DIY: the Poppet Edition
Since people apparently really liked Ada, my joy poppet, I thought that maybe some of you would like a tutorial⦠So here goes!
Disclaimer: Since Iām in the broom closet and that Iām a real life dollmaker, I tend to make my poppets as complex and āclean lookingā as possible so that people assume itās just yet another of my dolls. You definitely donāt have to do it the way I do it, or even to follow a remotely similar aesthetic.
Youāll need:
⢠some paper ⢠a pen ⢠scissors ⢠fabric (stretchy is best for beginners) ⢠a sewing needle and some thread ⢠herbs ⢠crystals ⢠small items ⢠a taglock (since I only do these poppets for my own use, I use a small lock of my hair) ⢠stuffing ⢠something blunt and long, like a screwdriver.
First, draw the bodyās silhouette on paper. I try to make mine fairly symmetrical because it makes creating the clothes easier but itās not necessary. Also, you should think about what youāre planning to use your poppet for. For example, Adaās job is to bring more happiness in my life and help me fight off anxiety, so sheās shaped like a cat because cats make me happy. Lucia, which Iāll be building in this tutorial, is a mourning poppet: her job is to help me mourn my father, dull the pain and help me accept that everything must end, so sheāll be shaped like a skeleton. Think about what your poppet is for, choose its body accordingly.
Then do an arm and a leg the same way. As you can see, I tried giving her a little hand and curved the foott, but a simple rectangle will do the job just as well. Her leg here is super short because Iām going to make her boots out of polymer clay. I donāt need it to be as long as it should since Iāll glue the boots on later.
Now pick a fabric and draw each part twice. Chose the color accordingly to your poppetās purpose and your personal taste. Also, if your poppet is going to be small like Ada and/or youāre a beginner⦠Pick some stretchy fabric, like an old t-shirt! Afterward youāll have to turn it inside out and the stiffer the fabric, the more youāll cry. Trust me.
Using an old t-shirt you donāt wear anymore makes your poppet even more personal! Yet another side benefit of loving yourself instead of keeping on using linen because you love the feel of it, but your poppets are pretty much drenched by tears of frustration by the time youāre done.Ā Why do I keep doing that.
Now cut the silhouettes off, leaving some wiggle room. If you use a fabric that doesnāt fray, like an old t-shirt hint hint, you donāt have to leave a huge amount of fabric on the side. If you picked something that was probably weaved in hell, like satin, get yourĀ pinking shears out. if you donāt haveĀ pinking shears, use some fabric glue to stop the fraying. If you donāt have fabric glue, well. Good luck.
I sorta forgot to take pictures of the in-between stage, sorry. So uh. Just sew the two body silhouettes together, and each limbs, folding them on themselves. Remember to leave a hole big enough so that you can turn everything inside out.
Donāt worry too much about it being perfect: as long as itās tight enough to not spill the stuffing, itās good enough. While I try to make my seam lines as discreet as possible (to be more discreet about my practice), I find contrasting seams super appealing visually. So if you want to experiment with that, knock yourself out.
Start stuffing the limbs. For Lucia, Iām using the stuffing I stole from an old pillow. For Ada, I used leftover wool because thatās what I had handy. For others I used rice. Whatever works for you. As you can see, Iām using a screwdriver to push each little cotton ball all the way down. Donāt stuff the arms too much, or your poppet wonāt be able to lower it arms. Unless thatās what you want.
For the body, I usually just stuff the head and the bottom of the body with cotton balls and then keep the belly and chest empty so I can fill it up with herbs and items. You could fully stuff the poppet with herbs if youād like, or just mix a pinch with the cotton balls. See what works best for you.
Here Lucia already has one arm sewed on because I got impatient.
Here, I got my herbs ready in my mortar and put them in a small cup for easy access. Start filling up the poppetās chest and belly (but not too much, you want some space left).Ā Just so you know, that step tends to be pretty messy so⦠Do that somewhere where getting herbs everywhere isnāt much of a problem.
Pick herbs related to your poppetās mission.Ā For Lucia, I used linden (grief-relief after death), thyme (provides strength and courage, wards off grief), lavender (eases heartbreaks, soothing) and sage (self purification, deals with grief and loss, removes negative energy).
I didnāt take the previous step in pictures, because the items I picked where pretty personal and I donāt feel like showing them. But I can list them.
Hereās whatĀ I put inside of her: ⢠pink quartz (for love) ⢠a skull bead (for death) ⢠a taglock (I always use a lock of my hair tied with a red thread) ⢠something that belonged to my dad (it was hard to let go of it)
Again, pick everything according to the poppetās mission. If you give yours the job to ward off curses or to help you cast spells, your list will be probably very different from mine. Take time to research what you want to use, think of how it symbolizes her mission.
I sewed on the limbs because I felt like it. You can do this later if you want, it doesnāt really matter.
So now the step shown in this picture isĀ āthe letterā. Itās an important step because thatās where you state the poppetās purpose. And itās also where you name your poppet (names have power, take time to think about it)!Ā Itās not a very complicated step, though, you just need a pen and some paper.
My letters usually go this way:
āDear (name),
You are my (purpose) poppet. You will always do (thing). You will always help me with (thing) by doing (thing). I give you this (crystal) to symbolize (thing), this (item) to symbolize (thing), this (precious thing) to symbolize (thing). I also give you my (taglock) to symbolize our bound together.
With Love,
(my name)ā
Personalize it whichever way you see fit. Fold the letter tightly, put it inside the poppet, finish filling it with the herbs.
Now that the poppetās all filled up and ready, sew close the hole and sew on the limbs if you havenāt done it already. You can now give your poppet a face. You can embroider it, paint it with fabric paint or acrylic, or use beads, or markers, or buttons, or anything you want. Be as creative as you want.
Once youāre done, you can add a sigil on it (I like to do it some place others canāt see, like under the clothes), and give some hair and some clothes to your little one. Or donāt! It all comes down on your instincts now, what feels appropriate and what doesnāt. Even if your poppet isnāt perfect, take some time to appreciate its existence. At first there wasnāt anything but a bunch of supplies and you made SOMETHING. And if thatās not magic, I donāt know what is.
As you can see on that picture, Lucia isnāt finished yet, but Iām working on her clothes and accessories right now. Once sheās fully clothed and ready, the only thing sheāll need will be to be activated, soĀ Iāll leave her to charge on my altar for one night. And in the morning, Iāll wake her upĀ by kissing her forehead so she can start doing her job.
Iāve had poppet-making on the periphery of my mental To Do list for a while. This post is just fantastic.










