How to make a Witches Poppet
First let's get into what a poppet actually is. "In folk magic and witchcraft, a poppet (also known as poppit, moppet, mommet or pippy) is a doll made to represent a person, for casting spells on that person or to aid that person through magic. They are occasionally found lodged in chimneys. These dolls may be fashioned from such materials as a carved root, grain or corn shafts, a fruit, paper, wax, a potato, clay, branches, rope, or cloth stuffed with herbs with the intent that any actions performed upon the effigy will be transferred to the subject based on sympathetic magic. Poppets are also used as kitchen witch figures." - Wikipedia
First decide what you would like your poppet to do - is it for you or someone else? Is it for love/friendship, healing, energy working, protection? Determine what the poppet is for. Let's do a love poppet for this. So I would start with a pink cloth because it represents pure innocent love. (I'll add a color meaning chart at the end).
Draw a pattern on a piece of card stock like this or any other design you come up with. Does not have to be perfect.
Pin together the folded cloth in several places inside the design. This will help the cloth stay together when cutting.
Grab a sharp pair of scissors! Now carefully cut around the pattern.
Unpin when done and turn the pieces around so the front is facing out on both sides.
Now the fun part. Take the top part of the doll - I sew a button, an eye, mouth and a heart to the front of the poppet. The heart is usually a contrasting color to the doll. The button is usually antique or from the person intended. You can choose what ever you have around. Now, if you don't sew - cut eyes from another piece of cloth or felt and glue them on the front and draw in the details. You can draw or glue on a heart as well or any other symbol that fits your magic. You can add hair by gluing it on the top of the back piece.
Now you can line up the front of the poppet with the back. Lay them on top of each other making sure the front of the fabric is facing out of both sides. Pin them together again if sewing. Use a blanket or running stitch to sew around the edge of the poppet about a 1/4" in from the edge. The top of the head is a good place for the gap. Just leave yourself a 1" - 1.5" gap to stuff. (Take the pins out before stuffing.)
If your gluing the edges do one section at a time leaving a 1.5" gap at the top to stuff the poppet. Go right along the edge so you have plenty of room to stuff. Make sure it's completely dry before stuffing. I would use a fabric glue, Elmer's just wont do.
After you've got your two pieces together with a gap - Let the magic begin. Gather your ingredients - for love I like to use a tumbled rose quartz and a clear quartz, then add rose petals, hibiscus, rose hips, lavender and copal resin. If you don't have these, a lot of books* will have substitutions in the back - please improvise, do what feels right. Place them all in a bowl and charge them with your magical energy. Whisper the outcome, your desires, what ever you want that poppet to help you with. Once they feel like they are charged, set them aside for a moment - or you can place them near a pink candle while you prepare the poppet.
I use Poly-Fil**, it's easily obtainable at any craft store. Start by carefully stuffing the Fil into the legs and arms. It comes with a "chop stick" that is very handy to get the stuffing in the corners. If you want to sprinkle some of the herbs in while you stuff them, go for it. After the appendages are full, place a pinch of Fil in the groin area and place the stones and rest of the herbs in the torso area reserving just a tiny bit of herbs for the head. Now fill the rest of the way, stuffing Fil around the torso area and filling the head half way - adding the last of the herbs and finishing it off with more Fil.
Now sew or glue the open edge of your poppet, fix any edges that may have popped open while stuffing (it happens). Hold your poppet in your hands and charge it again. Give it a name, a purpose and treat it as a friend. Have a real relationship with your poppet. The stronger the bond the more powerful your magic will be.
Be as creative as you want. Add hair to it's head by gluing on yarn to the back panel before sewing or gluing together, add symbols, ribbon, what ever you want. It's your magic and your poppet. Make it as cute or as "evil" as you want. It's all up to you. Mine always turn out cute.
Can you use pins? - Yes, you can if you would like. They can help direct energy in healing dolls or for a specific purpose. For a love doll maybe the head and the heart? In healing dolls place the pin where the aliment is. You can look up pin meanings all over the internet and in Voodoo/Hoodoo books.
If you have questions - just ask below.
Happy Poppet making!
Audra
Color Magic - A quick reference:
Red: Is the color of strength, lust, passion, sexual love, desire, confidence, anger and courage.
Pink: Friendship, pure-innocent love, affection, family bonds, relationships and good will
Orange: Prosperity, attraction, a personal muse, encouragement, sustainable wealth, success, good luck
Yellow: Joy and happiness, positivity, goal achieving, determination, confidence
Green: Financial independence, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and platonic love, luck, fertility
Light Blue: Healing, patience and understanding, communication, clear speaking, honesty and trust
Dark Blue: Mental health, developing empathic abilities, letting go of bad situations or thoughts, wisdom and understanding
Purple: High magic, psychic abilities, divination, ambition and power, connection to the Divine
Brown: Animal magic, grounding, Earth magic, gardening, home life, stability, balance
Black: Ward off Evil, protection, banishing negativity, exorcism and yes, you can use it for hexing, cursing and baneful magic
White: Purity, protection, truth, the divine, angel magic, unity, peace, blessings and cleansing (You can use white as a substitute for any other color)
Gold: Financial gain, quick money - not sustainable, riches, business endeavors, solar magic
Silver: Moon magic, reflection, truth, intuition, dream work and astral travel, clairvoyance
*You can learn about Herbal Magic in books, like I did - I started with Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and expanded with Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by Catherine Yronwode and several others after that. I encourage you to do your own research, it's the best way to learn.
**If you can't get Poly-Fil you can use cotton balls, batting, feathers. Be creative.
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