Dream catchers are beautiful traditional Native American trinkets that are told to filter your dreams when you hang them in your window. When dreams enter your room as you sleep, they pass through the dream catchers, which will snag the bad ones and allow the good ones to carry on towards you, giving you sweet dreams! Whether you believe the folklore or not, the story of how a dream catcher works is a nice one to tell children who are having trouble sleeping after a bad nightmare. The best part is that, the next morning, you can help them make a dream catcher of their very own so they’ll feel safe by their next bedtime!
Check out these 15 awesome DIY dream catcher ideas for you or your kids.
1. Paper plate dream catcher
Kiwi Crate suggests giving your kids some string or yarn, some fun beads, and a paper plate to use as the frame of a dream catcher! The plate is already round, so they’ll only have to cut a circle out of the inside rather than two circles to get the frame in the right shape.
2. Giant hula hoop dream catcher
Were your kids dreams very bad? Then help them make a dream catcher that’s very big! We love this giant dream catcher made form a hoola hoop and some thick ribbon or scrap material strips. Chica Club Circle shows you how to make it.
3. Kid-friendly bead and feather dream catcher
Urban Moms shows you how to make a “kid friendly” dream catcher using supplies and techniques that challenge kids’ dexterity without overwhelming them or making them need too much help. Show them how to wrap yarn and thread beads and make sure they’re using safe scissors, and you’ll be good to go!
4. Shapes and embroidery hoop dream catcher
Molly Moo Crafts suggests using an embroidery hoop as the frame for a medium-sized dream catcher! wrap jute or hemp string around the edges and across the middle to make the webbing for good dream catching and hole punch or cut fun shapes to look the decorative dangling strings through too.
5. Beaded heart dream catcher
Are you looking for a dream catcher pattern that’s a little more complicated because you’re making it for yourself? We’re in love with this beaded heart design from Molly Moo Crafts. Between the beads that string from the top to the bottom of the heart and the beads that hang on the strings below, you have plenty of room to make hearts a theme or just enjoy some eclectic colours and textures.
6. Paper feather dream catcher
Many dream catchers involve soft, coloured feathers that hang down from the bottom on decorative strings, but feathers cause some people allergies. Others prefer to avoid them in case their cats decide the dream catcher looks like fun to chase. Instead, try making pretty paper feathers using decorative scissors and patterned scrapbook paper or card stock, just like Disney Family did here!
7. Feathered dream catcher necklace
Are you so in love with the beautiful look of dream catchers that you’d like to actually incorporate them into your personal style and wear them all the time? Check out this tiny dream catcher necklace design from She Knows that will keep your thoughts positive throughout the day just like your larger dream catcher keeps your dreams positive at night!
8. Shabby chic doily and ribbon dream catcher
Do you prefer decor that has a vintage look to it, even if that’s not really true to the traditional style? Try replacing the wound laces in the centre of the dream catcher with a lace doily and the feathered and beaded strings that hand down with strips of ribbon, trim, and pearls. Pat Catan’s shows you how it’s done!
9. Little fairy dream catcher
Is the dream catcher you’re making for a little girl who absolutely loves fairy princesses? Is she a lot more likely to be comforted by the lore of dream catchers if there’s a fairy involved in some way? Follow in Believe You Can‘s footsteps and create a dream catcher with a tiny fairy flying right underneath for extra protection!
10. Bangle and necklace charm dream catcher
Craft Me a Dream suggests upcycled a metal or wire wrist bangle as the frame of the dream catcher, wrapping yarn of coloured string around it to create the webbed centre. Next, they also suggest using an old necklace pendant for dangling decor, giving a quality bobble a new lease on life!
11. Beaded Pokeball dream catcher
Are you as obsessed with Pokemon Go right now as much as any teenager? Then Craft Me a Dream has the perfect design for you! Besides your wrapping skills, you’ll also practice careful beading to create this seed bead dream catcher with a Pokeball centre that’s intricate and totally hilarious.
12. Micky Mouse dream catchers
Do you love the idea of making a novelty dream catcher but Pokemon isn’t really your thing? Try adding two smaller circles on either side of the top of your main frame to turn your dream catcher into Mickey or Minnie Mouse instead! Craft Me a Dream can show you how to do that too.
13. Owl-shaped dream catcher
Perhaps you really like the idea of a dream catcher shaped like something cute, but you’re not that into cartoons? Try this adorable and rather wise looking owl shaped dream catcher design instead! It requires you to weave webbing for two smaller additional hoops, but we think the finished product is well worth the extra time. TheInnerCat shows you how it’s done.
14. Boho feathered yarn dream catcher
Is your favourite part of the dream catcher the decorative part below the hoop? Well, you might be surprised to learn that, on traditional catchers, this part is actually intended to protect you from dreams as well, rather than just looking pretty. Make this part stand out by including coloured string, textured yarn, beads, feathers, and anything else you can thin of to add some colour and style to your catcher, just like Favim did here!
15. Horseshoe dream catcher
Is your home the definition of country chic, full of rustic decor and things that hearken back to your favourite summer days on the ranch or the farm? Then these horseshoe dream catchers will fit right in! Let the horseshoe replace the hoop in the centre, but treat the rest just like any other beautiful dream catch you might make. All Women’s Talk has more details for you.
