Do-it-yourself Martinique is made from ordinary threads. She is an ancient Slavic amulet, a symbol of spring and new life. These little dolls are very popular among the South Slavic peoples. So, the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Romanians and Moldavians made them the same indispensable element on March 1, like we are a Christmas tree for the New Year.
A bit of history
This tradition originated in ancient times. The first martinis played an important role in conducting a pagan rite to invoke spring. On this day, people sang special song-rolls and presented each other with these dolls.
In fact, a martinichka is a combination of two threads interwoven into a cord, white and red. The first symbolizes winter and snow, and the second - spring, solar heat, a new beginning in the life of nature. The tips of the craft were decorated with pompons, tassels, bells or coins. Today, this symbol is most often made in the form of a doll. In Bulgaria, these crafts even gave names - Penda and Peugeot.
On the first day of spring, martinichka from threads should be presented to your relatives, friends and acquaintances. It is necessary to wish good, happiness and health. Girls and boys traditionally presented these crafts to each other as a symbol of their love. Then products decorated clothes, wrists or hairstyles.
Charm of love, fidelity and happiness
The single and unmarried did not tie the ends of the ropes, but the married ones fastened them and cut them under the very knot in a sign that their heart was already taken. Such amulets were usually worn until the time when the trees bloomed. In other areas they were not filmed until the first stork arrived.
After that, Martinique dolls with their own hands tied to well-giving birth trees. As a rule, these were fruit varieties. In some regions, they were thrown on the roof to make their happiness winged. Residents of other areas allowed crafts in the stream, so that the current would take away the troubles with them and wash away everything bad that was happening in life. In this case, it was necessary to make a wish, which, according to traditional beliefs, would certainly come true.
Naturally, in large modern cities it is hardly possible to notice storks or accurately calculate when the apple trees and cherries began to bloom. Because Martinique is usually worn in the early days of spring. In some countries, this period is extended to the 9th, and somewhere - until March 23 (the vernal equinox). After that, the toys are hung on trees, on which young foliage has already begun to appear.
Martinique and children
Previously, these crafts were made not only in honor of the arrival of the warm season, but also as a symbol of birth in a child’s family. In this case, the doll clung to the lovebirds - a traditional wedding amulet. Such a Martinique with her own hands could be created not only from red and white threads, but also from yarn of any color. This attribute of family happiness hung in the most conspicuous place in the house, which was called the red corner.
In addition to performing its functions as a symbol and a talisman, this craftwork can also serve as an excellent assistant in order to accustom a child to needlework. There is nothing complicated in working on it, and the process itself is interesting and entertaining. You can choose any color scheme for the toy. In addition, the manufacture of Martinique has evolved over time, they have personalities and even hairstyles that even the most inexperienced master can do.
Preliminary preparation
So, for work we need the following tools and materials:
- The base on which you will wind the threads. The blank parameters determine the length of the doll. You can cut out a rectangle of suitable size from cardboard or take a small book.
- Threads. They can be of any type (floss, wool, linen or plain silk). Please note: the finer the material you choose, the more accurate the finished craft will look.
- Bead. It should be medium in size.
- Ordinary scissors.
Beginning of work
How to make martini from threads? To begin, wrap the selected material on a pre-prepared basis. The thicker the yarn, the less curls you need to make, and vice versa - with thin threads you will have to complete more circles. When you start and finish winding, leave the long ends free.
Remove the finished bundle from the base and rewind it tightly with thread. Pass a separate piece of yarn into a bead and attach over the same place of the workpiece. Now spread the ends of the threads and attach them to a common bundle. You can also make a pendant out of them or make it separately.
Now make a twisted cord and attach it to the doll’s head. Further, when creating a Martinique, the master class recommends making three or four turns with a new thread around the neck of the craft and tightening it to the knot. After that, push the bead deep into the product and cover it.
Make arms and legs
To make hands for the doll, wind the threads on the base in the same way as you did previously for the body. But in this case, you need to make fewer turns than before. Do not forget to leave a long tip at the start and finish of work. In addition, winding must begin and end on opposite sides of the warp.
Remove the finished bundle from the cardboard. Scissors do not need to touch it yet. Now just wrap the workpiece with the left ends of the thread, slightly departing from the edges. In order to make the pens more accurate, you can at the same time insert a pencil into the loop that turned out. Before you tie a knot, be sure to make three or four turns of thread around the workpiece.
