DIY straw doll: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

Straw dolls can be found in the folk art of many countries of the world. Natural material has long been used by people both in everyday life and in religious rituals. Weaving appeared in the period of development of human civilization. At first, bending branches of trees and shrubs, stems of climbing plants and strips of the skin of dead animals were used. They wove dishes and clothes, shoes and household items, furniture and even the walls of houses.

The history of straw weaving

With the advent of agriculture, man learned to grow wheat and other crops on his own. Gathering cereals for food, after processing the grain, people always left straw for household needs. They made bedding for livestock, covered the roof of houses, used it as feed for cows and goats. I liked this material and craftsmen. Straw made beautiful hats and bast shoes, foot mats and baskets or dishes for food. Straw dolls were made for children's games, as well as for various rituals on holidays. Gradually, the craft turned into art, because each owner triedto make things from straw not only practical and convenient to use, but also beautiful in appearance, wanting to surpass the skill of neighbors and fellow villagers.

Despite the fact that we live in the 21st century, straw toys can be found in our homes and at mass festivities. In the article we will consider the history of straw dolls, what significance they had in the life of the Slavic peoples, where they can be seen in our time. Readers will also learn how to make a doll for a child to play or for an exhibition, endow it with healing properties or create a charm for your family members.

Material value

As you already understood, the Slavic peoples used straw in every possible way in their economic activities, but the remnants of the threshed grain also had magical significance for the peasants. People endowed the stems of cereals with divine power, they believed that they contained the magic of the grain field. The peasants performed numerous rituals both before planting wheat and during the harvest, begging the gods for favorable conditions for the growth of cereals, because the life of all members of society depended on it.

People decorated the first harvested ("zazhinochny") and the last ("dozhinochny") sheaves. There was a tradition of weaving the last stalks of wheat together, leaving them untouched in the field. They decorated them with bright ribbons and flowers. From spikelets they made wreaths on the heads of girls, they were also used to decorate rooms. Soon, harvest rituals developed into folk art, traditions fromgeneration to generation. Huge straw dolls, the so-called bread effigies, were made from the last collected sheaf. It was believed that there is the spirit of bread. Different peoples had their own external features. But everyone invested the same meaning - to appease the gods in order to get a good harvest.

Celebrating Maslenitsa

Many traditions of the ancient Slavs have been preserved in our time. So, in the last week before Lent, Maslenitsa is celebrated. This is a traditional celebration of the meeting of winter and spring. Farewell to the winter cold is celebrated on a grand scale. In addition to delicious pancakes and dumplings, people gather for the ritual of setting fire to a straw effigy, which symbolizes winter.

The last day of the holiday week used to be celebrated in different ways, depending on the province. Some carried a straw doll on a sleigh so that everyone could say goodbye to winter. Others organized a whole carnival train of hundreds of wagons. There is a tradition to mourn a scarecrow during a funeral procession with priests and mourners behind. A scarecrow of winter was placed in a trough or even a real coffin and carried through the whole village so that all the inhabitants would say goodbye to him.

At the end of Maslenitsa, the straw doll was set on fire. Often, funeral food was thrown into the fire - boiled eggs and pancakes. The ritual rite of burning the "bread spirit" ended with the straw and ashes being collected and scattered across the field, which symbolized its future resurrection in the grains of a new good harvest.

In the old days, people wove small straw dolls and kept them inhouses in the most visible place, dressing up in clothes and scarves. On the last day of Maslenitsa, dolls were thrown into the stove and burned, and the remains of the straw were given to livestock.

Doll weaving

3D figurines have long been made by parents for their kids. In addition to its direct purpose as a toy, the doll was also endowed with the properties of a talisman or medicine. So, fragrant herbs for coughing or other misfortune were added to the straw during weaving.

According to the tradition of the Eastern Slavs, such a doll did not depict facial features. According to beliefs, an evil spirit can move into a figurine with a face, and if not, then the doll was considered an inanimate object, so the spirits would not linger there.

There was a tradition before the wedding to make large figures of the bride and groom and put them at the gate at the entrance to the courtyard. Since the straw symbolized fertility, the dolls were supposed to contribute to the appearance of offspring in the family.

Straw doll "Shear"

This is the most popular kind of straw puppets, often referred to as dancing dolls. Their main feature is that the lower edge of the skirt is not braided, but cut evenly with scissors so that it holds a vertical position well. The children loved to play with her like this:

• The doll was placed on a flat board. Used the surface of a table or stool.
• The child pounded his fist next to the doll and she started dancing - bouncing in place and spinning in different directions. She had the impression thatreally does dance moves.

Children rejoiced in every possible way at such a dance, so parents often wove a "haircut" for kids.

Making straw dolls

If you decide to learn the art of weaving from natural material, then let's look at how to make a straw doll with your own hands. First you need to go to the wheat field after harvesting and collect long straw. A small bunch will suffice.

Pre-straw must be held in hot water or under a stream of steam so that the material softens and becomes flexible. Straw has an excellent feature - after twisting the figure, the wet material dries and takes the necessary shape, holding corners and bends well.

Working on the figure of the doll begins with laying out a bunch of straw on the surface of the table and cutting off the edges so that they are even. Next, a strong frame is made by bending the beam in half. Wet material will do a great job, unlike dry straw, which will crack at the fold of the material.

Scheme of weaving a woman doll

Let's start the straw doll master class by strengthening the bundle of straw on the frame. You can use both wire and a wooden stick. A prepared bundle of straw folded in half is put on the rod. Leave the top untouched. This will be the character's head. At the level of the intended neck, tightly wrap a wet straw several times and tieknot at the back. Weave the long ends below into the body of the body.

Separately, hands are made on the wire. A bunch of straw is tied around the edges, and the rest is braided. Between the bars of the upper body, a little below the neck, insert this braided wire and bend it down with your hands. Then you can either simply tie up the straw at the waistline, or create a dress with harnesses through the neck. In this case, another thin bundle is put on the finished doll with a kink around the head. The material is criss-crossed at the front and tied again at the waist.

The doll can be tied with thin satin ribbons, mostly red ones are used. Sometimes they pick up piping with an embroidered ornament. At the end, trim the length of the skirt and the edges on the arms with scissors. Now you know how to weave a straw doll with your own hands. By following the recommendations above step by step, you can easily cope with the task.

Next, let's figure out how to make a male character.

How to make a boy doll

Getting started is similar to the previous version. If you want to make the doll a rounded head, then you can roll a ball out of straw and insert it when bending the first bundle. The frame was not used in this case, since the boy's bottom straw will be divided into two separate bundles to form legs.

When the large bundle is folded in half, tie a hemp thread or straw firmly at neck level. Hands are made separately, only for the male character wewe will not weave a pigtail, but leave the puffy sleeves of the shirt intact. Tie only the edges depicting the hands.

Tie your waist right under this bun. Divide the bottom "skirt" in half and tie straws at the very bottom of each bundle to separate the feet. At the end, trim all the cuts with scissors and the boy's figure is ready!

Ritual doll "Ten-handled"

This doll with ten arms, according to tradition, was given to a girl for a wedding. Each hand symbolized some skill of a good housewife. The bride had to be able to do everything around the house - cook, clean, wash, take care of children and livestock, grow a garden and harvest wheat in the field and much more.

Each hand was tied with a ribbon of its own color and the girl spoke to her so that the doll would help her in her work. If you want to make your own "Ten Hands", then wrap the thread around the body with a cross so that the arms hold tight and do not move.

Now you know how to make a straw doll. Try it, you will surely succeed. Good luck!