How To: Make a Voodoo Poppet Doll

Step 1 Find Your Base Material

The base material for your doll can be anything 100% naturally made. Traditionally, sticks and twigs are used. Some people prefer to use corn husks, braided grass or similar items. The choice is yours, the only "rule" is that it be made of 100% natural materials. These sticks/twigs/husks/etc. will be shaped into a stick figure, one long piece for the body and one shorter (about 1/2 the length of the long one) for the arms.

Step 2 Bind Your Skeleton Together

Take your base material and make a lowercase t with them, so that you have a head, shoulders/arms and a torso (the dolls don't traditionally have separated legs, but are all one straight shaft from the shoulders down). Next, bind them together with all natural twine, rope, yarn, thread, any "string" you like that is 100% natural. Start with the area where the two sticks meet, then wrap up, and then down, your "skeleton" so that you have a head, arms and torso, all wrapped in twine.

Step 3 Cover Your Doll in Fabric

I, myself, like to cover the doll in 100% natural cotton fill to make it even more proportional to a human, but that is not necessary. But covering the doll in fabric is almost always done, so start by finding fabric of an appropriate color and cut it into either strips to wrap around and secure to the doll or into a doll shape (this option only requires two pieces— one for the front and one for the back). Whichever option you choose, completely cover the doll in fabric and sew it closed with thread (again 100% natural material).

Step 4 Finish Your Poppet Doll

The final touches can be anything from adding beads, to sewing hair on the doll, to blessing it with special herbs and oils. This step is completely up to the person who will be using the doll. The only standard addition for this finishing step is to add pins to the doll (add them now if you are using the doll for decoration purposes only OR later when you actually intend to use the doll for voodoo/magic purposes).