Handout 3: Worry Doll Instructions
Part of A Place of Wholeness
Follow these instructions to create your own worry doll. When you are finished, tell your worries or problems to the doll and place it under your pillow overnight. When you wake up you will have slept better and will be more hopeful!
1. Create the doll’s body. You will need small, still materials to form the “skeleton”: matchsticks, or twigs, clothespins, pipe cleaners, or garbage bag ties. The latter two items are easy to use because you can attach body parts by twisting ties or pipe cleaners together instead of gluing. Create a torso and head about one inch long. Create legs and arms and attach to the torso. Cut small pieces of fabric (burlap and cotton work well) to cover the entire body. Glue the fabric tightly to the body.
2. Clothe the doll. Cover the bottom of the doll’s body, from waist to legs, with a light coating of glue. Pick out a color of embroidery thread or cut small strips of the patterned cloth. Wrap the material around the doll, making either a skirt or pants. Let dry. Do the same for the top of the body, creating a shirt or blouse. Wrap the fabric around and under the arms several times to secure it. Let dry.
3. Head and face. Use the markers to draw features on the face. Dots for eyes, nose and a few dots for the mouth can suffice. Draw hair with markers or glue on small pieces of yarn for hair.