Dreams have always held many meanings to Native Americans. One of the old Ojibway traditions was to hang a "dream catcher" in their lodge. They believed that dreams float around in the night air, both good and bad. A "dream catcher", when hung, moves freely in the night air and catches the dreams as they float by. The good dreams know the way and slip through the hole in the center, then slide down so softly that often the sleeper below doesn't even know he's dreaming. The bad dreams, not knowing the way, get tangled in the webbing and perish with the first light of the new day. They would hang a small "dream catcher" above the children's sleeping area or on the baby's cradle board. (Quote from: http://buckskin-fur.hypermart.net/indian/dreamcatcher/dreamcatchers.htm.)
1. make holes around your opening spaced evenly apart one from
another. The number should also be even, whatever amount you choose - 6, 8, 10, 16, whatever. That will
depend how tight you want the weaving and how large your hole is. The more holes, the tighter the weave.
2. String your first thread through each hole. Your stroke will always be
the same -- going in the top; coming out the bottom or visa-versa, as
I've done here -- of each hole. Overcasting, I believe is the term.
Whichever you do, over- or undercasting, keep it consistent throughout.
Good, you've got
another row.
5. Continue to
overcast each newly created stretch until you reach the center.
6. You will have a tail
left at center. You can dangle a feather/bead
combo from this after you knot it.
 A sample
of Huichol lace that looks similar to a dreamcatcher. |
|---|
 A small dream catcher with butterfly
style center I put on my brotherinlaw's gourd. Embellished with snake vertebrae and pheasant feathers.With this one, I used white string, then used leather dye to add the multiple colors later. |
Hey! Here's another page with dreamcatcher instructions.
And a Google Search for Dreamcatchers
SAGA How-To page / Art From My Heart / Kasin Keep