The next step in creating a do-it-yourself martinichka doll is threading the hands in the body. Insert the strip just made perpendicular to the first part, wrap the thread under the body under it and tie it tightly.
If you want to make a girl, cut the blank below to form a skirt. To make a boy, you need to divide the threads into two approximately identical parts and wrap each of them individually below.
Other design options
Since the creation of these dolls is a very ancient tradition, over time many new versions of their design have appeared. Many needlewomen constantly come up with fresh ways to make a martinichka original. Consider some options for improving this amulet.
To make the image of the doll girl more interesting, you can braid her braids. To do this, wrap a small bundle of threads separately on the base. Remove it and cut it on one side, and then thread the workpiece into the craft head and braid it from it.
You can also make the ends of the handles and legs not in the form of loops, but voluminous, like pompons, for a change. Just cut them and fluff.
If you want to braid your hands in the form of braids, you need to make a blank for them longer than usual. For this you need a large base. Wrap and tighten one tip by passing a pencil through it. Cut the other and braid. Do not remove the pencil. Thanks to him, it will be more convenient for you to work. Lock the tip of the part, cut the previously left loop and fluff it.
Do-it-yourself martinichka can be made very bright and colorful. To achieve this effect, use several threads of different colors when working. All of them need to be wound on the base at the same time.
To create clothes for crafts, use the following technique. Make a body according to the same principle as in the case of a one-color doll, but from two bunches of different colors. Each of them must be prepared separately. We will make an apron for the girl from one of them.
To do this, cut it from the bottom and lay on top of the body stock. If you want to dress the boy, follow these same steps, but place the cut line above. Thus, you will get a caftan for him. Pull the clothes on the belt with a separate thread.
Decorate the face
You can also embroider your face crafts. To do this, you need to make only a few stitches in places where the eyes, nose and mouth should be. Also try wrapping the head of the workpiece with flesh-colored plaster and drawing facial features on it using felt-tip pens.
To hide the edges of the “skin” glued to the face, make a wig for the doll. It is done on the same principle as the rest of the details: wind the threads on the base, assemble, cut the ends.
Attach it with superglue - and the advanced modern Martinique is ready. Pin it on your clothes with a pin and greet the spring with joy.
Making an octopus
The technique of how to make martinichki can also be applied to create not only amulets, but also other toys. This is a very entertaining process that even a small child can master. Such work will not only occupy him, but also contribute to the development of imagination and fine motor skills. For example, you can teach your baby to create funny octopuses in this way, with which he can then play.
Since the legs of the craft are made in the form of braids, working on them will also teach the child to braid his hair. By the way, biologists claim that in fact this marine creature has only two legs, and the rest of its limbs, tentacles, are kind of hands. And they are amazing in their properties.
Each tentacle is equipped with two rows of suction cups, with the help of which the octopus climbs on high rocks and even walks on the ceilings of underwater caves. In addition, thanks to them, the animal can taste everything it touches. Indeed, in them, as in human language, there are special receptors that make it possible to understand whether an object is edible or not.
Such a Martinique with your own hands can be made from yarn of any color. Moreover, real octopuses can change the color of their skin. They do this in order to disguise themselves, or depending on their mood. For example, an animal in a calm state - brown, if it is frightened, it turns white, and when angry, it turns red.
Start to create
For work you will need such materials:
- wool yarn on the main billet;
- a little synthetic winterizer or rags;
- contrasting threads in order to tie a craft.
First wind the base material onto a cardboard rectangle or small book. Then remove the workpiece and drag it with a contrasting thread. In this case, it is necessary to retreat from the edge by a couple of centimeters. To make the craft look more neat, insert a ruler or a thick marker into the large loop formed. Then cut this piece from the bottom.
Now let's take care of the head. Insert a synthetic winterizer between the threads and straighten them so that the "filling" is not visible. To fix the shape of this part of the body, tightly tie a thread of the main color under it.
Weave tentacles
To make the legs, divide the bottom of the craft into 8 flat parts and braid each of them. Pull the end of each leg with a contrasting thread. So that the strands do not mix, separate the fragment with which you work from the rest using cardboard.
Eyes and mouth can be cut out of paper or felt by attaching them to the craft using superglue. You can also try embroidering your face with colored threads.
Now you know what martinis are, how to make them with your own hands, and what varieties of such toys exist. Using this technique, you can come up with your own unusual creations in this style.