Tuesday Craft: How to Make a Worry Doll

In Guatemala weaving cloth has actually been an occupation for hundreds of years and the leftover cloth from bags, slings, and clothing has often been used for dolls and charms.

Worry dolls have traditionally been used to ease away worries, specifically from small children. When a child is worried or scared parents give them a Worry Dolls in a Bag . The children places one of the dolls under their pillow while they sleep. The next morning when the child wakes the doll is gone, taking the worry with it. This continues for six nights.

How to Make the Worry Dolls?

You will need:

• Garbage bag ties (three per doll)
• Colored cotton
• Scraps of paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Felt tip pen or marker
• Cloth bag or a small painted wooden box

Each of the dolls will be about 3 inches tall.

1. Twist two of the garbage ties together about one inch from the end. Leave the short ends together for the doll’s head, and separate the long ends for the legs.
2. Wrap the third garbage tie around the other two and twist to make the doll’s arms. Cut if necessary for the doll’s arms to be the same length. Bend the ends of the ties for hands and feet.
3. Tie the end of a long piece of cotton around the centre of the doll and wrap the cotton around the body and down one leg. Then wind the cotton back up the leg. Wind cotton up and down the other leg and tie off the loose ends.
4. Wrap the chest and arms of the doll in the same way that the legs were wrapped.
5. Fold a small piece of paper in half, and trim to a circle shape for a head and face. Fold the head over the twist tie ends, glue in place, and add a face with the pen or marker. Now you have a Worry Doll!
6. Repeat the steps above five times, and then find a suitable cloth bag or box to put them all in.