hand from fabric worn by a child. The fabric is placed with patterns towards the craftsman's face. The corner is folded inward from the left edge. For the ears, the edge is gathered into a bun and tied with a thread. To form the head, cotton wool is taken and secured in the same way. The opposite end is twisted for the paws. They are tied to the neck to put the toy on the finger.

Hand puppet "Sea captain"

Prepare templates of the body parts of the future doll. And sew the halves together, leaving one edge free. The sewing should be neat and beautiful. Cotton wool, foam rubber, etc. are placed inside. A tunic is cut out of black fabric. To decorate it, shoulder straps with a gold ribbon are made. The head is attached to the body.

The Little Krupenichka Doll and the Rich Man

1. Grains are poured into the center of the piece of cloth to form a head;
2. The head must be covered with a scarf;
3. The skirt is made in waves;
4. They make a tube for the hands;
5. They attach a skirt and an apron, having first poured cereal into the body;
6. Decorated with frills;
7. They fasten the parts together.

The man looks like a sack of grains, with straight arms.

Swaddling doll

It is considered a ritual doll. It protects a pregnant woman and her child from all negativity. It also helps families where parents are expecting a child for a very long time. In such cases, the doll is made by the mother and grandmother. For the swaddling cloth, they use old fabric that the mother or father of the future child once wore.

Bast doll and other crafts for Maslenitsa

A white piece of fabric is filled with rags and the head is attached to a stick with threads. The body is formed from bast - it is tied to the neck. All extra threads are hidden. The arms and legs are also made from bast, fastening them at both ends. The arms are tied to the body with red threads, so they protect the owner from negativity. It is best to make a cross on the chest, which will repel strangers. In ancient times, they were often sold at fairs.

Bell Doll

Since ancient times, it has been believed that the ringing of small bells called for good news. Travelers and postmen took the Bell Doll with them on trips. The bell was wrapped in rags, forming a small doll that attracted good news to the house. It also symbolized the house spirit's wife, who kept the hearth and maintained coziness.

Successful Doll

Successful is a doll from the amulet class, which helped its master to achieve the set goal. This doll helped both women and men. If you put a coin in it, it will help with financial problems; sweetness will bring the owner new strength to achieve the goal; a ribbon, doll decorations will help with all minor failures; a button to protect yourself from other people's envious eyes.

The Well-Being Doll

The Prosperity Doll is a very old doll that attracts prosperity. It was often given to new settlers. It helped to create a cozy and calm atmosphere. Prosperity dolls were made by mothers for their children or husbands before important trips.

Ritual, play and protective dolls were an integral part of our ancestors' lives. And to preserve traditions, everyone should make a small doll that will bring only good things to the house.