Worried? So you should be! Today we’re taking a look at worry dolls, which are tiny little dolls that are so worried they’ve been named after their affliction. They’re also known as troubled dolls, or Muñeca quitapena in Spanish, but they’re super cute and groovy – in this post, we document their history and how to MAKE your own! Proper ZOMG, right?

Worry Dolls

Okay, so these bad boys are hand made wee dolls that have a, kind of, enigmatic expression. They originate from Guatemala (nothing to do with guacamole) and are created from a mixture of materials – vibrant textile colours, wire, and wool, mainly (more on this below, calm yourselves down already).

They vary in size, but are usually a few centimetres in length. If you want a “proper” sized doll, then just buy a Barbie or whatever. However, those stupid things don’t have the capacity to dispel with your worrying. This whole “worry” thing is based on Guatemalan tradition from Mayan times. The dolls were handed to children afflicted with sorrow – thusly, they were cured! Perhaps its a placebo effect, or some such.

These things are still hugely popular in Central America. We last saw them in our necks of the woods, that’s North West England y’all, was circa 2012 in an Oxfam. Prior to that, it was in 2002. On a trek to Preston one college lunch break, we found them in a shop and bought them. We’d like some more, frankly, so may either steal them (which would create worry, consequently allowing us to alleviate such concerns), or buy them. Or if anyone wants to make some for us, please go ahead.

DIY Dolls

The lady above has provided a pretty thorough guide on how to make them. If you don’t like staring at moving things, however, then there’s a feckin’ awesome worry doll guide right there in PDF form. Seriously, that guide is about as epic as you’re going to get – according to the instructions there, all you need is the following:

"Some pipe cleaners, wooden/plastic bead, wool (or yarn) and scissors - that's it!"

There’s also this Access Art guide if you’d like a more traditional looking SOB. Well, there we go! Want to wish away your worries? All you need to do is create some worry dolls then whisper some sweet (or sweat, giving how hot it is right now) nothings at them before you go to bed. Stick them under your pillow, or in a little baggie, and you’ll be all set for the rest of your life! Probably.