The Attitude Doll from Bonaire

No worries, mon! Bonaire is one happy island! This is one of the “ABC” islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) and is where the February Carnival is celebrated. You can’t help but be happy in such a beautiful place, but no matter if you are happy or sad, the Attitude Doll will feel the same way as you. How? By the face you paint on!

The brightly colored dress she wears is typical of island colors and fun to wear. The best thing about this doll is that she’s made totally of things that a child in Bonaire found on the beach. A plastic soda bottle, a hair band, some pieces of cloth, an old sock . . . get the picture? There are many treasures around you. All you have to do is look and use your imagination! Although we use a soda bottle with this doll, you can use other things as well. Guess what type of bottle the kids of Bonaire find on the beach a lot? You guessed it -- sun tan lotion bottles!

Materials Needed:

1. An empty plastic soda bottle. If you want a smaller doll, use a 16 bunch bottle. If you want a big doll, use a two liter bottle. Or, just use any sort of bottle at all that you happen to find. Make sure the bottle has a plastic cap with the lower plastic ring still attached.
2. Two pieces of material to make her skirt and top. Any color you want! Ask your mother – she may have some scrap material you can use.
3. A hair “squeegee” or hair band used to tie up a ponytail.
4. An old sock.
5. A piece of braided nylon rope.
6. A magic marker.
7. Straight pins or rubber cement. Make sure an adult is around to help you with this part.

Directions:

1. Take the sock and cut off the part that goes over the foot, leaving the part that goes on the leg. Slip this part over the bottle so that it reaches the top (but below the cap) and bottom. The sock should fit snugly on the bottle.
2. Wrap the larger piece of material around the middle of the bottle, where you think your Attitude Doll’s waist might be. Hold it in place with some rubber cement or by poking straight pins through the material and through the plastic bottle.
3. Wrap the smaller piece of material around the neck of the bottle so that it looks like your doll is wearing a top.
4. Take the hair band and place it across the doll’s middle, like a belt, where the top and skirt meet.
5. Cut two small pieces from the old sock and wrap each one around a piece of cotton or a wad of material. These will be your doll’s sleeves. Pin or paste them where the sleeves should go.
6. Take your piece of rope and unbraid it. Pull all the strands apart so that the rope is frizzy looking. This will be your doll’s hair.
7. Paste one end of the frayed rope on the plastic top so that it looks like the doll’s hair.
8. With your magic marker, draw eyes and a nose on the front of the larger bottle cap, where it is visible through the doll’s hair.
9. Draw a happy smile on the smaller bottle cap and position it below the face. Next, twist the smaller bottle cap around and draw a sad face.

How to Play:

The Attitude Doll is interactive. You can change your doll’s outfit as often as she changes her attitude! Twist the lower top and she’s happy. Twist it again and she’s sad.

If you know any additional information abut this toy or have a toy you've made or seen made please contact us!
info@worldplay.org We'd love to hear from you.