Activity Overview
Create your own Clothespin Worry Dolls with a few simple supplies and steps. The origin of Worry Dolls is rooted in Guatamalan culture and they are a meaningful and creative way for all ages to process and express their feelings of anxiety and worry. Legend has it that if you are worried about something, you place a worry doll underneath your pillow and when you wake in the morning, the doll will be gone, and the worry will have disappeared along with it.
Wrapping the yarn around the clothespin can be soothing and calming and because clothespins are bigger in size compared to traditional worry dolls, this project spans a wide array of ages and skill levels. If you are making these wonderful dolls as gifts, be sure to include the instructions on what to do with them.
Materials Needed
- Clothespins without spring
- Fine tipped Sharpie marker
- Embroidery thread
- A thin wooden skewer, chopstick, or even a pipe cleaner
- Tacky Glue
How to Make It
- Wrap and twist a pipe cleaner around the clothespin to create arms for your worry doll. Cut the pipe cleaner to size for arm length.
- Start at the neck of your clothespin and begin wrapping your clothespin with embroidery thread. Wrap over and around the pipe cleaner too.
- Wrap the thread until you get to the waist portion of the clothespin. Cut the thread and tie off. Pick another color thread and start wrapping right over the loose string that you just cut.
- If you are making a boy doll, wrap each leg of the clothespin leg individually and tie off.
- If you are making girl dolls you can either make one with pants or wrap the leg portion together as one to form a dress or skirt.
- Use your fine tipped marker to draw a face on your worry doll.
- Next gather some embroidery thread to resemble either long or short hair and use the tacky glue to hold the hair in its place.
