In Which Bad Dreams Die Hard.

Update! A small batch of dream catchers are now available in my shop. Treat yo’self!

Something peculiar happened the other night. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to a faint pitter-patter on the other side of our bedroom. I sat up slowly, held my breath, and listened intently. Celia poked her head out from under the covers and watched curiously as I cocked my head to the side. Is it a tapping? No… maybe more like a crackling? I pulled back the covers and crept across the room. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed our new dream catcher fluttering against the wall, its feathers pirouetting and pas jetéing, like tiny ballerinas. I scratched my head for a moment and looked around. Is there a draft in here?… I shrugged it off, crept back to bed, and buried my face under the covers. As I drifted back to sleep, I imagined the feathers wearing tutus and dancing to Swan Lake.

When I awoke the next morning, I recalled another dream. I was at a cocktail bar having a glass of wine with Bruce Willis and my good friend Melanie. Bruce leaned over the table, reached into my hair, and lifted out a dark strand. “I just love these low-lights. They give your hair so much dimension!” Melanie joined in, “It’s like a decadent river of chocolate running through a field of wheat!”. I rose from bed feeling positively bouncy and unusually optimistic about my hair. I dare say the universe was attempting to send me another dream about my teeth falling out that night, but thanks to my new dream catcher, it died hard (like a vengeance).

A little bit about dream catchers: Native Americans believe the night air is filled with dreams, both good and bad. The dream catcher catches the dreams as they flow by. Only good dreams can pass through while bad dreams are caught in the webbing and perish when the sun rises.

And now! The part where I show you how to make your own Die Hard Dream Catcher™

First: Gather supplies.

A wooden embroidery hoop (I used a 14 inch hoop, but any size will do)
A stick from your yard, at least one inch wider than your hoop
30-40 Feathers (I used artificial feathers from JoAnn Fabrics)
Suede cord
String/twine (similar thickness to bakers twine)
Optional: craft paint, for painting the ends of your feathers. I used metallic gold and robins egg for a little extra glamourtimez.

1. Begin by wrapping the suede cord all around the hoop. This takes a while. I recommend putting on some music or a movie to help pass the time. I listened to this podcast from This American Life in which they discuss seven boring topics to avoid at dinner parties. Ironically, one of these topics is how you slept, and/or your dreams. Apparently people find these topics uninteresting. IS ANYBODY STILL HERE?

2. Once your hoop is completely wrapped in suede cord, attach the stick to the hoop with twine.

3. Tie individual strands of twine (aprox 30 inches long) to the branch, about 1/2 inch apart from each other. I tied 17 strands of twine to my branch (you may need less if you use a smaller hoop). Do the same for the bottom half of the hoop.

4. Wrap the bottom of each strand around the stem of a feather and tie in a knot. I chose to trim my strands of twine into an inverted triangle shape (see below), but you can do whatever your heart desires! Be creative.