First of all, let's clarify that a dreamcatcher isa traditional Indian talisman that protects against bad dreams. And this article is about it, not about the fantasy film based on the book by Stephen King (if you thought about it). It is a web woven from coarse threads and deer sinews, stretched over a willow circle with feathers hanging from it. According to the beliefs of North American Indians, a dreamcatcher hanging over the head of the bed has the ability to attract good and evil spirits of sleep. At the same time, bad dreams cannot get to a person because they get entangled in the cells, and the first rays of the sun dissolve nightmares and clear the trap. Light and serene dreams, on the contrary, penetrate through the central holes and gently descend on the sleeping person. It is worth noting that this talisman, popular among the Indians, is not included in the list of ancient amulets forgotten today. Even those who do not believe in magic and the existence of evil spirits, hang dream catchers at their headboards and over the beds of their loved ones. And they can also be used as original interior details, or presented as a gift to a friend who is interested in such topics. Especially if you make such a talisman with your own hands, because a dream catcher bought in a store is most likely a "child" of conveyor production, with all the ensuing consequences, in the form of not always pleasant thoughts of its manufacturers.
How to Make a Dreamcatcher with Your Own Hands
So, how to make a dreamcatcher yourself?First of all, let's prepare the items needed to make it. As already mentioned, a willow twig twisted into a circle is needed for the base, however, the frame can equally well be the inner half of the hoop, a wooden (some use metal) rim, or another circle. You will also need feathers, ideally - eagle for a man and owl for a woman, but chicken, rooster, goose or marabou feathers will do just fine. Also prepare a ribbon or a two-millimeter cord, threads (cotton, floss), or even a thin leather strip and beads or seed beads. You will also need a set of auxiliary tools: scissors, a needle and universal glue. And also decorations - metal tubes from a wind chime, bells, decorative pendants. Here it all depends on your imagination. Of course, making a dream catcher with your own hands is not difficult at all, but there is a mandatory condition: when starting to do this, you definitely need to get rid of negative emotions and tune in only to a positive mood (you can even read poetry or sing). After all, as you remember, the task of this magic talisman is to protect you from nightmares, letting through only rainbow and bright dreams. Ready? Then take the hoop in your hands and start wrapping it tightly with a cord or ribbon, then fix it, leaving a free tail. Now take the threads rolled into a ball (it will be more convenient to work this way) and start weaving the nets. After three or four centimeters from the beginning, wrap the thread around the ring, and then thread it through the resulting loop and tighten. Perform this procedure along the entire circumference (the length between the beginning and the end should be made slightly smaller) and move on to the next circle, but now attach the loops not to the hoop, but to the middle of the previous loops. Each time there will be fewer of them, and at the end of the work, they will simply converge in the central circle. How many circular movements you make depends on your desire (but not less than three), just do not forget to take into account the diameter of the hoop and remember that moderation is needed in everything. Accompany the weaving process by knitting knots and stringing beads, and also pull the thread a little so that your dreamcatcher does not sag. Having reached the center, thread the thread with a needle through the main bead and secure the web, then cut the ends of the thread close to the knot and fix with glue. The main part of the talisman is ready. Before moving on to the next stage of your creativity called "DIY dreamcatcher", choose the decorative elements with which you want to decorate it. Now prepare three pendants with feathers, beads, or other decorative elements, for which tie the threads to the hoop, keeping the same distance from the center, and decorate them with the selected items. At the same time, try to make the first bead "sit" on the feathers, and then - as your imagination suggests. By the way, the pendant threads can be threaded into metal tubes from a wind chime. And the final chord is a small loop on top so that your dream catcher can be conveniently located above the headboard of the bed.
Where to hang a dreamcatcher
Among the legends that have not yet been forgotten, telling aboutThe origin of the dream catcher is most popular with the legend of the Lakota tribe. It is the Lakota Indians who believe that the amulet is able to catch good thoughts and dreams floating by, which are well acquainted with its "paths", therefore they penetrate through the outer holes, and softly descend on the feathers to the sleeping person. Evil spirits, not possessing such knowledge, get entangled in the web and disappear with the first rays of the sun. Therefore, it is worth recalling once again that, according to the "prescriptions" of the legend, the sleep talisman should be placed at the head of the bed, but in such a way that it can rotate in search of dreams floating by. Some hang the dream catcher from the bedroom chandelier. After which they snore peacefully, surrounded by the pleasant dreams given to them. Get yourself a watchful "eye" of the Indian dream catcher, let your dreams bring only joy and a good morning mood! We recommend reading:
