How to Make a Dream Catcher

Dream catchers were made popular and brought to attention by the native people of North America. The story behind Dream Catchers is that you place them over your bed. The Dream Catchers catch the bad dreams in their web where they become trapped, so that they can not bother you through the night. You are guaranteed to have pleasant dreams with a Dream Catcher around. As well as having a purpose, they are very decorative and beautiful to look at.

This project is recommended for all ages but the younger children will need help and supervision by an adult.

Instructions

To make your own Dream Catcher, you will need a metal hoop. These are sold in craft stores in various sizes. You can make them as small as the 2" diameter hoops or as large as a 3 foot diameter. But if you are just new to the craft, start with one that's easy to handle in your hand, such as a basic 4" or 6" hoop.

Materials

You will then need:

* strands of leather (sold in a beautiful assortment of colors)
* spool of cat gutt
* beads and feathers (also, the more colorful the materials, the prettier the Dream Catcher)
* other little trinkets can be added as desired
* glue gun (or white LePages glue for the younger craftsperson)
* scissors

If you don't have these materials, you can use alternatives, rather than going out and purchasing them as this can be a costly project. You can make Dream Catchers as individual as you are. No two need look the same.

*Hint* Look up Dream Catchers online to maybe get an idea of how you'd like yours to look.

Alternative Materials:

Hoop: tree branches that are bendable. Tie the ends together with string or wire (I've made quite a few Dream Catchers with tree branches. It gives them a natural, earthy look)
Cat Gutt: colored string, thread, plastic thread, gimp, embroidery thread.
Leather Strips: ribbon, strips of leatherette, strands of material cut in uniform strips.

Directions:

The hardest part of making a Dream Catcher is in weaving the actual web. It takes some skill and a lot of practice, but once you've got the idea, it gets easier each time.

*Hint* - if you've ever embroidered, using the blanket stitch, weaving the web of the Dream Catcher is much the same stitch. You may want to practice the blanket stitch on a piece of material to get an idea of the motion.

Getting Started

Web

Fasten a long strand (about 3 feet) of cat gutt (or string) onto the hoop with a secure knot (this will later be hidden by the leather). Then working your way around the hoop, make a slip stitch (blanket stitch motion) about every inch or so. It doesn't really matter how far apart your spaces are, but they should be uniform. Once you get back to your starting point, slip stitch into the first loop that you made. Continue slip stitching through all the loops. Eventually you will make your way to the center of the hoop. If you like, you can slip a bead through the string anywhere along the web as you are slip stitching, for decorative purposes. Tie your string off and cut off the excess. You have just completed the web.

Leather

Once you have your web made, the rest is easy. Take your leather strands (or ribbon) and wrap it neatly and uniformly around the hoop. Leave a 4 to 6 inch piece of leather overhanging. You will need this as your hanger for the end.

Now that you have the leather wrapped all around, again, leave a 4 to 6 inch overhang. Place a bead over these 2 strands of leather, pushing the bead tight against the hoop to secure the wrapped leather tightly. This will prevent the wrapped leather from unraveling. You can also add a bead to the top. This forms the hanger for the Dream Catcher.

Beads and Feathers

Now you're ready to decorate your Dream Catcher. Cut long strips of leather to hang between the webs on the bottom of the hoop. They can be as long or short as you choose, or alternate the lengths of leather. Secure them with a bead, one to the top, tightening it up against the hoop, and another at the bottom. You can add as many strips of dangling leather as you like to give it your own personal touch. Add a bit of glue to the bottom bead and tuck your feather stem into the glue.

You can also hang a small leather strip to the web itself, place a bead on it and glue in a feather. This adds a very pretty touch to your Dream Catcher.

You have now made your very first Dream Catcher. Well done. Sweet dreams.