Paper Feather Dreamcatcher

By Cindy Littlefield

Rated by 19 members

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When Pocahontas told Grandmother Willow about her dream of a spinning arrow that suddenly stopped, the wise old woman told her the arrow pointed down the path she was meant to take. Native American people have traditionally put great stock in dreams. In fact, it became a popular practice to hang dreamcatchers that were meant to filter out bad dreams and let only the good ones come through. This colorful beaded catcher is a cinch to weave and features hanging feathers cut from pretty papers.

You'll need:

Dream Catcher template
Stiff cardboard
Scrapbook paper
Pencil
Craft knife
Scissors
Yarn
Glue
A few beads
Paper hole punch

Instructions:

1. Print and cut out the template. Use the pieces as patterns to cut out a cardboard ring and five paper feathers.

2. Cut an 18-inch length of yarn. Glue one end to the back of the ring and then begin wrapping it around the cardboard to cover it. When you come to the end of the strand, glue it to the back of the ring. Continue in this fashion until the entire ring is wrapped.
3. For the woven part of the dreamcatcher, cut a long length of yarn in a contrasting color. Tie one end around the wrapped ring and then wrap it around the ring every 3 inches or so, as shown.
4. When you get back to the starting point, weave a second round, this time wrapping the yarn around the loops you created in the first round.
5. Continue weaving in this manner, threading a bead onto the yarn every now and then, until you have just a small hole in the center. At that point, knot the end of the strand around a nearby loop and trim it short.
6. To give the feathers a little dimension, fold each one in half vertically. Then, punch a hole in the top of each feather, loop a doubled strand of yarn through it, as shown, and string on a bead or two. Tie the strung feathers to the bottom of your dreamcatcher, spacing them evenly apart.