ARTICLE: My Introduction To Dreamcatchers

My personal images of a variety of Dreamcatchers I had made in the past, from hanging Dreamcatchers, Christmas Tree Topper Dreamcatcher, Dreamcatcher Tree Ornament and Dreamcatcher earrings

©Melanie Neer~Personal Photos

Article originally published on Bubblews website May 5, 2013 which no longer exists

I came across a few articles here about Dreamcatchers and thought I would write up my own article and how I got introduced to them.

For a thumbnail sketch explanation of what Dreamcatchers are for those of you who aren't familiar with them, Dreamcatchers originated in both the Ojibwa and Lakota Sioux nations of Native Americans. Traditionally they were made of willow to make the hoop part and sinew to make the web, leaving a small open circle in the Dreamcatcher's center. These Dreamcatchers were usually made by either the mother or grandmother upon the arrival of a newborn child and hung near the cradle to ward off bad dreams. It was thought that the web part of the Dreamcatcher caught the bad dreams, yet allowed the good dreams to pass through.

Prior to say around the 1990s I never even heard of Dreamcatchers, which is kind of embarrassing considering I am part Native American. My introduction to the Dreamcatcher began of all places with a catalog I received from Sheplers, known for their country/western clothing, western boots, jewelry, etc. Well, featured in this latest catalog was a Dreamcatcher, and I fell in love with it and was dying to buy it, however, it was a bit pricey. That Dreamcatcher literally haunted me, I would keep looking at the photo of it over and over again. Then one day the thought came to me that perhaps I could make one myself. At the time I didn't even know there were actual Dreamcatcher kits one could buy, which maybe was just as well, since it allowed me to create my own version and design of them.

Instead of the traditional willow to make the hoop part, I instead got wooden embroidery hoops, and the beauty of that was that those hoops came in a variety of sizes, from as small as 3" to 18". For the web part, I got embroidery floss, which comes in a wonderful and vast array of colors. My first attempts to make the Dreamcatcher web part was hit and miss and probably a bit klutzy, as I had no instructions on just how to make the web, all I had to go on was that photo of the Dreamcatcher from that catalog. But sooner or later, I had success in crafting the web part.

To make the Dreamcatcher even more decorative, and instead of leaving the hoop just showing the plain wood, I used regular yarn which again came in a variety of colors that allowed me to customize the Dreamcatcher on a particular color theme. With the yarn I patiently, and yes it did take a lot of patience and wrapped it around the hoop, I then added braided "dangles" made out of the yarn, I also added both crow and tile beads, feathers, etc.

Oh, but it didn't stop there! Once I developed a skill in making Dreamcatchers, I then moved on in making Dreamcatcher type earrings and even made a Dreamcatcher Christmas tree topper as well as Dreamcatcher Christmas tree ornaments (I include photos of my work here). I have my own Dreamcatchers hanging up near one window, one is an 8" one the other a gigantic 18" one. On a whimsy I also made a Halloween type Dreamcatcher where the wrap around is black and the web part is in orange and also complete with small spiders hanging from it.

I have to confess I really don't make my Dreamcatchers as often as I used to, mainly due to lack of time now and unfortunately due to having RA issues, but perhaps even with my RA issues, I just might "challenge" myself and attempt one again.