A thread doll is a strong Slavic amulet with which you can improve your life and cleanse yourself of negativity. In Rus', such dolls were made all the time, for children and adults. They were made for themselves, as a gift and passed on by inheritance.
Our article will tell you where protective dolls came from, help you understand their meaning and teach you how to make a doll from threads with your own hands. Using our simple step-by-step master class, you can make such an amulet for yourself or a loved one.
A doll made of threads as a talisman in Rus'
The Slavic doll is a powerful amulet that can protect against negative influences from the outside and attract various benefits.
Thread dolls, like many other Slavic amulets, appeared during the heyday of paganism and the worship of natural phenomena. These magical things were made by people with secret knowledge. Dolls served their owners for many years, and sometimes throughout their lives. They made them for themselves, relatives, and close friends.
For us, dolls are children's toys, but the pagans endowed them with special properties and used them even as adults. Each of the dolls had its own task, which it successfully completed if the craftswoman did not violate the manufacturing rules, and the person who received such an amulet believed in its power.
Usually the purpose of dolls wound from threads was protection, but some of them helped in the search for happiness. Compact doll figurines skillfully averted envious glances and bad wishes, protected the happiness and health of their owner, helped him become rich and protect his family.
How to charge and activate
In order for the doll to act as a real amulet, it is necessary to carry out a special ritual, charging it with the necessary energy.
Let's look at the rules you need to follow step by step.
The doll dangles right in your hands. Under no circumstances should the wire be placed on the table; this will negatively affect its energy charge. The thread loop should be in the shape of a spiral. The spiral, like the cycle, carries positive energy. The required number of skeins should not be even. Twisting the thread is necessary in the direction of the sun. In order not to take away the doll's strength, you cannot cut it. Play until the end. The knot for tying should be around the navel; this is a symbol of the birth of a new life, the power of the clan, and fertility.
With each knot tied, you need to make a wish. This will remain in the doll’s memory, so it will direct all its energy in the right direction. You must come up with a name for her, light the candles and lie down on the table. Voice the name of the doll and read the plot. You can choose your words. At the same time, your main goal should be expressed and fixed in your head. This way the amulet and its energy are activated. The doll, of course, is not the only one, but, perhaps, one of the pleasant helpers in realizing your goals.
Pocket amulets
What else are Slavic amulets dolls made of?
The ancient Slavs left behind a huge legacy of all kinds of amulets and amulets. They used special objects to protect themselves from evil entities and enemies - for example, pendants made of stone or wood, and even dolls. Or they simply put protective symbols on clothes and household items.
To make doll amulets, the Slavs used exclusively natural materials.
However, it was the folk protective dolls that were the most popular amulet in those days. The Slavic thread doll is not the only representative of the doll family. Such amulets were created from scrap materials:
- dried tree branches;
- straw;
- vines;
- fabric scraps;
- yarn.
Most often, protective dolls were made from threads or fabric. After all, in any housewife’s house there is always a chest with embroidery or knitting supplies, from which you can take some woolen threads and scraps. In addition, it is much easier, because you do not need to go into the forest and look for twigs that have fallen from the trees.
Such amulets served for a variety of purposes. Some brought joyful news to the house, others brought money, and still others protected marital happiness. Talismans of a personal nature were also often made - they helped to find love, fulfill wishes, or protected during travel.
What do you need to make your own yarn doll?
The set of items for this activity is quite affordable and everyone can find it in their home. To create such a craft we need to prepare:
- threads of two or three colors that you have in stock. Floss, linen or spool cotton will look best;
- scissors;
- a stencil made of thick cardboard in the form of a rectangle or a small book. The size depends on what kind of doll you have planned;
- any accessories for decoration;
- hook.
What does a thread reel doll look like?
Externally, the thread doll looks like an ordinary children's toy made by a caring grandmother. She looks like a faceless figurine, entirely made of threads. To prevent the doll from falling apart, at the ends of the arms and legs, the threads collected in a bundle are fastened by tying a knot.
Like other amulets dolls, a reel of thread must be faceless.
However, you should not be deceived; this simply made figurine is a powerful amulet that can protect against negative influences from the outside and attract various benefits.
