Dreamcatchers play a large part in many Native American beliefs. Originally made of twigs and sinew, dreamcatchers were decorated with animal totems and hung above sleeping places. The web-like weaving inside the catchers snagged bad dreams and let good ones filter through. In the morning, sunlight would filter into the home and burn the nightmares from the web.
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Whether you use your dreamcatcher for pleasant dreams or simply love the way they look, a three-dimensional catcher can do double duty. Not only does it leave more room for decorations, the additional surface area catches many more nightmares.
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Things You'll Need
Superglue
Faux Sinew
Scissors
Gemstone Beads: Colored Rounds, Chips, Animal Charms
Two 8-Inch Diameter Metal Rings
Step 1
Push one of your rings into the other so the two sit together to create an X formation. Squeeze a drop of superglue onto the rings where they cross each other. Allow the glue to dry for at least two hours.
Step 2
Snip a piece of sinew at least 10 feet long. This seems like a lot, but the half-hitch stitch you'll be using takes up a lot of sinew. You're also covering much more area in a 3D dreamcatcher than in a flat one.
Step 3
Tie one end of the sinew to one of the rings right next to where they cross.
Step 4
Bring the sinew up and press it against one of the rings, leaving a 1-inch swag of sinew in its wake. Wrap the sinew up, back and down around the ring. Thread the end of the sinew through the swag and tug gently, leaving most of the first swag intact. This is a half-hitch knot.
Step 5
Tie half-hitch knots all along the first half of the first circle. When you meet the second place where the rings meet, you may either continue on the same circle, or turn 90 degrees and start weaving on the second circle. Either way, follow the same path every time.
Step 6
Weave more half-hitch knots into the swags from the first set of knots, continuing until you're weaving through the centers of each of the circles. Keep the strings very taut, adding beads wherever you like.
Step 7
Glue down the sinew at the center of each circle, snipping away excess. Allow the glue to dry for at least two hours.