Honor Hispanic Heritage Month with your family by making worry dolls from Guatemala. It will be fun to see everyone’s creative designs! The projects below from local San Diego art educator, Alyssa Navapanich, include directions for craft stick worry dolls and pipe cleaner worry dolls. Do whichever project you prefer.
Worry dolls have been created by the indigenous people of Guatemala for centuries. According to legend, when children (and adults) have worries that keep them up at night, they can tell their worry dolls before going to sleep and the dolls will worry for them, allowing kids to sleep soundly. A related picture book my students love is “Silly Billy” by Anthony Browne. Another book I recommend is “The Legend of the Worry Doll” by Terilee Greeff.
Supplies
- Two craft sticks (standard size) OR two chenille stems (pipe cleaners) and one 1½-inch wooden bead FOR EACH DOLL
- Brightly colored yarn
- White glue
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Thin permanent markers
- Brightly colored fabric scraps
Pipe Cleaner (chenille stem) Worry Doll Directions
- Cover your workspace with an opened large paper bag, placemat or plastic cloth.
- Insert a chenille stem into a bead pushing the bead to the center of the pipe cleaner. Fold the pipe cleaner over the bead and twist the pipe cleaner under the bead to secure.
- For the arms, cut the second pipe cleaner in half and fold the ends to form hands and feet.
- Wrap yarn (or fabric) around the “body;” under the bead (head) to cover the neck, around each arm (leaving hands exposed) and the torso. To change colors for pants, cut the first yarn and tie it to the new color. Hide the knot by wrapping over it with the new yarn. Continue wrapping around each leg (leave feet exposed) to make pants. See photos for reference.
- Using a marker, add a face and other details you choose. Add yarn for hair or fabric for a hat.
Craft Stick Worry Doll Directions
- Cover your workspace with an opened large paper bag, placemat or plastic cloth.
- Break or cut one craft stick in half, ensuring both pieces are as equal in length as possible. These will be the arms of the worry doll.
- Tie yarn (or fabric strips) around the middle of the unbroken craft stick (this will be the doll's waist). Begin wrapping the yarn upward towards the “head” covering the stick as you go, leaving about a one-inch space at the top.
- Align the two halved craft stick pieces along the main stick at the point where the arms should be. Hold the arms in place and wrap the yarn around them to secure them to the body. You may want to add a dab of white glue to help secure them before wrapping. See photos for reference.
- Continue wrapping the yarn tightly around the craft stick, moving up from the arms to the waist. Leave enough room to draw a face. Tuck the end into the last wrap and secure it with a dab of glue.
- Next wrap yarn under the arms, going down to the bottom of the stick. You may leave a space at the bottom for shoes, if you wish. Note: If switching yarn colors, cut the first yarn and tie it to the new color, then hide the knot by wrapping yarn over it. Continue wrapping, changing colors as often as you like.
- Once you've wrapped the yarn down to the bottom of the doll, cut the yarn and secure it by pushing it underneath the last wrap and secure with a dab of glue. If you want to add a fabric skirt or other clothing, now is the time to do it. Cut fabric to fit around the doll and secure with glue.
- Use fine tip pens to draw facial features on the craft stick and shoes (optional). Add yarn for hair, if you wish.
Alyssa Navapanich is an award-winning art educator who teaches art to elementary school kids in San Diego's East County. All photos provided by her.