The amulet does not become strong on its own. In order for it to work as expected, you must adhere to the manufacturing rules and activate the protective attribute using a special spell suitable for the occasion.
Doll amulet made of threads comes in different sizes. Those dolls that are planned for use by one person are made no more than 10 cm in height. This allows you to carry the amulet in your pocket or bag with you to prevent negative influences outside the home.
Family amulets are made in a different format - two to three times larger. A large motanka doll made of thread, like a small one, is also decorated with ribbons and fabric with embroidery.
Step-by-step algorithm on how to do it
We are accustomed to the fact that in the modern world, dolls are just children's toys. And they never attached importance to the fact that they could have certain tasks and play the role of an amulet endowed with magical powers. They were created to protect themselves and their family members from evil spirits and the evil eye and were given as gifts. They were usually made from available materials: all kinds of fabric, yarn, birch bark, dry twigs, straw and vines.
Simple doll
By complementing each with certain features and decorations, they can be made diverse. We will tell you all the details later. Now let's try to create a doll step by step, which is the basis for all types .
It looks absolutely faceless and consists only of threads collected in bundles and tied in knots. You can choose to have a boy or a girl, or both at once. They are made almost identically, the only difference is in the lower part of the body and hairstyle. The girl, of course, will have a skirt. Let's start with it.
- Let's draw a rectangular stencil from cardboard, the size depends on the length of the craft. It should be quite dense so that it does not sag when winding the threads . We wind the beige or milky thread in a circle along the long side, without changing the degree of tension. If it is thick, for example, wool, one hundred turns will be enough. We cut it from one edge.
- Now take brown or black yarn for knitting and repeat the previous procedure. This will be the hair for our lady.
- Place a beige bundle across the brown one in the very center and fold both in half. Then we tie it with similar colored threads at the base. You get two nice tassels interlocked with each other. In fact, this is the head of our young maiden with luxurious hair. While working, you can straighten the strands with a wide-toothed comb to make it even and neat .
- The next step is to wrap the arms, only this time along the width of the cardboard. Cut on both sides. We tie the same color thread at both ends and trim with scissors.
- We put it inside the body and fix the strand under it with a thread in several turns, which we secure with a knot.
That's all, the beauty girl is ready. What does she lack for her image? Of course, a long braid that can be woven from ready-made hair and tied with a bright braid. We trim the uneven ends and remove the knots with a crochet hook. If you decide to create a pair for her, then instead of long woolen hair, create short ones. And divide the skirt in half, tying the ends like legs. Here are the instructions with photos:
Amulet doll
The principle of creation is very similar to the previous one. She should not have a face or any special image . It is made about 10 centimeters high, which allows you to always carry it with you. If you are preparing it for home use, then the size can be much larger.
Its functions are not only to protect against unfavorable factors, but also help to find happiness, good luck, and health. Moreover, it had different shapes in Rus'. There were then solar dolls in the shape of a horse to give the house comfort and warmth. The girls, who had spent too much time as brides, sewed Fatty-Kostromushka. An ash pan with a handful of ash from the stove protected the house from dark forces. Successful, Diaper, Herbalist, Ten-Handed and many others, designed for each special occasion.
Doll with a face
If you want to give your little girl some kind of look, then the face can be made from a piece of flannel glued to the head.
Draw features with colored gel pens or embroider with threads and beads. Only then glue the hair. Dress it up by cutting out a vest or dress from any scrap of fabric, securing them with beads or Velcro. Make a belt or bows from thin braid. In general, do whatever your unbridled imagination tells you. These dolls are mostly play dolls. Involve your child in creating them; for him it is not only a fun and interesting activity, but also an activity that helps develop hand motor skills and aesthetic taste.
How to make a doll amulet from threads with your own hands
When they first heard that such amulets as motanki exist, people are surprised how they can make a doll from threads. This seems strange and unthinkable, because in our imagination dolls are made from completely different materials.
But in fact, it is quite possible and not at all difficult. The main thing is to follow the master class and familiarize yourself with all the rules for making an amulet.
Manufacturing rules
Amulet dolls from threads should be made following established procedures. These rules should not be ignored, because they were not invented out of nowhere.
