Curious about worry dolls and how they can help take away your children’s troubles and fears? Worry dolls have interesting origins. They come from the indigenous people of the Guatemalan Highlands. These mostly handcrafted, tiny, little dolls were first created many generations ago for the purpose of easing a person’s fears and worries. According to Mayan legends, a person who is kept awake by his or her worrying should tell their worries to as many of these dolls as they deem necessary, place the dolls underneath his or her pillow and let the dolls take over their worries, so they can sleep peacefully. When dawn breaks, the worrier awakens without the fears that bothered them the night before, thanks to the worry dolls who took them away through the night. Some would place worry dolls in a special wooden box or cloth pouch instead of beneath their pillows. Regardless which variation of the legend you choose to subscribe to, Guatemalan worry dolls can be excellent tools to help children ease their fears of the night.
There are many places from which you can purchase pre-made handcrafted worry dolls, but there is nothing more fun and rewarding than making them yourself. Creating worry dolls can also be an exciting weekend or afternoon activity that you can do with your children. Worry dolls come in many shapes and forms. Their handcrafted nature makes them very versatile when it comes to materials and style. Traditionally, Guatemalans used pieces of wood, which they bind together in order to create frames for the dolls’ body. These Mayan costume-wearing dolls can be as small as ½ to 2 inches tall. Some Guatemalan artisans would also use wire frames for the dolls’ torso, arms, legs, and head. Once a frame has been created, you can start winding yarn and cloth around the doll-shaped frame to give the doll more body. You can use scraps of woven fabric for the dolls’ costumes and then wind more cloth and yarn to create their feet, hands, head, and hair. You may also choose to add other fun elements like tiny woven baskets and other traditional accessories and implements to each doll piece.
These dolls are typically sold in sets of 6 or 12 and they come in cloth pouches or tiny wooden boxes, as legends state. However, making your own worry dolls can be an equally rewarding activity that you can do with your kids.
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