Handkerchief Doll Craft for Ritual

Come Autumn, the earth undresses, settles down and prepares to stretch out under a blanket of winter and rest. In this blog, we’ll make an easy, no-sew handkerchief doll to use in ritual–Mabon or otherwise. It’s easy enough that it can even be done by a group within or just before your ritual.

The Crow song “Autumn Time” was written as a lullaby to Mama Earth to help her prepare for the long sleep of winter. Autumn serves as the evening-time of the year, a time to slow down, relax and start putting the frenzy of life to bed for a while.

Autumn time is coming, dear.
Cold and dark are drawing near.
Apples fall from highest branch,
And freezes nip the garden.

Handkerchief Doll Materials

• 1 handkerchief
• Cotton or polyester fiber fill or cotton balls (about 10 large)
• ½ yd. ribbon, yarn or embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Sharpie marker (optional)

Handkerchief Doll Instructions

Start with a handkerchief. It can be a plain men’s handkerchief or you can go for something with lace and embroidery. A new hanky would be perfect. However, a clean hanky is acceptable. Yes, material crusted with mucus and spit would be more realistic, but we aren’t going for realism. If you want to make a real baby, that’s probably more of a Beltane season post.

Lay your handkerchief out on a flat surface. About ½ way across and two-thirds of the way toward the top, make a pocket with the material. Stuff the pocket with cotton batting or cotton balls to make the head. Then take about 6 inches of ribbon, yarn or embroidery floss and wrap around the bottom of your cotton-stuffed pocket (the neck). Leave about and inch loose to tie off at the end. You can either trim the ends or leave a bit of length for a bow.

Now take the ends of the handkerchief closest to the head and tie your ribbon/yarn/floss about one inch from each end. These will be your hands.

Some people leave their dolly like this. Alternatively, you can give your doll a face. Draw eyes—I like them closed for a sleeping doll—and a little mouth. Alternatively, you can use embroidery floss to sew eyes and mouth on, but I’m guessing if you take this option, you probably already know how to embroidery. I find it easier to sew the face before stuffing with cotton. This takes some careful planning to get the face in the right place.

Ritual Use for your Doll

Ta da! You have your very own handkerchief doll. Now what do you do with it? No, do not wipe your nose on it. Create a ritual!

• Name your doll after a goddess or heroine and let her sleep a night in the full moonlight to charge her.
• Dedicate your doll to a project or activity that you need to put to rest, either temporarily or permanently, for the winter.
• Use your doll as a Brigid Doll for your Imbolc celebration. (Check out some wonderful ideas for Imbolc rituals by Circle Sanctuary and The Goddess and the Green Man.)
• Use your doll in a ritual of preparing Gaia to sleep in autumn. You can do this at Mabon, or at any time during the autumn season when you start feel the pull of winter sleep.

Autumn time is coming, dear.
Cold and dark are drawing near.
The Goddess wraps you in her arms,
And keeps you warm through winter.