DIY project: How to make a homemade dreamcatcher
I’ve been wanting to make a dreamcatcher for months now and let me tell you, it’s super easy to do and doesn’t take any more time than watching an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy!”
I know this isn’t the most traditional dreamcatcher but it sure is pretty, and I love looking at the different vintage laces, buttons and feathers.
Months ago, when there wasn’t any snow on the ground yet and we were cleaning up the last piles of sticks and leaves in the yard, I asked my husband, Jason, to cut me a few skinny branches from a tree we had cut down in the spring. He cut up the tree for firewood and left a few assorted branches on the porch for me to do whatever with. Most of the time, he doesn’t even ask about my intentions anymore …
Of course, I had a project in mind but for a few more weeks those branches just peered up at me every time I went outside. One evening, I finally picked out one of those branches, brought it inside and decided it was time to start working on that dreamcatcher I had been imagining in my mind for so long.
If you’d like to make a similar dreamcatcher, you will need the following:
A fresh, thin branch
Cotton string (Packaging string works fine and Martha Stewart makes cotton hemp string in various colors, as well.)
Lace trim (I used mostly vintage trim I bought at an antiques shop in a big bag for about $3. You can also find it online for pretty cheap.)
Feathers (Any craft store will have a variety.)
Suede cord (craft store or etsy)
Wool
Buttons (Again, I used vintage buttons from the thrift store I’ve collected over time.)
You can add whatever you like to this. Make it your own and check out the trim section at your local craft store as well.
First you’ll need to bend your branch into a circular shape and use some of the cotton string to tie it with. A second person can be very helpful with this. Once it’s tied nice and tight, cut another extra-long piece of string for the net or web you want to create on the inside.
I didn’t measure mine and it will depend on the hoop size, but if you’re unsure just be generous with the length.
Tie one end to the hoop and then just start wrapping it around the entire hoop leaving about 1.5 inches to 2 inches between each loop you make. Don’t pull the string too tightly. Once you get back around to your first loop, you want to guide the string through that loop and then through the next and so on.
If you keep doing that, you will automatically create a net that will get smaller to the inside of the hoop. Because the hoop isn’t perfectly round, my net also doesn’t look even and like the traditional dreamcatcher net.
If this just confused you, please refer to the diagram in the sliding images above.
I used the end of the string to tie a button but you also can cut it off or string beads into your net while you’re working on it. Wooden beads would look amazing!
Once the net is complete, simply tie all of the decorations onto the branch. I tied a few feathers together with the suede cord which worked well, no glue needed. Whenever you’re satisfied with the way your dreamcatcher looks, hang it up and admire your work!
Web columnist and local blogger Sophie Steele is a German native living in Washington County with her husband, son and two dogs. A Cal U. design graduate, her personal style blog, The Forge, is about great food, photography, fashion and Steele’s outlook on living an inspired and creative life. Follow The Forge on Facebook and on Twitter: @theforgestyle.