DIY worry monster

Help to ease your kids anxieties with a DIY worry monster. They're easy to make, cute to use and are recommended by child psychologists.

What is a worry monster?

A worry monster can help teach kids to acknowledge their worries. They’re designed to look cute and friendly and offer a safe space to release anxieties at any time of the day.

Sharing worries is a good way to feel heard and can help alleviate bedtime stress. Worry monsters have been recommended by psychologists to act as a waste bin for the fears, troubles and woes that kids don’t always want to tell their parents about.

How do I use one?

If your child has worries, ask them to identify their worry through a picture or story or a few words. Get them to write it down on the piece of paper and pop it into the worry monster’s unzipped mouth. Overnight the worry monster will gobble up their worries. Just don’t forget to take the worries out before morning! If you do forget, just explain that worry might have needed chewing for an extra night.

How do I make one?

Below you will find easy instructions and our monster template to download to use. 

Idea!

If you are super crafty, get the kids to draw up and design their own monster shape. The following instructions will still help you in putting it together.

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To get started you will need:

• template (download it here)
• coloured felt (the body piece placed diagonally should fit on one standard A4 sheet of felt)
• 1 x 15 cm zip 
• embroidery thread (we used contrast colours to our felt colours)
• hot glue gun or fabric glue 
• ribbon or similar (to hang)
• scissors
• needle
• pins

Step 1.

Cut out the template pieces and pin them to your pieces of felt to hold them into place. Using the templates cut out the following pieces from felt.

Step 2.

On one of the body pieces cut a long thin rectangle where the zip will go (as indicated on the template). 

Step 3.

Pin the zip in place behind the cut away opening for the mouth. Using running stitch, sew the zip in–so that it sits underneath the cut away section. You might need to tuck the ends of the zip in.

Step 4.

Using a hot glue gun or fabric glue, attach the feet pieces to the leg pieces.  

Step 5.

Using a hot glue gun attach the leg pieces to the bottom of the back body piece and do the same with the ribbon at the top.

Step 6.

Pin the body pieces together. Sew them together with blanket stitch. If needed, instructions to stitches are below.  

Step 7.

Attach the nose and eyes with fabric glue or a hot glue gun.

A guide to stitches

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Worry Monster DIY instructions by Beci Orpin for Lunch Lady Issue 25. Photographs by Jacinta Moore.