Arts And Crafts Photography Shack Guide
Arts And Crafts Help Meet Your Artistic Tastes
By Sylvia Adolvana
The dream catcher has been a part of Native American
culture for generations. The positive dreams would slip
through the hole in the center of the dream catcher,
and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below.
The negative dreams would get caught up in the web,
and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them.
Dream catchers have become extremely popular with people
who enjoy arts and crafts.
Making A Modern Dream Catcher
Dream catchers were originally made out of willow,
sage and deer sinew. Modern dream catchers are made
with wood or metal wrapped in leather strips and artificial
sinew. The decoration of the web along with the shape,
size and colors used is left to the artistic tastes
of the individual.
Feathers attached to the dream catcher are meant to
assist the flight of good dreams. Although selecting
the materials is usually a matter of preference, typically
to make a dream catcher you will need about 7 feet of
thin suede, glue, a 6 inch metal or wooden ring, waxed
nylon string, 12-16 pony beads, 12-16 feathers, scissors
and a clothes pin. The colors of the beads and feathers
can be any you choose.
Weaving The Actual Web
Start by gluing the suede around the ring and let it
dry making sure there are no twists or bumps in the
suede. The hardest part of making a dream catcher is
weaving the actual web. It takes a lot of practice,
but once you’ve got the idea, it gets easier
each time. Fasten a long strand of sinew onto the hoop
with a secure knot and then work your way around the
hoop making a slip stitch at about every inch or so.
You should try to make the spaces as even as possible.
Once you get back to your starting point, slip stitch
into the first loop that you made. Continue slip stitching
through all the loops. Eventually you will make your
way to the center of the hoop. If you like, you can
slip a bead through the string anywhere along the web
as you are slip stitching, for decorative purposes.
Tie your string off and cut off the excess. You have
just completed the web of this arts and crafts project.
Making The Loop
To make the loop to hang your Dream Catcher, use a
12" piece of suede lacing. Fold it in half and
tie a knot in the open end. At the top of the ring,
attach the lacing and slip the loop end through the
ring and then around the ring and over the knot.
Pull the lacing tight to secure it in place. To make
the hanging sections, cut three 8" pieces of suede.
Tie two 8" pieces of suede lacing about one third
of the way up each side of the ring using a double knot.
Slip 3 colored pony beads onto each piece of lacing
and secure with a knot.
Tie the last 8" piece of lacing to the top middle
of the ring. Slip three pony beads onto each piece of
lacing. Finally, push two feathers up inside the beads
on each piece of lacing.
Native Art And Craft
The dream catcher has become the favorite of all native
art and craft pieces because of their delicate beauty
and accompanying ethereal legend. They are available
in arts and crafts stores in a variety of colors and
sizes. As you become more experienced with the craft
of making dream catchers, you can experiment with different
materials so that you get the look that you want.
Review your options and use a variety of beads and
leather colors to match the decor of your home. If you
become proficient enough, you can offer your projects
for sale at craft fairs. Most importantly, enjoy the
beauty of the stunning pieces that Native American crafters
have passed on for generations. Sweet dreams.
About the Author:
Sylvia Adolvana is an author of articles on crafts, digital photography and software including
Red Eye in Portraits,
Adobe Upgrade,
Photo Albums,
Photo Enhancement,
Small Digital Cameras,
Create DVDs,
DVD Burner Software,
Family Web Site,
Bridal Portraits,
Wedding Photos,
Wedding Announcements.
Keep a lookout for more articles coming soon.
More Crafts Ideas....
Many people have the mistaken idea that craft projects
have to be time consuming and expensive. This simply
is not true. You can find many affordable craft projects
that you and your entire family can make together.
Granted, there are craft projects such as scrapbooking
that many people spend big money on but that does not
mean that you have too. Crafts are something fun for
everyone to do. They are perfect for days when you cannot
get outside due to the weather and no matter your skill
level, there is a craft for you.
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