Research project on arts and crafts "Traditional folk doll Home Maslenitsa"

Along with the Maslenitsa stuffed animal, in Rus' it was customary to make a mini version of the doll for the home. This amulet was called the daughter of Maslenitsa and was made during Maslenitsa week or on the eve of the start of the festivities.

Unlike the large doll, the home amulet did not have a face. Every Maslenitsa, the housewife made a new amulet, and burned the old one along with a large effigy during public festivities. The Maslenitsa amulet has great power and is able to bring prosperity, peace to the family and save it from troubles and adversity.

The origins and meaning of Maslenitsa celebrations

Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday of welcoming spring and the new year. It's no secret that the New Year used to be celebrated in the spring, after the spring solstice. New Year is not just a holiday on the calendar, it is the beginning of the rebirth of life and fertility. The awakening of Mother Earth, the birth of something new and beautiful. It was in the spring that families were created and weddings took place. In the spring, the sowing season began. What games were present during Maslenitsa festivities can be seen here.

All rituals and games are aimed at saying goodbye to Mara in winter and welcoming spring. The holiday lasts a week and includes several rituals:

marriage (aimed at creating new families, involves introducing young people and parents).
Funeral. The commemoration of the dead takes place throughout the entire Maslenitsa week.
To attract fertility. There are several traditions aimed at increasing productivity: sleigh rides, burning effigy, burying ashes in the ground.

With the adoption of Christianity, it was not possible to eradicate the national holiday and it was included in the calendar of Orthodox holidays. In the modern world, Maslenitsa has lost its sacred meaning and has become a folk celebration of the approaching spring. In the modern world, the date of Maslenitsa varies and depends on the lunar cycle. Maslenitsa festivities are held at the end of winter, and not at the beginning of spring, as before. However, no one diminishes the importance of the main holiday of farewell to winter. This is especially pronounced in the northern regions, accompanied by severe and long cold.

Master class: DIY Maslenitsa doll

Let's prepare materials:

wooden deck (height 12 cm, diameter 4 cm);
horned stick (20 cm high);
thick white thread;
yellow or red thread (for the belt);
trimmings of linen fabric (30x20 cm, 20x20 cm);
filler (a bunch of natural threads);
colored fabric for shirt sleeves (two pieces 15x10);
colored fabric for the shirt itself (a piece of 30x20 cm);
plain fabric for poneva (15x15 cm);
a piece of bright fabric for an apron (strip 15x7 cm);
bright fabric for a scarf (25x25x35 cm);
a small circle of patterned fabric (double-sided);
cardboard.

The preparations are on the table, my hands are itching to start. But first, don’t forget to close the door to the room, kick the cat out and warn everyone at home so as not to distract you. After all, you will have to work on the doll in one sitting. The Slavs believed that if this process was interrupted, the amulet would turn out weak and would not be able to protect or attract good luck.

Step-by-step instruction

Place the slingshot on the wooden block exactly in the middle. Her horns should stick out from above. Secure the twig tightly with thread.
Add filler to the fabric prepared for creating the doll's head, and then tie the material with thread to form a ball with drooping ends.
Wrap the second piece of the same material around the future body of the doll.
Attach the head to the body. There is nowhere to hide the ends, and even if we did this, it would be impossible to connect the two parts. Spread the ends down onto the deck and tie them with thread.
Fold the pieces of fabric for the sleeves so that the wrong side is on top. Hook the roll onto the end of a wooden arm. Glue them together with thread. Lower the matter down.
Repeat this step again, making the second hand. Using the same principle, we make the main part of the shirt. To prevent the shirt fabric from unraveling, you need to fasten it with a thread under the chest.
We attach the poneva and the belt in the same way. First the poneva, then the belt, one by one applying the wrong side to the doll. Pull it up, tie the thread and lower it.
We make a headdress, and after that we attach a belt to the waist. Hide the ends of the scarf so that they don’t stick out in all directions.
We glue two small circles of fabric onto the cardboard on both sides, and then give it to the figure. This element will symbolize the attributes of the holiday - the sun and their smaller copies - pancakes.

Homemade Maslenitsa is ready! Place the doll in the red corner and go get ready for the upcoming holiday.

Maslenitsa scarecrow

A long winter promises a lot of trouble for people. Disease, hunger, and death are frequent companions of winter. Therefore, people celebrate the arrival of spring on such a grand scale; since ancient times, the laziness of honoring Lelya has been a true women’s day, personifying love and fertility. Today it is customary to congratulate women on March 8th.

In the ancient traditions of celebrating Maslenitsa, there were rituals dedicated to Yarilo, the god of the sun and fertility. People celebrated the victory of light over darkness, when the cold and evil spirits receded until the next winter.

You can make a winter stuffed animal according to the presented diagram.
Burning an effigy meant complete victory over winter, with all that it entails. Making a big Maslenitsa is easy. This will require straw, clothing and a little time. The base is represented by 2 boards that make up a cross. The base uses a long and wide block for smaller hands.

