Lately I’ve been doing lots of creating. I usually just gather whatever natural-looking materials I can find, put on some music, light a stick of incense, and see what happens. And these days, I’ve been winding up with lots of triangular dreamcatcher-looking creations.
They seem to be quite the crowd pleaser, so I figured I might as well show you guys how to make them in case you wanted to create your own version. They’re really simple to make – you just need patience and a bit of time. It’s a very soothing experience, really, and in the end you’re left with a raw, natural-looking decoration that will make a statement on any wall. It’s also an excellent outdoor party decoration!
Materials:
3 pieces of driftwood (or any wood) of any size – mine are about 2 feet each
Recycled fisherman’s netting (found at most craft or party supply stores)
Jute or hemp
Natural cotton string
Tea-dyed cotton string (optional – learn how to make here)
Accessories like crystals, bells, and feathers (optional)
Hot glue
Scissors
1. First, assemble your wood into a triangular shape. Secure in place using hot glue, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
2. Cut the netting so that it’s just slightly larger than your triangle, and secure in place using hemp or jute in various spots. In the corners, wrap in an X-shape. You don’t have to worry about securing the netting to the bottom piece of wood, though. We’ll take care of that when we add the cotton string. Use another piece of hemp or jute to make a handle, and tie it tightly to the top of the triangle. I made mine into a braid with a loop at the top.
3. Find a spot on your wall to hang the dreamcatcher while you work – this will make your workflow much better. Begin tying pieces of string to the bottom piece of wood in various lengths. I like to use 3 pieces of string at once – it makes the process go faster, and it makes the string appear thicker, as well. When tying onto the wood, stick each piece of string through the netting to secure it onto the triangle frame.
4. Keep this going until you’ve covered the entire piece of wood in string. I like to design the string lengths so that they appear to come to a point in the middle. I also like mixing up the natural white cotton string with the tea-dyed string. Whether or not you do these things is totally up to you, of course!
5. Once you’re finished with the string, add your embellishments! I added a big feather in the middle, a hanging bell, two hanging crystals, and another crystal on the left side of the dreamcatcher that I secured using hot glue and strong thread. If your dreamcatcher appears slightly lopsided, you can use crystals to help balance it out!
Voila! A huge dreamcatcher to hang wherever you like. This would actually make an awesome housewarming gift for someone.
If you make your own, let us know how it turns out!
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gorgeous! i doubt if i made one they would turn out this cute.
http://www.amoderngypsy.blogspot.com
Beautiful. I actually made something somewhat along the lines of this yesterday. I couldn’t find any fisherman’s net but a little macrame did the trick. I would love to try this sometime soon.
SO whimsical! I love it.
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
Pretty sure we made these in Bible school.
thank you for sharing! Totally going to make my own they’re beautiful!
I’ve been wanting one of these for a long time and this has finally inspired me to make my own! Love this post
xoxo Sara
http://www.restlessnomads.com
Whimsical is a perfect word for this, I love it!
http://www.sunshinedaydreamphotography.com
LOVe LOVE LOVe! I can’t wait to try this :)
I love this DIY. I really love dream catchers but I don’t like leather, so it’s cool to see one that doesn’t use leather!
– Christina http://www.cityloveee.blogspot.com
How do you tie the knots for the hanging string? I can’t tell or figure out why knot you’re using.
Super cool – I like the braidy strands you’ve got going on in there. I’ve been dreaming about dream catchers lately. Thanks for the inspo!
>< http://www.barbariancases.com
that’s one of the most beautiful dreamcatcher’s diy i’ve ever seen!!!! truly inspirational. putting my hands into work already. thanks for sharing! <3
traditional dreamcatchers can be of all shapes and sizes, but a very key piece in it being a “dreamcatcher” is the handspun web. bad dreams are held until they are destroyed by the first rays of the sun. good dreams find their way to the center of the hoop where they enter the life of the dreamer. this is the true purpose of native american dreamcatchers. i handcraft many types of traditional dreamcatchers and native goods with my mother, making traditional pieces using our ancestors sacred methods. you can find our pieces at http://www.etsy.com/shop/1813
kindly,
gowa
I saw the title had driftwood in it and thought this may look to beachy for a non-beach house, but I think this can fit anywhere. I love when an idea I am skeptical of comes together so well. It surprises me.
Went beach combing today and got all the essentials. Can’t wait to get started. Thanks for the inspiration.
I made this yesterday & I’m kinda in love with it. I made it pretty big 4’x2′ & it looks gorgeous on my wall. Thanks so much for this. Love.
Ohh I love dreamcatchers. This is very helpful. Tryna make my first ever DC. Thank you!!! <3
– http://karinasuperbabe.blogspot.com/ xx
good idea to decorate your wall i am going to try this on this weekend :) …
so I got all the supplies and my fiancé and I made one. I was skeptical because it’s been awhile since I made anything. Well, we both loved doing it and they came out great. I made one for my son at college to hang in his room and one for his girlfriend who is moving into a new apt. They loved them. I made a big one for our room that we love. We only used natural things we found at the beach. Shells, feathers, driftwood, rocks and sea glass, etc. I had to substitute the fishermans netting with wired jute ribbon which worked out fine. Loved this.
This is so gorgeous! I adore natural elements in decorating, and I am SUPER excited to try this one! We just moved to a tiny island and I am dying to get out there and start collecting beach treasures and driftwood to do this!
oXo
Nice sharing! You make me want to create it too at home
LOL
I love this page!
Heyy i tried doing this the other day but im so confused about the knots! Can you tell how did you made those knots to be seen 3 stings at the top and 6 at down without making it seem separated from the middle?? Thanks a lot!!
I love Dream Catchers, And I love your design!! I would like to share them on my daughter’s site. She loves them!!!!
http://ividreamcatchers.blogspot.com/
Beautiful! If you like this please check out my dreamcatchers:
Thedreamcatchery.etsy.com
Heading to the beach this year with this project in mind. Thank you for the detailed instructions and pictures. Awesome.