San Francisco - February 14, 2007

Crazy in Love

Craft Magazine’s Voodoo Doll Project

Valentine’s Day is for lovers. Bah, humbug. Why not torture the ones you loathe with a voodoo doll pincushion instead?

What you’ll need:
Small fabric scraps, for the stuffing
Larger fabric scraps, for the outside of the doll
Fine steel wool, for the head of the doll
Needle and thread
Scissors
Marking utensil
Yarn, scraps, and buttons, for doll’s features and clothing

Instructions:
1. Cut out the pattern. For the body of the doll, you’ll need two identical pieces — one for the front of the doll and one for the back.

2. Match the two pieces, one on top of the other, with the good sides facing each other. Sew ¼-inch in from the border, leaving a 1½-inch gap along the outside of one leg for stuffing. Then, turn the sewn pieces inside out so that the hems are on the inside and the good sides of the fabric are on the outside.

3. Stuff the head of the doll tightly with steel wool. Fill the rest of the body with small fabric scraps, doing the torso last. Sew a mouth, nose, black heart (or whatever) with nice, big stitches.

4. Use thread, buttons, yarn, and fabric scraps to give your doll character. For hair, run thread through the top of the head with a needle, leaving a long tail out on both sides. Lay a piece of yarn perpendicular to the thread, overlapping the area where the thread runs under the fabric. Tie the tails in a knot over the yarn.

Now stick it where the sun don’t shine.

Project courtesy of Craft Magazine. For more handmade fun, go to craftzine.com.