DIY Dream Catcher Craft for Children

Going to bed alone can be scary for children, especially those who tend to have nightmares or difficulty getting settled down for the night. One thing that can help relieve bedtime anxiety is the reassurance that a dream catcher can provide. Because they were made to protect children from bad dreams, you can help your kid get some shut-eye by making this dream catcher craft from Laura Minter and Tia Williams’s “The Big Book of 100 Outdoor Activities.”

This dream catcher is made from the center part of an embroidery hoop, which you can find in most craft stores. A dream catcher is traditionally woven to resemble a spider’s web. You will need some feathers, which you can search for on a woodland walk, and some beads to decorate.

You will need:

• 2 shades of brightly colored twine 
• Embroidery hoop
• Different-colored beads
• 6 feathers
• Glue

1. To make the weave on the embroidery hoop, begin by tying the end of the twine onto the hoop. Pull the twine about 1½ inches along and fold it over the top of the hoop from the front. Bring the twine in through the loop and pull tight. Continue all the way along the hoop. 
2. When you get to the beginning, continue to loop the twine and go forward, but instead of looping around the hoop, loop through the previous row of twine, in the center of each loop. Pull tight each time. 
3. Keep going round, looping and pulling tight, until the gaps become too small to continue easily. Tie the twine in the center and trim the loose ends.
   
4. Tie three pieces of twine onto the bottom of the hoop, evenly spaced out. Add beads to each one, then cut to your preferred lengths (this one was about 10 inches in the center). Glue two feathers onto the bottom of each piece of twine. Add another length of twine to the top of the hoop to enable you to hang your dream catcher. 

Extract reprinted here with permission from GMC Publications, The Big Book of 100 Outdoor Activities by Laura Minter and Tia Williams, RRP $19.95, published July 2018