Modern Dream Catcher
Supplies:
Styrofoam wreath
Ribbon, sinew, yarn, or metallic thumbtacks (all optional)
Flat stuffed animals, wooden shapes, or other “danglers”
String or fishing twine
Hot glue
A Native American dream catcher is a gorgeous thing, whether tiny and inexpensive, or huge and magnificent. There’s a story behind a dream catcher, how it catches your nightmares, and gets rid of them for you. But what if you don’t have nightmares? What if you don’t like dusty feathers hanging over your bed? A dream catcher is what it is but there are no rules about that. You can change a dream catcher to be something very different; you’ll start a new trend with a more modern dream catcher!
A regular dream catcher usually has a wire hoop; you can replace that hoop with a Styrofoam ring for the new dream catcher. It will help you to modernize the old fashioned, feathered type. Use paint that works for Styrofoam to paint the ring, or simply wrap it with sinew, ribbon, or yarn. To make a stunning, metallic version, it’ll will take a long time, but it looks fabulous when you stick thumbtacks into the wreath form, and cover it completely. Something similar can be done with colorful push pins.
Decide on the theme that you want for the dream catcher. It can still have Native American attributes or can be something completely different. Dangle items inside the hoop to create the design that you like. Some things that you can dangle include flat-type stuffed animals, wooden shapes, stained glass items, and silk flowers. If you visit a craft store, or even a dollar-theme store, you’ll find many flat-like objects that can be attached to the modern dream catcher. Whatever you want to dangle, just tie a string around it, and glue, tack, or tie the string to the hoop.
You don’t have to limit yourself to what you can put inside the hoop. As with many a dream catcher, things can be attached to the outside, too. Tack on feathers, oval ribbon hoops, braided ribbon, bead arrangements, or other danglers. Tack them to the sides of the hoop, and let them hang down, to create something of a dream catcher look.
The modern dream catcher might not catch your nightmares but it still looks great hanging over your bed – or anywhere in the house. Make one with toys for a baby’s room, or one with wooden butterflies for your room, or create your own designs. They make great gifts and the recipients don’t have to dust off all of those feathers!
