Guatemalan Worry Doll
Guatemalan Worry Doll
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Eligible contiguous U.S. orders of $75+ receive complimentary USPS Priority Mail shipping.
Rooted in a Guatemalan bedtime tradition. You share a worry with the doll, place it beneath your pillow, and sleep. By morning, the burden feels lighter. Each doll is made by Guatemalan artisans from colorful cotton thread and natural fibers, so no two are exactly alike.
The Legend of the Worry Dolls
The legend belongs to Ixmucane. As the story is told in the Guatemalan highlands, she received a gift from the sun god: the power to ease any worry a person could carry. The doll stands for her and her wisdom. When you hand your worry to the doll, you hand it to her, and she keeps it through the night.
In the older Maya source, the Popol Vuh, Ixmucane is not a princess but a creator grandmother, one of the divine figures who helped shape the first people from maize. That depth is why these dolls are treated as more than toys. Read the full legend.
Why Each Doll Is One of a Kind
No two dolls match. Because each is wound and dressed by hand, the patterns, colors, and small expressions differ from one doll to the next. The variation is the mark of the maker, not a flaw.
Details
- Object: Handmade Guatemalan worry doll
- Sold as: Individual doll
- Includes: One small pouch
- Size: Approximately 2 to 2.5 inches tall
- Materials: Colorful cotton thread and natural fibers
- Origin: Handmade in Guatemala
- Variation: Patterns, colors, and expressions vary by doll
- Ships from: Taos, New Mexico
How to Use a Worry Doll
Tell the doll a single worry before sleep and place it beneath your pillow overnight. It is also kept as a small folk keepsake or given as a considered handmade gift, pouch and all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Guatemalan worry doll?
A small handmade doll from the Guatemalan highlands, traditionally given a person's worries before sleep so it can carry them through the night.
How do you use a worry doll?
Tell it one worry, place it under your pillow, and leave your worry with it overnight.
How big is each doll?
Approximately 2 to 2.5 inches tall.
Is each doll sold individually, and does it come with a pouch?
Yes. Each order is one worry doll, and it includes a small pouch.
Where is it made?
Handmade in Guatemala and shipped from Taos, New Mexico.
Explore more handmade folk art in the Guatemala collection.
Top FAQs Answered 🌟 frequently asked questions
Will I receive the exact item shown?
If a product is listed as one-of-one, vintage, a unique specimen, or the exact piece photographed, that is the piece you will receive. Repeatable apparel and multi-unit products may use representative photography and will match the purchased style, size, color, and listed specifications.
Are all your items handmade?
No. Many pieces are handmade, hand-knit, handwoven, carved, assembled, or produced in small quantities. Others are commercially produced. We state the material, construction, maker, origin, and technique on the individual product page when those facts are known.
Do you restock sold-out items?
Sometimes. Core apparel and repeatable merchandise may return when available. One-of-one, vintage, limited, and unusually sourced pieces often do not. If inventory says one, there may really be only one.
What determines the price of a piece?
We consider material, fiber content where applicable, construction, finishing, origin, workmanship, production quantity, condition, and the finished piece itself. Price makes sense only after you know what you are comparing.
What is your return policy?
All products may be returned within 30 calendar days after delivery. Merchandise must be unused, unworn, and in original condition. Contact info@shopfromtheandes.com to request a return. Approved U.S. returns include a prepaid return label paid by From The Andes. Eligible returns may receive a refund of the merchandise price, an exchange, or store credit, with no restocking fee. Approved refunds are initiated within 3 business days after inspection, and From The Andes pays outbound shipping on approved exchanges.
Returns require prior authorization and must meet the condition requirements in our Refund Policy.
Where does my order ship from, and how quickly?
Orders ship from Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, and typically leave within 1 business day. Orders placed after 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time typically ship the following business day. Orders placed on weekends or recognized holidays typically ship the next business day. Handling time is separate from carrier transit time. We use USPS or UPS and provide tracking. USPS currently publishes a 2–3 business day service objective for Priority Mail after USPS accepts the shipment; Priority Mail delivery is not guaranteed.
Where do you ship?
We ship to eligible addresses within the United States and supported U.S. territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, supported U.S. territories and possessions, and eligible APO, FPO, and DPO addresses. Orders of $75 or more shipping to an eligible address in the contiguous United States receive complimentary USPS Priority Mail shipping. Orders of $75 or more shipping to an eligible address in the contiguous United States receive complimentary USPS Priority Mail shipping. Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and eligible APO, FPO, and DPO addresses are charged the available USPS rate shown at checkout.