From time immemorial, rag dolls in Russia served not only as toys, but also as mascots of the family. Krupenichka promised prosperity and satiety. Lovebirds maintained peace and harmony in the family. Plantain is a shore on the road from adversity and dashing people.
Slavic dolls - amulets were invariable attributes of many national holidays and celebrations. Remember at least the Shrovetide, which is usually burned to commemorate the arrival of spring. Her stuffed animal is nothing more than an enlarged copy of a toy made of straw and fabric.
Any Slavic family certainly had several rags in the house. They served not only as a kind of interior decoration, but also as symbols of wealth, family well-being, conjugal love and fidelity.
Children, having fun with such toys, joined the cultural traditions of their ancestors.
Each amulet’s cradle certainly hung amulets, which guarded a quiet sleep, driving away evil spirits.
Of course, we are modern people. In addition, paganism has long been replaced by Orthodox Christianity. But still, interest in making rag dolls has not disappeared even today. After all, this is an interesting lesson for children and adults, and sometimes a good source of additional income.
Dolls - charms. Master class in manufacturing.
Slavic rag toy is easy to perform. In the doll, the constituent figures of a person are schematically indicated, but special attention is not paid to the details. The head, arms, legs and torso are made of fabric, straw or thick yarn. The main decoration and difference of each amulet is its costume. For a beautiful outfit, chintz of bright colors, plain and printed, braid, lace, buttons is used.
Of course, amulets are most appropriate in the interior of a children's room. Therefore, we suggest you make a couple of figures with the symbolic name "Day - Night". To work, you need squares of linen or rep fabric of beige and charcoal black, as well as chintz with a pattern in a small flower or peas, narrow twisted braid, a little cotton, thread in the color of the fabric, lace trim.
A small doll - the amulet will turn out of a square with sides 15 to 15. However, you can easily change the size of the toy yourself.
Fold the fabric diagonally, then again to determine the center of the square. Now roll up a tight cotton ball, wrap it with a cloth and tie it tight. You got a doll head.
The free ends of the fabric will become her hands, and along with the sleeves in a doll outfit. Turn the corners inward and pull the fabric with a thread to make a kind of fist. Now, cut out a 25 x 10 rectangle from bright chintz, sew it into a ring and pick up the fabric along the upper edge. It will be a skirt for the doll. Sew lace to the bottom, for beauty and so that the fabric does not crumble. On top, sew a braid and small straps. Now the doll can be dressed in a finished sundress. Cut a small square out of colored calico, fold it in half and tie it like a scarf around the head. The second doll is doing exactly the same. Of course, the outfits for Day and Night should be different. After both figures are ready, complete their wardrobe with accessories. For example, beads or a belt with tassels can be made of beads. Connect the doll couple using a piece of twisted braid with a length of 20 - 25 cm. Now the amulet can be hung near the crib.
For the Christmas holidays, you can make a cute angel doll to decorate your home. True, it is not related to ancient Slavic magic, but the technology for its manufacture is clearly borrowed from this source. The body of the doll is formed from food foil in the same way as in the previous description. The skirt is made of organza and is attached to the body using satin braid tied with a bow. To make the angel stable, make a cardboard cone of such a size that it can be masked with a cloth. Twist the excess foil, fix the figure in the stand. From a foil or velvet paper, cut a pair of wings and fasten on the back of an angel. Christmas symbol is ready.
You can well make rag toys with children. Such classes not only develop fine motor skills, but also strengthen the trusting relationship between you and the baby.