Dreamcatchers

I wraped mine in white yarn on a ring. They are fun to make. Enjoy...ana
In Native American culture, a dreamcatcher is a handmade object based on
a hoop (traditionally of willow), incorporating a loose net, and
decorated with items unique to the particular dreamcatcher. There is a
traditional belief that a dreamcatcher filters a person's dreams,
letting through only the good ones. There are related legends.
This one my son made with willow.
Dreams -- Throughout
history, nearly every person and culture has placed importance on the
meanings of dreams - archetypical messages from 'the other side' - given
by various sources - that must interpreted by their symbology and
content. Today, dreams are still a powerful force in many people's
lives, particularly because of the meanings that can be found in them.
Whether dreams are good or bad, they can inspire, confuse, or upset the
dreamer. In the Ojibway tribe, night visions, or dreams, were so important that
children were not given a name until after a person designated as the
"namer" of that child had a dream as to what he/she should be called.
The namer might give the child a charm woven to look like a spider's
web in order to protect the baby's dreams. See Spider Woman. Dream-catchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the Ojibway (Chippewa)
tribe. The people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round
or tear-shaped frame - in a somewhat similar pattern to how they tied
webbing for Ojibway snowshoes--and hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm
to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the bad
dreams will get caught in the web. The Dreamcatcher allegedly helps us remember our dreams. It is
regarded by some as a serious tool that is much more than a decorative
ornament. The opening in the center determines the volume that you are
asking to receive and parallels the changes that will occur in your
life. Hang the dream-catcher near the place where you sleep, on the wall, or perhaps from a lampshade or bedpost.
Should your dreams become too active, or if you feel you need a break from the workings of your
dream-catcher, simply lay it down on a flat surface to render it inactive until you are ready to hang it up again.
Beads, feathers and fetishes are not appropriate on a dream-catcher as they interfere with the spiraling motion
and can cause disturbing dreams.(The one above is on the Living Room fan. Ana)
Origin of the Dreamcatcher - 2 Legends
Legend 1
Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all
located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island. This is the way that the old Ojibwe storytellers say how Asibikaashi Spider Woman helped Wanabozhoo bring giizis (sun) back to the people.
To this day, Asibikaashi will build her special lodge before dawn. If
you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for her lodge and you will
see this miracle of how she captured the sunrise as the light sparkles
on the dew which is gathered there. Asibikaasi took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so to this day. When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, to fill a prophecy, Asibikaashi
had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, and Nokomis
(grandmothers) took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the new babies using willow
hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants. It is in the shape of a circle to represent how giizistravels each day across the sky. The dream catcher will filter out all the bad bawedjigewin (dreams)
& allow only good thoughts to enter into our minds when we are just
abinooji. You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher
where those good bawadjige may come through. With the first rays of
sunlight, the bad dreams would perish. When we see little asibikaashi, we should not fear her, but instead respect and protect her. In honor of
their origin, the number of points where the web connected to the hoop numbered 8 for Spider Woman's
eight legs or 7 for the Seven Prophecies. It was traditional to put a feather in the center of the dream catcher; it means breath, or air. It is essential for life. A baby watching the air playing with the feather on her cradleboard was entertained while also
being given a lesson on the importance of good air. This lesson comes forward in the way that the feather of the owl is kept
for wisdom (a woman's feather) and the eagle feather is kept for
courage (a
man's feather). This is not to say that the use of each is restricted by
gender, but that to use the feather each is aware of the gender
properties she/he is invoking. (Indian people, in general, are very
specific about gender roles and identity.) Government laws have forbidden the sale of feathers from
our sacred birds, so using four gemstones, to represent the four  directions, and the stones used by western nations were substituted by
us.
Legend 2 Long ago when the world was young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to him in a sacred language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand. As he spoke Iktomi, the spider, took the elder's willow hoop which had
feathers, horse hair, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life ... and how we begin our
lives as infants and we move on to childhood, and then to adulthood.
