VIDEO: DIY Peg Worry Dolls
Let your worries slip away
These DIY worry dolls are simple to make and can be a fun craft for kids with a little bit of adult assistance. I like to call these little peg dolls “mini-me dolls” because you can make them look just like you! In my live video, I will show you the steps I took to add hair and face details as well as make her simple felt dress and matching Danish wool slippers. You will also see how I created her sleeves and tights using cotton pipe cleaners and added wood beads to create hands and hair buns.
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The traditional tiny, handmade worry doll originates from Guatemala and traces back to a Mayan legend about a princess who was gifted with the ability to solve any problem or worry that a person may have. According to legend, Guatemalan children tell their worries to the worry dolls, placing them under their pillow when they go to bed at night. By morning the dolls have eliminated their worries. Combining parts of this tradition and my love for making peg dolls, I have decided to mix it up a bit and design some modern DIY worry dolls with wood and felt.
While worry dolls are intended to help children identify and let go of their worries before bedtime, I think we can all benefit from not keeping our thoughts and feelings bottled up! Download our free pattern at the end of the post and watch my video tutorial to learn how to make your own set of peg dolls to tell your worries to.
Once you have made your little peg dolls, simply imagine putting all of your worries into the tiny form. Or, speak your worries aloud to your doll. Imagine the doll sits on a round stump that goes all the way to the center of the earth. When you put all of your worries and concerns into the worry doll, they will flow down the stump, into the earth, and be transformed. You can place the doll under your pillow or beside your bed and greet it when you wake in the morning.
When you’re ready to learn how to make these DIY worry dolls, just gather the tools and materials listed here. Then follow my live tutorial below.
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Tools
Materials
- Peg Dolls — 5cm
- Small Wood Balls — 8mm
- Medium Wood Balls — 10mm
- Cotton Pipe Cleaners — Jumbo Pack
- Lia Griffith’s Wool Blend Felt — Grey Marble, Sweet Pea, Lavender, Rose Quartz, Plum, and Periwinkle
- Skin Tone Paint — Blick Matte Acrylics in Beige and Brown
- Hair Color Paint — Blick Matte Acrylics in Black, Brown, Copper, and Gold
- Fabric Markers — Brown, Black, Pink, and Red
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Discussion
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18 Comments
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Jeanne
February 29, 2024 at 6:59am
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Lia
February 29, 2024 at 9:08am
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Cynthia
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Lia
January 4, 2024 at 8:23am
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Susan
April 26, 2023 at 7:35pm
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Lia
April 27, 2023 at 9:03am
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Lia
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Lia
February 11, 2022 at 1:45pm
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Pam
November 16, 2021 at 12:35pm
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Lia
November 16, 2021 at 2:11pm
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Julia
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Maria
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Lia
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Donna
May 29, 2020 at 11:00am
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Olga
May 25, 2020 at 10:39am
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Lia
May 27, 2020 at 8:37am
@Olga
Leave a CommentWhen doing faces, I try to remember that our eyes line up with the top edges of our ears, and our mouths tend to start just below the edge of our earlobes.
Yes! That is a great tool to use!
I would like your pattern for peg doll clothes, but I can’t seem to be able to print it off. I also want to know how long to make the arms and legs.
Have you downloaded the file onto your desktop. Once you do that you can open the file by double clicking then printing it full size (be careful it does not downsize). For the arms, once the bead is attached to the end the arm should almost touch the base of the dress.
Where can I buy wooden pegs like you used with the holes for the arms already drilled?
There is a link in the post for these little wood dolls.
Have you made a boy version yet? I would love to make a family set of these for my little boy. ☺️
We are trying to source these peg dolls and are hoping to have them in our shop soon so we can do a whole set. Happy to hear you like them! 🙂
How you don’t drill them? There are holes.
If you click the link you will see the dolls we used already have holes.
I came across your wonderful video on how to make the peg dolls. I love how you dressed them. I am going to make a bunch to bring to our children’s hospital.
Thank you so much for sharing them.
Happy Holidays
Pam L.
That is such a beautiful idea!
I watched your video on these cute little dolls today. They are so cute and I can think of so many ways to use them along with your beautiful
crepe paper flowers. Thank you for another inspiration to brighten our days.
Julia
I love these little dolls. I will be making them as soon as I get the supplies. I want to thank you for this great idea. I love making things . In the past I have made prayer and problem containers. I also have made cabbage patch , rag dolls.
Wonderful! I hope to make a boy version soon. Many requests for them.
Thank you so much!
Do you drill holes for the arms??
Hi Olga,
You do not drill holes for the arms, at minute 27:12 in the video I show how to attach the arms!
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