A straw woman is formed on top. Fill a bag with straw and put it on your head. After completing the formation of the doll, draw the face.
Make arms and body from bundles of straw; the fuller the skirt, the better it burns.
Wear bright women's clothing.

The stuffed animal is ready. They made it on the first day of Maslenitsa festivities, Monday. They burned it on Sunday.

In Rus', the festivities did not end with the burning of an effigy. People collected the resulting ashes and floated them on water, or buried them in the ground. This ritual was intended to give a good harvest.

In addition to a large scarecrow, you can also make a small one for burning in a fire. Made from any available material that is easily flammable. Unlike the homemade Maslenitsa doll, the stuffed animal has a decorated face. You can make it from fabric, bast, flax, an old broom or a help.

How to make a Maslenitsa scarecrow with your own hands

Saying goodbye to winter without burning an effigy is like New Year without a Christmas tree. No one will judge you for breaking traditions, but, you must admit, the atmosphere will not be the same.

A scarecrow is an integral attribute of Maslenitsa, and it is not difficult to make it with your own hands.

We are used to going in search of a beautiful Christmas tree on the eve of the holiday, but, unfortunately, no one sells stuffed animals for Maslenitsa. Do you want a real holiday, with singing and dancing, burning effigy and eating pancakes? You'll have to try yourself.

Don't worry if you've never done this. We will tell you how to make a stuffed animal, and you can ask your mother or grandmother for the recipe.

Making a straw man

1. Making the base. What we need at this stage: two bars, nails, a hammer. One bar is longer, it should be wider, the other is shorter, narrower. Build a cross from the blanks by placing the smaller piece of wood perpendicular to the larger one.

2. Form the torso. This is where straw comes in handy. We wrap it around the workpiece, not forgetting to fluff the straw at the bottom (to make a skirt later). Use twine to form hands.

3. Make a stuffed head. Let's make a head out of a bag. We stuff it with straw, tie it, and then attach it to the body. Well, isn't it so difficult?

4. Dress up. For clothes you will need two types of fabric - white, which we will wrap around our hands in the form of a shirt, and colored. We wrap the colored one at the bottom, like a skirt or sundress. Choose a bright color, always with a pattern.

5. Draw a face for the stuffed animal. This is not a mandatory stage, but if you want, you can draw eyes, red lips, and rosy cheeks on the doll.

6. Braid your hair. We turn again to the supplies of material set aside for sewing. Look carefully for yellow or light brown fabric. Cut it into long strips and braid it. Attach to the doll's head. The doll is ready for the holiday!

There are no special rules or superstitions regarding burning a doll. You can use a candle or lighter, pour gasoline on the scarecrow, or wait for the wood to burn. The main thing is to follow safety precautions and then during Maslenitsa festivities you won’t have to call the fire department.

The meaning of the Maslenitsa doll

Symbols of the spring festival: Maslenitsa and the solar horse.
Homemade Maslenitsa is very different from the main effigy intended for burning. In another way, she is called “the daughter of Maslenitsa.” It does not exceed the size of 1 cubit and is used as a talisman for home life and storage. A reel is made for each family member and additionally a common one for the house, the latter being larger than personal dolls.

If there were problems or troubles in the house, people shared with the doll, some simply told stories, others tied a knot or tied a ribbon. When the next Maslenitsa came, this doll was burned on a common fire. All misfortunes disappeared along with the smoke. Homemade Maslenitsa, if each family member had a separate amulet, can be stored for a long time.

Homemade Maslenitsa can be made a few days before the start of the holiday or directly during the fun week.

In the modern world, where there is practically no place left for traditions, this doll has not yet lost its meaning. Many people make a talisman or buy it at a fair. It is worth noting that a talisman created with your own hands will always have great power. After all, the master puts part of his soul into its creation.

What can you make a Maslenitsa doll from?

In the old days, a doll for Maslenitsa was made from improvised materials. However, the materials used for this purpose were not particularly important. The main thing is to put your soul into your work in order to please God.

At the end of the holiday, Maslenitsa dolls stood in people’s homes until the next year. A few days before the next Maslenitsa, it was customary to burn the symbol of the previous holiday.

Peasants who ignored this recommendation risked being left without a harvest this year. It is for this reason that the pupae were not stored for a long time.

Nowadays, only specific materials can be used to make a Maslenitsa doll. The most common of them will be discussed below.

Maslenitsa doll made of bast

Appearance of a doll made of bast. Bast
shoes were made from this material in Russia. Now you can make a beautiful doll out of it that will decorate the East Slavic holiday.

Additional Information! Each person has the right to independently choose the method of making a toy.

