Worry Dolls are small, traditional dolls originally made in Guatemala. The idea behind them is simple. If at night you find yourself worrying about things (and worries have a habit of bothering you when you are trying to sleep), you tell your worries to these little dolls and place them under your pillow.
The traditional worry dolls are very small, made from things like match sticks and scraps of fabric. Since then, there have been many variations of making these bright and colourful worry dolls.
Here we show you how to make a different version, using Dolly Pegs. As these are bigger, they are far more manageable for kids and not as fiddly.
Materials Needed:
- Old fashioned dolly pegs
- Washed lolly sticks (craft sticks)
- Brightly coloured wool
- Pens
- A little glue (optional for hair)
Variations:
If you don’t have all the materials on hand – don’t worry, as you can make substitute arms using pipe cleaners. Get as creative as you like with decorating the face and head – my kids love dipping the head into a little glue and then a pot of glitter. Fabulous.
See what you have to hand! If you are making smaller worry dolls, you can replace the wool with embroidery thread. Alternatively experiment with using fabric scarps and securing these with your wool!
Steps
For more fun kid's activities check out these easy and creative Lego games!
Follow these simple steps to make these adorable dolls!
1. Prepare your lolly stick by breaking it in half. Get it as “half" as possible, so both arms are the same length.
2. Tie your first colour around the waist of your doll and start wrapping your wool UP towards the head.
3. Most peg dolls have a slant just under the head – aline your broken craft stick pieces and hold in place. If you wish you can glue them in place first.
5. Time for a colour change – simply cut your first colour and knot to the second colour. Then start wrapping! Hide your knot and knot ends by wrapping over them. Change colours as often as you like.
4. Secure in place by wrapping your wool tightly around the craft sticks all the way up the neck. Then work the wool back down again – under the arms and back to the waist.
6. When you get to the bottom of your doll, cut your wool and carefully make a little knot by looping it in itself. Then tuck any excess wool between the legs.
7. Add a little face and hair using pens. As these dolls have their origins in Guatemala we like to give them black hair, but you can choose!
In addition, or instead of drawing hair, you can add some woolly hair by gluing strands in place!
Your Worry Dolls are now finished and can be put to good use at bedtime! SLEEP WELL!
Make more crafts like these Pom Pom Dolly Peg Fairies by visiting our friends at Red Ted Art!