Worry Dolls and how to make them.
201202968 Lim Jung Yun
Are you a worrisome person? Do you have concerns and anxieties that keep you up late in the night? Is going to sleep after a long day the highlight of your worry-filled day? If that is the case, why don't you try making a worry doll? Unlike a conventional doll which destiny is fulfilled through pampering and loving, a worry doll worries for you and cheers you up after a troublesome day.
The true name of the worry doll is actually " muñecas quitapenas" which literally means "trouble doll". It is a traditional Guatemalan doll that has is origins in Mayan culture. According to legend, if a person has a worry, he or she will make a worry doll and tell his or her secret to the doll. Then, the worrier sleeps with the doll under his or her pillow. The worrier will be able to sleep peacefully while the doll will worry instead. When the morning comes, the worry will vanish into thin air. As it is more of a functional doll rather than being decorative, the worry doll is small in size and quite simple to make. In just a few easy steps, you can make your own personal worry doll to dispose at your pleasure. Let's proceed!
The first step is to make the body of your worry doll. Try to pick a small and flat piece of wood or plastic for the body. Keep in mind that you will later sleep with the worry doll under your pillow. If the body for your doll is too thick, you will not be able to have a good night's sleep. If your pillow is soft and fluffy, it would be better to make a doll out of thin matchsticks or a toothpick. If you sleep on a firm pillow that has a fixed shape made of aerofoam, thicker materials such as a pencil or a straw are also all right. Then, wrap string or yarn around the body in a tight and horizontal fashion. String is the traditional material, but nowadays pipe cleaners are also as popular as they give off a nice muppetty vibe. After finishing wrapping, either carefully sue the body parts together or glue the end of the pipe cleaner or string with a glue gun so it does not fall off later. When the torso is finished, make arms and legs following the same process and glue it to the torso. Be sure to cut the legs and arms so they are proportional to the size of the torso or all the other dolls will make fun of your Frankensteinian doll.
Once you finished making the body, it is time to give your doll a head. Find an appropriate sized bead or button and use paint or markers to draw facial features on it. If you feel like it, adding hair or ears using what you have is also highly recommended. If you draw big ears on your doll, there is a high chance that your doll will hear your worries better. After finishing the basic skeleton, it is now time to clothe your doll. This is a chance to get in touch with your inner child. Fashion an outfit for your doll using paper, leftover fabric, stickers, whatever your imagination allows. Admittedly, worry dolls are no Barbie and Ken dolls, but that does not mean you can't get a kick out of dressing them up.
Now, you will have a completed worry doll ready to unburden you from your worrisome thoughts. Hopefully, the process of making the doll might have soothed you down a little bit. If not, tell your worry doll what troubles your mind lately. It may seem foolish at first, but talking about it out loud instead of silently mulling over it actually helps more than you think. Also, it is important to keep an open mind and a hint of that inner child in yourself that used to believe in Santa and imaginary friends. Otherwise, all you are is an idiot talking to a three inch doll.
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