Witch Krafting with Kat

Now you have created your spirit doll how about making them a magical staff. This is so simple but very fun to make. All your need is a stick, glue and some decorations. The staff above was made by gluing and wrapping wool around the stick. I then wrapped the top with some florestry wire and then glued a button and feather on top. You could wrap your staff with string, lace or raffia. Try adding a bead or crystal at the top.  If you prefer a wand make the stick smaller and glue on sequins. Top the plain stick, middle wrapped in wool and florist wire. Bottom using raffia, wire and bead. Her wand is made from a smaller stick wrapped in wool and decorated with a bead and sequins. Places to buy and source materials. Firstly just look around you, buttons, shells, broken brooches, odd earrings, sequins, watch parts,string, wool, scrap fabrics are perfect for spirit doll making.  I have found really cool items in pound shops, as well as Hobbycraft, The Range ...

Here are some of my spirit dolls to give you some ideas for your own creations. The one above is a stone spirit doll made from hag stones I found on a recent trip out. He is the spirit of stones and as he is a hag stone a connection from this world to the world of the fairy realm. This is a spirit witch which reflects myself. She is wearing a witches hat which reflects my interest in all things Witchy and also a hint of my previous life as 'Kat the Hat lady'. Those who know me probably remember I specialised in making miniature witches Hats for a living. The eye is to ward off evil, the acorn is my love of Autumn and the toadstools she carries ( made by Jenny Kelm of Kastle Kelm miniatures) is my love of toadstools and Fungi. The colours used are my favourite. This spirit doll is the the spirit of Autumn fairies ball. She is dressed in Autumn colours, wears a feathered 1920's style headdress and has a wand. She is all about having fun! Coming soon pa...

Welcome to part two on how to make a spirit doll. In the last post we made the basic body for your spirit doll using a stick/twig, pipe cleaner and wool. Now it is time to add some clothes and give your doll character. Remember spirit dolls are to be created with positivity and with whatever you have to hand. Thus this tutorial is a guide rather than a rigid tutorial. Taking a piece of fabric wrap loosely around the body of your doll. Tie in the middle, I used a spare pipe cleaner but you can use a ribbon, string or length of wool. This will be your dolls dress or robes. Remember your spirit doll can be male or female. You can also make it as an animal!  Now for a head.  You can use a bead, a ready made cabochon, a stone or you can create a head using air dry clay or fimo. You can of course have it head free!  I made a sun head from air dry clay which I glued onto place and then painted it with acrylic paints.  Different head ideas...

A couple of examples of Spirit dolls made by me. The idea of my spirit doll is that is handcrafted using bits and bobs and that anyone of any age can make one.Though I recommend adult supervision for younger children as some sharpe object are used in the making of the doll. Firstly the really fun bit gathering your spirit doll making supplies. You will need twigs, wool or string, feathers, stones, fabric scraps, beads, sequins, really whatever takes your fancy. You can pick twigs from the ground in your garden, or whilst walking the dog. Please don't snap twigs from trees as it won't add good vibes to your doll plus it is not kind to the tree! You will also need some glue, pipe cleaners or wire scissors and an awl Now the idea behind my spirit doll is to take some time out from the rat race and to spend a couple of hours rekindling the joy of making something like you used to do with a mind of a child. No preplanned sketches, no sewing, no rules! They don't have to ...

I am lucky to live in the UK where Witchcraft is viewed with an open mind and an open heart. There are festivals, markets, masked balls, specialist museums, exhibitions dedicated or have a large aspect of them dedicated to the history of Witches and Witchcraft. There are also many artists who's arts and crafts are inspired by the magical realms and historians who make a lifetime study of the subject. There are also many working white witches and Wiccans who do magic for good purposes and I might add also for fun and for relaxation. Not to mention children up and down the country and across the world who love the world of Harry Potter! Even last weekend I had a fun time making poppets, and listening to talks about the witches of Northamptonshire at Kettering Museum. These talks highlighted that most Witch trails mainly picked on the poor, usually outcasts characters and were mainly started as neighbourhood disputes. It was easy if cattle died or someone got sick to point a finger at...