Dream Catchers

[olhillbilly]

1. Using 2-6 feet of grapevine or soaked willow, carefully bend it around to make a circle 3-8 inches in diameter. Traditionally they are no wider than an adluts hand.



2. Twist the piece you are bending, around the cirle to strengthen the vine hoop.

3. Use 4-16 feet of strong but thin string. Length is determined by the size of hoop.
Knot a loop in one end from which you will hang your dream catcher when your done.



4. Tie the hanging loop around the top of your dream catcher, or at the weakest point of the hoop.

The Stitch


5. The dream catcher repeats the same stitch from start to finish. To start, hold the string and place it loosely over the top of the hoop. Move the string around to the back of the hoop (forming a hole) and pull the string back through the hole you just made.



6. Pull each stitch taught but not too tight or it might warp the hoop of the dream catcher and it will not lie flat.

7. Continue the same stitch for the first round around the hoop of the dream catcher. Space the stitches evenly, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart (making about 7 to 13 stitches around the hoop).



8. The last stitch of the first round should be placed about a half inch away from the hanging loop.

Stitch for the second round.



9. On the second and subsequent stitching rounds, place the string around the center of each stitch from the previous round (rather than around the loop).

10. As you pull each stitch tight, the string from the previous round should bend towards the center of the hoop slightly, forming a diamond shape. You should see the spider web starting to form.

11. On the third of forth round, add a bead to represent the spider on the web. Simply place the bead on the string and proceed as normal.



12. Continue stitching towards the center of the hoop. Eventually the Stitches become so small that its hard to pass the string through. Make sure you leave a hole in the center of the dream catcher.

13. Stop stitching at the bottom of the hole in the center of the dream catcher. End by stitching twice in the same place, forming a knot, and pull tight.



14. You should have 6-8 inches of string to tie 2-3 feathers which dangle from center of the dream catcher.

Tie on two or three feathers and knot.



15. Wrap a 1 inch square of felt around the knot of string an the base of the feathers. Tie two 4 inch pieces of string around the wrapped felt.

16. Hang over your bed.

[buzzard]

Thanks Hilly! Been looking for instructions on this. Now if I could just find instructions for making an "Eye of God" that make sense.

[olhillbilly]

Try www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/ojo-de-dios.shtml

or if it dont open (like it wouldnt for me),

try www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/ and scroll down to Gods Eyes.
Lotsa other crafty stuff on this site as well.

[buzzard]

THANK YOU!!! I'll check them out this weekend while I'm hiding from the tourist traffic in town. ;D

[beckyiv42000]

Hilly that has to be one of the best examples I have seen for the stitch part I made a FEW (haha ) catchers b4 (like um 20 for the laughlin party as gifts) but I have been making then for years with and without the shield centers and um my home i could TRY to draw ya example of how to a GODs eye but you prolly already have it figured out huh?

[buzzard]

these directions look pretty easy Becky, but if I can't figure them out, I'll be down to your place for personal lessons. I want to make some small ones for my Xmas tree, I have all western ornaments. Have tried to make these for 3 years and just couldn't get them right, now I think I see what I was doing wrong. {{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}

[GRANDMA COW]

admin said:

Try www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/ojo-de-dios.shtml

or if it dont open (like it wouldnt for me),

try www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/ and scroll down to Gods Eyes.
Lotsa other crafty stuff on this site as well.


Thanks HB I will ave to get mother-in-law to come down and look this site over she is the crafty one around here she will be in HEAVEN well almost Cookie jars are her first love