Finally, we go to old age where we must be taken care of as infants,
completing the cycle. "But," Iktomi said as he continued to spin his web, "in each time of
life there are many forces -- some good and some bad. If you listen to
the good forces, they will steer you in the right direction. But if you
listen to the bad forces, they will hurt you and steer you in the wrong
direction." He continued, "There are many forces and different directions that can
help or interfere with the harmony of nature, and also with the great
spirit and-all of his wonderful teachings."All the while the spider spoke, he continued to weave his web starting from the outside and working toward the center. When Iktomi finished speaking, he gave the Lakota elder the web and
said..."See, the web is a perfect circle but there is a hole in the
center of the circle."He said, "Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your
goals and make good use of your people's ideas, dreams and visions."If you believe in the great spirit, the web will catch your good ideas -- and the bad ones will go through the hole."The Lakota elder passed on his vision to his people and now the Sioux Indians use the dream catcher as the web of their life. It is hung above their beds or in their home to sift their dreams and visions. The good in their dreams are captured in the web of life and carried
with them...but the evil in their dreams escapes through the hole in the
center of the web and are no longer a part of them.They believe that the dream catcher holds the destiny of their future.
 creating a Dream-catcher - From Bearded Wolf
Materials:
5 inch ring
4 yds Suede Lacing
1/8inch 3yds Sinew (waxed nylon string) (we used beading thick string)
1 Small Concho
12 Pony Beads
16 Pony Beads
Feathers
Scissors
Glue
We just used yarn or beading twin, a hoop or get some thin willow branches, soak in water to soften.)
Clothes Pin
If you cannot obtain the
supplies, try making one
using a small green
branch from a tree
about 1 cm in diameter
and 1 meter long. Just
bind the ends of the
branch together and
then make the web in
the same way.This is just one way to
make dream-catchers, I
make many different
styles, and no two ever
look exactly the same.
Be creative, and see
how many different ones
your can make.
1. Cut 8 ft. of the suede lacing. Glue one end
of the lacing to the ring. Wrap the suede
lacing around the ring until you reach the
starting point again. Be careful not to twist
the lacing. Glue the end of the lacing to the
ring. Hold it in place with a clothespin until the
glue dries (Figure 1).
2. To make the web, tie one end of the
immitation sinew to the ring (Figure 2). Make
nine half hitch knots around the ring spacing
them about 1-1/2" apart (Figure 3). Make the
last hitch a little closer to the first knot as
this prevents a large gap from forming. Keep
the thread pulled snug between the knots.
3. Begin the next row of the web in the
middle of the thread that you have already
weaved on row 1.(Figure 4). Continue weaving
in the same way until you have a small hole
left in the center. Tie a double knot in the
cord, add a tiny drop of glue to the knot and
cut off remaining thread when dry. (Figures 5
& 6).
4. 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 by
slipping the loop end through the ring and
then around the ring and over the knot. Pull
the lacing tight to secure it in place.
5. 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.
6. Using the last 8" piece of lacing to attach
small concho to top middle of the ring. Slip
three pony beads onto each piece of lacing.
7. Finally, push two feathers up inside the
beads on each piece of lacing except the one
hanging from the concho. Glue the feathers if
they are loose. The last 4 feathers are
attached 2 each side of the concho.
To make larger sizes : 12 inch rings needs
approx. 7 yds of 1/8 suede lacing to bind it 9
inch ring - 6 yds 6 inch ring - 4 yds Remember
that you will need extra suede for the laces and hanger.
Dream catchers made of willow and sinew are for children, and they are not meant to last.
Eventually the willow dries out and the tension of the sinew collapses the dream catcher. That's
supposed to happen. It belies the temporary-ness of youth. Adults should use dream catchers of
woven fiber which is made up to reflect their adult "dreams." It is also customary in many parts of
Canada and the Northeastern U.S. to have the dream catchers be a tear-drop/snow shoe shape.

Another one my son made
Good luck, have fun they really are easy to make.