The Dreamcatcher with your own hands - ideas and detailed instructions for creating it for beginners

The origin of the dream catcher is associated with the traditions of American Indian culture. They had developed knot writing and other types of weaving from thread for ritual and domestic purposes. The story of the appearance of this item is reflected in the Indian epic, which tells how the spiders taught women to weave amulets for babies to sleep peacefully in their cradles and be protected from negative forces.

The meaning of the dream catcher as an amulet

The name "dream catcher" means "spider" in Indian, and the wide popularity and new name the product received thanks to journalists. Artificially woven web of a talisman was intended for selection of dreams.

It is supposed to delay nightmares and let in good, lucid dreams. Europeans added their mystical symbolism in the form of signs and wishes written on the basis of the amulet, as well as various decorative ornaments.

How a Native American dreamcatcher is made

The canonical product was supposed to serve to preserve magical power, so it was made according to the rules. The base must consist of a single branch and be of a diameter size close to the size of a woman's palm.

A spider web is clung to the basis in eight points, on quantity of legs at a spider, and the spider itself is designated by the large beads located in the center of a web. Feathers are hung from 1 to 3, and the thread or vein must be solid.

Modern Indians make decorative dream catchers for tourists, which can be large in diameter and made of artificial materials. They are intended for interior decoration, as ethnic souvenirs.

However, even in such non-canonical products masters put sacred meanings. The number of legs on the weave can be 12, the number of months in the year, or 9, the number of planets. The number of feathers and other decorations can be different.

Meaning of color in the dreamcatcher

The magical effect of the product depends on what meaning the author puts into his work. It is important to choose the colors correctly, based on their symbolic meaning. They should be calm, dim and correspond to the mood of dreams that you would like to attract.

White - will help purify from negative influences, receive light energy, recover and become more successful.
Yellow - strengthens the protective functions of the body, has healing powers and symbolizes the release of intrusive thoughts.
Pink - the feminine power of tenderness and love. Helps to regain lost feelings and find harmony.
Orange - means rhythmic movement, joyful dance.
Red bestows great strength and good energy.
Green - color of life, growth, aspiration, harmony with nature.
Blue - promotes cleansing of bad thoughts and fills with light airy energy of the sky.
Blue - brings a wise understanding of things, quiet contemplation and brings you closer to the truth.
Violet - gives patience, the ability to perceive the needs of others, feeds the energy of peace.
Black - the embodiment of mystery of female charms, gives tranquility and strengthens the spirit.

How to weave your own amulet

For those who do not want to entrust their dreams to anyone, you need to know how to make a dream catcher with your own hands.

To do this, you need simple materials:

the base for the circle, which can be made not only from a twig of willow, but also from metal wire, embroidery hoop, or cardboard;
threads can be natural, cotton or wool, you can use artificial cords, ribbons or leather strips;
decorative items of stones, glass, metal in the form of round beads or other forms, but necessarily with a hole for threading;
necessarily use feathers, which can be bought in a shop or found during walks in nature, but the feather must be from a live bird.

Step-by-step instructions for making a dream catcher with your own hands have general principles for the most different versions of the talisman. You must begin, of course, with the choice of the basis. If it is a twig of a tree, it is necessary to connect it in a circle, braiding a thin flexible tip of the thicker side.

After this begins the work with the thread. First, it is necessary to braid the circle itself. This can be done with one solid thread or with several threads of different colors. There are options here: wrap around the circle, putting the thread tightly one after the other, or tie a thread folded in half to form a loop.

When the circle is ready, you should leave about 20 cm of thread for hanging the product. Next, you need to measure the length of the circle with a tape and divide it by the number of attachment points of the thread of the first row to the circle. Here it all depends on personal priorities, on what sense is put in the selected number.

When the size of the step is known, using a centimeter on the surface of the circle is applied to the markings. Then, putting the thread through the loop, you can make the first row, connecting one thread, with the help of knots, the marks on the circle.

The next row is done in the same way, only the second thread connects the middle sections of the first row. All subsequent rows are braided in the same way. Prepared for the amulet decorative parts are put on a thread in the process of weaving, putting it through the holes.

Different variants of making the talisman

Scheme of weaving a dream catcher with your own hands can be similar for everyone, but the methods may have differences. So, someone prefers to weave threads using a large needle, and others like to use during weaving ribbons, lace, bells and any other objects that just came to your liking and prompted by imagination.

It is also possible to use knitted, crocheted or crocheted parts to create a dream catcher, add macramé, pieces of fabric to plaiting. Any knots are more securely fastened with a glue gun, warming silicone.

In the middle of the talisman weaving ends with a large bead It can completely cover the hole or leave it slightly open. The number and material of pendants may also differ from traditional ones.