Each of the nuances related to the making of a protective doll has a logical explanation. To us modern people, many of these statements may seem stupid. But our ancestors took such requirements seriously and strictly followed them.
Amulet dolls made from threads should be created following established procedures.
Nuances that need to be taken into account when making a Slavic doll from threads:
- The Slavs believed that all protective dolls should be faceless. Otherwise, a navy spirit will move into them and cause harm to the person using the amulet.
- When making a doll, it is important to take into account the mood and well-being of the craftswoman. If you have problems with this, you should postpone creating an amulet from threads until you recover, so that the talisman does not absorb pathogenic energy.
- Dolls of thread, like reels, are made without the use of scissors or needles directly at the time of working on them. Everything that needs to be cut, sewn or embroidered will have to be taken care of in advance.
Only women were allowed to make such amulets - men were not even allowed to look at their work. However, the Slavs made an exception for children. They believed that if children were involved in making the talisman, it would help fill it with pure light energy.
What does thread color mean?
When making a thread amulet, not only the material from which it will be made is important, but also its color. The Slavs believed that each color carries certain information. They used this sacred knowledge when shaking the dolls.
Having understood the meaning of colors for amulets, you can quickly and easily determine what functions any of the reels or thread dolls perform.
Each thread color has an individual meaning.
The meaning of flowers for Slavic dolls:
- Since ancient times, red has been considered the color of wealth and love. A doll made in these colors attracts powerful positive energies to its owner. But the red thread tied on the belt of the figurine will have a protective character - it will help ward off the evil eye and damage.
- Green symbolizes nature. Shades of this color have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, improving health and improving mood. Green is also considered the color of healers.
- Yellow represents the sun, which the Slavs worshiped. This is the color of abundance and wealth, the energy that gives life to everything that is in this world.
A protective thread doll should be bright and colorful. The more noticeable it is, the better it will be able to ward off trouble from its owner.
Subtleties of working with floss and wool
When creating a protective doll, you should use not only linen or cotton threads, but also understand that the palette is also of no small importance . Since the Slavic peoples believed that any color is a carrier of certain information. What colors were used to make amulet at that time:
- red is a sign of love and wealth. To do this, it was placed in the form of a belt near the figurine to ward off damage and the evil eye from its wearer;
- green color is a symbol of nature and life. Endowed with healing powers, improved mood;
- yellow - denoted the sun, giving abundance and wealth. It brought success and prosperity to the owner of this amulet.
Master class: doll amulet made of threads with your own hands
One of the most famous Slavic traditional thread dolls is Ten Handles. This doll was made to help a young housewife who had moved from her father's house to a new family - her husband's relatives.
According to legend, a woman who was unable to achieve anything received such a talisman from the goddess Mokosha. A doll made of threads helped her do housework - cook, clean, sew and raise children.
To ensure that the Ten Handles favors its future owner in everything, perform a special ritual when making it. Each of the ten hands of the figurine must be assigned one of the tasks with which the doll will help. Say your requests out loud.
The Ten-Handed doll was created to help a young housewife who had moved from her father’s house to a new family.
The ten-handled doll is a simple doll, so with due perseverance you can make it yourself. We have a master class in store for this case. Using it, you will feel like a needlewoman, even if you don’t know how to sew or knit at all.
Before you begin, check if you have all the materials:
- linen threads;
- floss threads;
- wide lace ribbon with patterns;
- narrow patterned ribbon;
- thin red satin ribbon;
- scissors;
- a piece of cardboard.
Among the floss threads there must be a red thread. The remaining tones are at your discretion. But don’t forget that they should be eye-catching and always light - no brown, gray or black!
Step-by-step instruction
- Wind 9-21 (the number depends on the thickness, but the number must be a multiple of 3) turns of linen thread onto a cardboard rectangle base. Cut the threads on one side and remove from the cardboard.
- Handle the threads carefully so that they do not fall apart. Stepping back 2 cm from the cut, fasten the bundle with red thread. After this, make a cut from the other edge.
- The procedure performed in the previous paragraph must be repeated 4 more times. As a result, we will get 5 blanks, from which we will make 10 handles. Each time, use different shades of floss and do not forget during the process to wish for each pair of hands a certain type of work in which help is required.
- Divide each of the blanks into 3 bundles and braid them. Secure the second edge in the already familiar way. Braid the braids tightly so that they hold well.
- Now let's make the body. We wind the thread on the cardboard 150-210 times and cut it off on one side. We fix the bundle exactly in the middle using a small piece of the same linen thread.
- Take a small handful of threads evenly from each side and pull them up. Tie a thin scarlet ribbon onto a knot and then onto a bow.
- The upper part will become the hairstyle, and below we will form the head. Step back a little from the ribbon and, gathering the threads into a kind of ball, fasten with linen thread.
- The doll's hair will be braided, so take the tail and turn it into a beautiful braid using the classic method of dividing into three strands. We decorate the end beautifully with a red ribbon.
- We evenly divide the threads going down from the head into two parts - upper and lower. We insert the hand blanks into them, straightening them so that they do not overlap one another.
- This flimsy structure needs to be held together. The simple method that we have already used before is suitable for this. Having straightened the arms and threads from the body, tie linen thread underneath them.
- We will decorate the upper part of the body of Ten Hands with a ribbon. It needs to be tied crosswise on the chest, and then tied around the waist.
- No Slavic motanka could do without an apron, so we will make an apron for the doll with a belt. For the apron, take a wide lace ribbon and tie it around the figure slightly below waist level, securing the end at the back.
- We secure the apron with linen thread, and then hide it under a beautiful belt made of thin ribbon. We tie a bow behind the back.
- Traditionally, the dress of the Ten Hands was decorated with red bows. There should be exactly nine of them. Since our dress is made of threads, it won’t be difficult to take a handful of them in a bun and tie them with a ribbon, and then make a bow.
- The last stage is fixing the braids. Surely you noticed that it sticks up unattractively. To fix this, bend the braid down and wrap it with red tape at the “broken” location. And it’s beautiful, and the braid is in place!
The thread motanka doll is ready! You can use it for its intended purpose.
Tips for a puppeteer
- If you want to give this product the status of a talisman, then maintain absolute silence while working . Send good thoughts, wish all the best to the person for whom it is intended. You can activate its power with the help of a suitable plot. Moreover, you need to stock up all the parts in advance so that there are no sharp objects during the work process. The state of health and mood must be only good. Perform on the waxing moon. It is better to take natural materials. A doll made with the participation of a child is filled with pure beneficial energy.
- A talisman made of linen yarn trimmed with red thread or ribbon is considered very powerful.
- Whatever you decide to make from them, do not forget that any craft made with our participation carries a great charge of energy. And what it will be depends only on you.
How to make fringe from threads
How to sew a notebook with thread
Additional items
We described in detail how to make a doll from yarn with your own hands. Let's look at how you can decorate such crafts. In the photographs in the article you can see that often before tying a knot to form palms, the doll’s hands are braided. You can make them from a different color yarn to create dress sleeves.
In the photo above they are decorated with lanterns along their entire length. By adding threads of a different color to the main bundle, you can lift them up before wrapping the neck and subsequently style the doll’s hair - braid it or put it in a ponytail. Using additional threads, it is interesting to make an apron for a girl. To do this, you just need to throw them around your neck and tie them around your belt in several turns, spreading the edges in different directions.
How to handle the amulet
Please note the following:
- The doll will become a faithful life partner. If you treat her tenderly, she will become a faithful assistant, maintaining her health, fortitude and well-being.
- The doll should not fall into the wrong hands. This is only allowed to the closest relatives.
- it is necessary to enter into a dialogue with her. This applies not only to requests, but also to gratitude.
- A doll, like people, needs rest. Therefore, from time to time it needs to be stored in a closet, drawer or shelf. This is quite easy to determine by your feelings.
- A doll does not live forever; it also has a certain amount of time. It is also calculated based on your feelings. In this case, it will have to be given over to the elements.
- if something happened to her, she took the shot intended for you. In this case it should also be dedicated to the elements.
- Under no circumstances should it be washed.
- It should not be thrown away with other waste.
- If she is lost, she should be released in peace and thanked for her service.
If a doll is lost, it should be sincerely thanked for its service.
