diy eco dreamcatchers

the weather this summer has been quite peculiar - warm, but not unbareably hot. so my good friend anjelica and i have been really into arts and crafts lately, since its nice to sit outside and do something with our hands. today after a delish lunch at fred 62, we got the idea to make our own dreamcatchers. i suppose we were inspired by a post on the free people blog, which had a post about using dream catchers as a display for hanging earrings.

our dreamcatchers are a little different, since it was a spur of the moment thing we just used whatever we could find in anjelica's house. to make an more natural dreamcatcher follow these instructions:

you will need:

- tree branches. we used branches from a eucalyptus tree that we actually just pulled off the tree, since the fresh branches were more flexible than the dried ones (which just broke when you tried to bend them.
- fabric. we used unbleached muslin, for a more natural look. i think that a light colored calico would be cute too.
- waxed cord. we used a thin hemp cord coated in wax, however there are various other options, just check your local craft supplies store.
- decorative additions. this really depends on personal taste. i used some shells, a crystal, and a feather i found in the backyard.

step 1: take your fabric and make it into strips. i choose the cut and rip method, as it has a raw edge and looks more homemade.


step 2: choose your branch, and remove all extra branches and leaves. you want a clean branch. the size of your dreamcatcher depends on how long your branch is.

step 3: carefully bend your branch so that both ends overlap slightly. you may have to break some pieces off to get your desired shape, and remember when you use a branch its not going to be a perfect circle but thats part of the beauty in using natural items.

step 4: tie on your first strip of fabric over the overlap of the ends and just start wrapping the branch. when you get to about 3 inches of fabric left, tie on another strip. repeat until you have covered the entire branch, and finish with a knot. i like to leave a few inches of fabric at the end to use to hang the dreamcatcher.



step 5: take a long piece of the waxed cord, but make sure its not so long that it get all tangled. tie it around the covered branch anywhere you want to start. move around the branch, looping the cord around the branch and then you will tie a mock knot after each wrap. make sure to pull the cord so that the mock knot is tight. after you go around the whole branch you will start making the mock knots on the strings already attached to the branch. keep doing this till you reach the middle and the middle space is small. tie a knot at the middle and cut of the extra.


step 6: take three more fabric strips, tie them on the bottom of the dreamcatcher. i kinda twisted them around in my fingers before tying them on so they wouldn't look so flat. this also helps when attaching the decorations. after you put on your decorations, tie a knot after each one, and then trim the strips to your desired length.



and there is your dream catcher. hang it where ever you like, or use it to display your dangling earrings. i put mine in my bedroom.