Shrovetide is one of the most significant Russian holidays. In the old days, people marked it without fail. For seven days the celebration lasted, the meaning of which was to say goodbye to winter and the meeting of spring.
If you look at the church calendar, you can see that the holiday falls on the “cheese week”. Previously, people rarely made gifts for Shrovetide with their own hands, but now it has become fashionable.
Waiting for the holiday has always filled people's hearts with special joy and hope. As it approaches, nature begins to transform. The spring spirit is already in the air, and winter is gradually receding. Increasingly, the sun shines from the sky, warming not only the body, but also the hearts of people. It also senses the approach of Maslenitsa and is diligently doing its job: it makes the snow melt, turns it into water. Well, how not to enjoy such a fun holiday of spring? Moreover, you can make crafts on Shrovetide with your own hands and cheer up your friends. In addition, this is a very exciting process.
Previously, this holiday was celebrated by everything from small to large. But with special enthusiasm the children approached him. At dawn, a whole crowd of children ran out into the yard and built slides. Someone alone learned a special holiday speech and made it expressively. It was to glorify Shrovetide. Also, the child invited her to play, have lunch, sledding. Usually, when it was over, the slides were already done, and the pancakes were ready.
Everyone knows that in Russia there was a tradition to burn an effigy of Maslenitsa. This usually happened on Forgiveness Sunday. However, in some cities it was also customary to make the whole family of small dolls, also called Shrovetide. We are talking about Tver, Vladimir and Tula. If we talk about a scarecrow, it was always simple, unattractive and executed without much effort. But the dolls were made very beautiful. Today you can craft similar souvenirs at Shrovetide with your own hands.
It was believed that such crafts protect the home from troubles and misfortunes. They were in every home, especially where young couples lived. Such pupae personified healthy children and monetary abundance. Shrovetide usually stood near the door or in the red corner.
Today, of course, people take these dolls less seriously. They can be found in the store or on the market, but it’s much more interesting to make Shrovetide yourself. It is quite easy and very exciting. You will not need any additional devices except your hands. Not even a needle is needed. Let's look at how to make Shrovetide with your own hands.
What do you need
- Wooden stick (it is desirable that its length is 45-50 cm).
- Several colored shreds (calico or chintz).
- Threads (give preference to strong, acrylic for example).
- Cardboard.
- Material scraps, pieces of paper, cotton.
- Bast.
Wand
If it is not even, there are small branches on it, then do not cut them and try to make it smooth. Let the wand remain as it is.
Head
It needs to be filled with some material, for example scraps of fabric, paper, old cotton. All this must be tightly squeezed in the hand so that the rags take the form of a ball. Then you should take two pieces of white thick material (it is desirable that its size is 25x25 cm) and wrap this “stuffing” into it. The resulting ball must be put on a stick and tightly tied with thread. You should not paint your face, this is not accepted. Now you probably already understood how to make Shrovetide with your own hands, it is really simple.
Torso
For him, we need a couple of skeins of bast (it can be found in household goods). You should tie them to a stick just below the ball, one in front and the other in the back.
Hands
We take a cardboard and twist it into a tube. It is necessary that the diameter is about 3 cm and the length is 20 cm. We put colored material (red, lemon, scarlet) on the tube and tie it with thread in three places. Then we pass the received hands under the body from behind and tightly wind it onto the stick.
Chest
If you are thinking about how to make Shrovetide with your own hands, you need to understand that she is not a little girl, but a fully-formed girl. Therefore, you need to make her a big chest (remember how to make a head) and wrap it to a wand.
Outfit
At the first stage, it is necessary to attach a petticoat to the doll. It can be of any width, as you like best. But keep in mind that the attractiveness of the doll directly depends on the number of assemblies. Now you should wear a dress. How to make it? Just cut a rectangle out of the material, and then make a hole for the head and sleeve. Then take a fabric of a different color (it is desirable that it was also catchy) and cut out the apron. Tie it with a scarlet belt to the doll.
Hair
As you already understand, you will need to braid the braid. For her, you need to take three strips of material (at least 35 cm). When the braid is braided, it is necessary to wind it with threads from above and below, and then put it on the head in such a way as to obtain the so-called "spikelet". The last step is thread fixation. Now you need to put on a head scarf. It’s better to tie it on the back.
Making wishes
Shrovetide is ready. Now we can recall the ancient tradition that was followed in Tula. There they cut strips of scarlet material, made a wish and wound them to the arm of Shrovetide. Try it, and suddenly what you really want will come true?
Now you know how to make Shrovetide with your own hands. You can give it to friends or relatives, they will surely like such a cute souvenir.