The features of making a doll from such material are as follows:

Before starting work, the bast of a deciduous tree must be soaked in warm water and left for three days. This way you can increase the strength of the future product.
It is advisable to use linden bast according to the ancient Russian tradition.
You can always find a master class on making holiday toys on the Internet.
At the end of the work, do not drip candle wax onto the doll. This is a bad omen that can lead to adverse consequences in the future. Previously, it was believed that such behavior would anger higher powers and lead to massive fires. Therefore, it is better not to take risks.

From threads

This method of making a Maslenitsa doll is relevant for those who knit. Sewing a product from threads is not an easy task. It is a complex technical process that requires increased concentration of attention from a person. The main thing is to do the work carefully.

A DIY Maslenitsa doll is made in the following sequence:

First you need to tie the doll's head. To do this, you can wrap some rags with threads.
Tie the torso.
Make a skirt or sundress.

You may be interested in Making clothes for Tilda dolls yourself

Note! Each part of the body should be decorated in its own style. Therefore, you need to use threads of different colors.

Maslenitsa doll, sewn from threads

From fabric

Detailed instructions for making such a doll have already been presented above. This toy has several distinctive features:

Beautiful design. If all the rules are followed, the result should be an elegant doll.
The combination of white and red colors cannot help but make the product stand out among similar ones.
Possibility of using eyes for greater believability. You can use buttons, pebbles, paper and other small objects as pupils.
Snow-white shade. Before making a doll, the fabric must be washed.

This method of making a Maslenitsa doll does not require special training or skills. All that matters is manual dexterity. You can make such a toy by watching a tutorial video on the Internet.

Doll made of grass, hay or straw

This is an alternative option for those who do not want to devote a lot of free time to the doll. With the help of hay, the product can be made in a few minutes, following the basic rules and production technology.

Important! In some cases, grass, hay, and straw can be used in the process of making a doll. For example, when designing different parts of the body. So diversify the toy.

It is recommended to use only long grass for ease of production. Small blades of grass are too laborious to plant.

Doll for a traditional Slavic holiday, made of straw

Rules for creating a motanka doll

Even an inexperienced craftswoman can make a talisman. You can also involve children in creating Maslenitsa souvenirs. Grown men should not be involved in the creative process.

The creation of a protective doll is carried out in compliance with simple rules:

You cannot cut or sew on the doll. The use of sharp equipment is allowed during the preparation stage. You can cut off the necessary flaps, sew a skirt, and sew on decorations. After starting to assemble the spool, the thread is torn off by hand. Scissors are not used.
When creating a talisman, be sure to use a red thread, either as the main thread or in addition to others.
To make a mascot doll, use bright colors of fabric and thread. Gloomy and black colors are not used for Slavic dolls. Spring skeins are made from fabric containing floral patterns or plain. Red, yellow, orange, green and sky shades are preferred.
Never frame your face. This will protect the doll from the possession of an evil spirit and it will carry only light energy.
The best size for a Maslenitsa doll is 20-25 cm, this is an elbow doll.

Placed in the red corner or opposite the front door.

Home Maslenitsa is distinguished by a wide variety of images. In each region they make it differently, but now, given the free movement of doll images around the country, there are even more images. Homemade Maslenitsa can be with or without it. With your hands up or down. Decorated with sun, pancakes, wooden spoon or bagels. In general, create from the heart and get your own unique bereginya, and the master class will help you master the basics of making Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa protective doll made of fabric

In order for the amulet to bring happiness and prosperity to your home, keeping these benefits in your family for a whole year, it must be made correctly.

When buying a Maslenitsa doll made of fabric, you cannot be sure that the master did not think about anything unpleasant while working. But this is not a reason to refuse to buy baby dolls from souvenir shops!

To cleanse the doll of negativity, you will need: the doll itself, the waning moon, a candle.

At midnight, light candles in the dark. Having placed the doll on the table, pass the candle around it an odd number of times. If anxiety suddenly appears, continue the ritual until you feel this feeling disappear.

Not only harmful energies can hinder the operation of the amulet, but also violation of manufacturing rules. They used to be very strictly observed, but nowadays traditions are often ignored. We'll tell you what you need to pay attention to.

Rules for making a talisman doll

A protective doll, unlike a stuffed animal, is not burned, but left at home.

Homemade Maslenitsa doll, what you need to know:

There should be nothing artificial among the materials used to make the doll. Only natural fabrics and threads.
Dull and dark colors have never been used to create amulets. This doll is no exception.
Unlike the life-size doll, its smaller copy does not have a face. The Slavs did not paint faces on rag dolls. It was believed that if the doll's face turned out to be similar to one of the family members, it could attract trouble. Evil spirits can inhabit dolls and harm others.
Previously, needles and threads were not used in the manufacture of reels. The fabric was torn by hand, and the needle was replaced with thread. It was the thread that wound the elements of the figure into a single image.

Modern realities have adjusted many rituals and traditions, including this one. Now needlewomen use sharp objects when working on the amulet. But even here there are limitations. Needle-scissors take part only in the initial stage, when the blanks are made. After this, the instruments are put away on the table.