Liz’s Craft Column: Preventing nightmares with a dreamcatcher
Dreamcatchers are very popular for their aesthetic qualities and their real purpose — preventing nightmares.
According to legomenon.com, dreamcatchers are associated with Native Americans, but can be traced back to the Ojibwa Chippewa tribe in particular.
The Ojibwe word for dreamcatcher asabikeshiinh means “spider,” which refers to the web inside the hoop. A “spider woman” was said to watch over the tribe, but as the tribe grew, the spider woman found it hard to watch over everyone, leading to the origination of the first dreamcatcher.
The dreamcatcher attracts all dreams – good dreams are allowed to pass through, down the feathers to the sleeper, and bad ones get caught in the web, eventually being destroyed by the light of the morning.
In order to make a dreamcatcher, the materials needed include one metal ring, suede trim, one paint brush, hot glue and a hot glue gun, twine, beads and feathers. Any of these materials can be purchased at craft stores, such as Joann Fabrics or Michaels, or even Amazon. The materials are decently affordable.
Grab your metal ring of any size. Then, grab suede trim of any color that suits your preference. This tutorial will be using red.
Begin with the Mod Podge and a painting brush — a sponge brush is easier to use. Put the Mod Podge using the brush on the metal ring in small sections and carefully wrap the suede trim around the metal ring, meeting the two sides together and leaving no gaps.
The very beginning probably won’t stick with just Mod Podge, so hot glue will be needed. Once you finish wrapping the whole metal ring, hot glue both ends together and to the ring. (Be careful not to burn yourself – I did during this.) It is okay to be a bit messy – you will have the opportunity to cover any messes.
Then take any color twine (brown is typical, but any color will do). Colors can add more fun, but it is ultimately up to you. Cut a lot of twine, as a significant amount is used, and it is hard if you run out. If you do, you can tie more on.
Then, tie a knot using the twine onto the bottom where you hot glued the ends. Wrap the twine around the ring, and pull it through under itself to form a loop.
Continue this around the whole ring and space the loops out because the webbing gets smaller as you move into the center. At the first twine curve, wrap the twine around in the same way used for the ring, and continue this until reaching the middle. Make sure to pull tight, so it looks like a spider web.
When at the center, either a knot can be tied, leaving a hole in the center, or can be added. In order to add a bead, string the twine through the bead, wrap it around the twine above it and tie knot.
At this stage, there is freedom to make it one’s own. Typically, feathers are added onto the bottom, but yarn or fabric can be used as well. Also, details can be added around the perimeter.
Colored twine with coordinating colored beads and flowers or yarn of various colors with flowers around the perimeter are options.
In order to add feathers, cut three pieces of the suede trim (any length will do). Cow hitch knot the three pieces onto the bottom: two on either side of the knot and one on top of the knot to cover it.
Hot glue a bead onto each one of the suede “strings.” Then, hot glue a feather into every bead. To finish, a loop will be added to hang it. Grab suede trim, loop to your desired size and hot glue the ends together to make a circle. Cow hitch knot the loop on the top, and that finishes the dreamcatcher.
It can be hung above one’s bed to rid bad dreams, and to add a pop of decoration.
Liz Cherinka is the social media manager of The Beacon. Cherinka started with The Beacon as a staff writer for LA&E in the spring of 2021 and became...