Making Dreamcatchers

One of my favorite things in life is to go into shops that smell like incense and look at all the beautiful works of art that reside there. My favorite pieces are always the dreamcatchers. Some dream catchers have leather inside with a picture or symbols on it. Others are adorned with feathers and beads that make a splash of beautiful color above your bed.

It seemed that I never had the money to buy a great dreamcatcher, but one summer I was visiting a friend and her sister came to visit. She was quite handy with crafts, and she knew how to make dreamcatchers! She sat down with me and helped me make one, and I would like to share this information now in case anyone else would like to know how to create these beautiful pieces of art.

Supplies:

You can find round hoops in the jewelry section of Walmart or in any crafting or hobby store. Usually they come in various sizes so you can decide what size you want your dreamcatcher to be. I would start out with a mid-sized hoop because small things are often harder to work with.

The next item you will need is something to thread around the hoop. I have used many different things, and you can try them out to see what works for you. I have used flat leather strands, waxy cord, plain cord, and even ribbon. They make specific thread for this purpose but you would need to go to a hobby shop to find it most likely.

The next thing to consider is the thread in the center that forms the dreamcatcher. I like to use thread or embroidery thread for this.

Super glue, beads if you want them to be part of your dreamcatcher, a needle and feathers.

Step 1:

Wrap the leather, cord, or whatever type of wrap you like around the metal hoop and put a dab of glue where you start, preferably super glue, to hold it firm. Wrap it tightly and make sure no metal shows through. Continue to put a spot of glue on the hoop about four times as you go around. Leave a loop at the end/beginning to hang the dream catcher with.

Step 2:

Once the hoop is wrapped, take your lighter weight thread and start at the top where you began wrapping, and insert the needle into the wrap and about one inch over, or a little more if you are using a big hoop, insert the needle into the wrap and make a loop. The loop should be somewhat loose. Do this all the way around until you come back to where you started. At that time, take the needle and make a small knot in the center of the first loop so you can begin the same process again only this time it will be in the center of each previous loop. Continue to do this until you reach the middle of the dreamcatcher. If you want beads on your dreamcatcher, this is where you thread them onto the light thread as you go around.

Step 3:

Once you are done with the inside, the fun starts. That's when you add feathers to the sides and bottom, or just the bottom. To do this you can put a bead on the feather and sew it to the wrap, and then put the heavier wrap around the top of the feather so the sewing does not show and all you see is the feather. Another way to do it is to tie a piece of leather to the hoop and tie the feather to it by wrapping it around the top and glueing it so it does not slip out.

There are many fantastic things and creative things you can do once you get the hang of it. I have even used hoop earrings and made dream catcher earrings with one long feather on the bottom. You can also wrap the hoop and then tie a piece of leather to the inside of the dreamcatcher and make a picture of a wolf, Native American pots, or anything that you find beautiful.

I hope this is informative and helps someone create something beautiful!!