Angel Dream Catcher
This beautiful dream catcher, designed by Lisa Parker, shows a beautiful angel with blue wings. A perfect gift for angel lovers. Gemstone Angel Dream Catcher™ Now you can request your favorite Angel by name, and the Angel Lady Terrie Marie will create a special, one-of-a-kind Gemstone Angel Dream Catcher™ just for you. Your Dream Catcher will be an original work of Art, with your Angel’s Energy to be with you, by your side always.
by K Shabi PUBLISHED 14 July 2016
Dream Catchers Dream Catchers are a spiritual tool used to help assure good dreams to those that sleep under them. A dream catcher is usually placed over a place you would sleep where the morning light can hit it. As you sleep all dreams from the spirit world have to pass through the dream catcher. This beautiful dream catcher, designed by Lisa Parker, shows a beautiful angel with blue wings. A perfect gift for angel lovers. Guardian Angel Small Dream Catcher, Car Charm, Lucky Charm, Bead Art, Soft Glowing Color HuituDesign. From shop HuituDesign. 5 out of 5 stars (4) 4 reviews $ 29.00.
What is the true meaning and history behind the Native American dreamcatcher? Where do dreamcatchers really come from? You've probably seen a dream catcher hanging from a tree, a porch or even in a souvenir gift shop and wondered about its purpose and meaning. Read on to learn more about the story, legend, and origins of authentic Native American dream catchers.
Authentic Native American Dream Catchers
Originally created by American Indians, dreamcatchers today come in a variety of different sizes and styles. They usually consist of a small wooden hoop covered in a net or web of natural fibers, with meaningful sacred items like feathers and beads attached, hanging down from the bottom of the hoop. Real authentic, traditional dream catchers are handmade and crafted only from all natural materials, in size measuring just a few small inches across. The hoop is traditionally constructed from a bent Red Willow branch covered in stretched sinews. Wrapping the frame in leather is another common finishing touch among 'real' dream catchers.
History of the Dreamcatcher: Ojibwe or Lakota Origins?
Today the dreamcatcher is associated with Native American culture in general, but dream catchers are often believed to have originated from the Ojibwa Chippewa tribe in particular. The Lakota tribe also has its own legend about the origins of the dreamcatcher, but most ethnographers believe the dreamcatchers were passed down from the Ojibwe through intermarriage and trade. The Ojibwe word for dreamcatcher asabikeshiinh actually means 'spider,' referring to the woven web loosely covering the hoop. The patterns of the dream catcher web are similar to the webbing these Native Americans also used for making snowshoes.
Ojibwa Legend: The story of the Dream catcher
Ancient legends about the history and origin of the dreamcatcher exist among several Native American tribes, but are most common and seem to originate among the Ojibwe and Lakota nations. While many cultures consider spiders to be creepy crawlers, the Ojibwe people saw them in a different light, as symbols of protection and comfort. According to an old Ojibwa legend, a mystical and maternal 'Spider Woman' once served as the spiritual protector for her tribe, especially in concern to young children, kids and babies. As the Ojibwe people flourished and spread out across the land, it was difficult for The Spider Woman to continue to protect and watch over all the members of the tribe as they migrated farther and farther away. This is why she created the first dreamcatcher. Following her example, over the course of generations mothers and grandmothers continued to ritualistically recreate the maternal keepsake as a means of mystically protecting their children and families even from a distance.
What do dream catchers do? Purpose & Meaning of the Dream Catcher
Sometimes referred to as 'Sacred Hoops,' Ojibwe dreamcatchers were traditionally used as talismans to protect sleeping people, usually children, from bad dreams and nightmares. This Native American tribe believes that the night air is filled with dreams, both good and bad. When hung above the bed in a place where the morning sunlight can hit it, the dream catcher attracts and catches all sorts of dreams and thoughts into its webs. Good dreams pass through and gently slide down the feathers to comfort the sleeper below. Bad dreams, however, are caught up in its protective net and destroyed, burned up in the light of day.
Dream Catcher Meaning: Web, Feathers & Beads
All parts of the authentic Native American dreamcatcher have meaning tied to the natural world. The shape of the dreamcatcher is a circle because it represents the circle of life and how forces like the sun and moon travel each day and night across the sky. The dream catcher web catches the bad dreams during the night and dispose of them when the day comes. As for the good dreams, the feathers act as a fluffy, pillow-like ladder that allows them to gently descend upon the sleeping person undisturbed. There is some contention when it comes to the meaning of the beads that often decorate the dreamcatcher. According to some American Indians, the beads symbolize the spider—the web weaver itself. Others believe the beads symbolize the good dreams that could not pass through the web, immortalized in the form of sacred charms.
Dreamcatcher Meaning Today: Authentic Symbol or Cultural Appropriation?
Though dreamcatchers are quite common, finding real authentic dreamcatchers is not that easy today. Real handmade dream catchers are usually small in size and feature sacred charms like feathers and beads. Many dreamcatchers for sale today, however, are much more American than Native American, often oversized and constructed from cheap plastic materials. Many Native Americans still consider the dreamcatcher to be a long-standing cultural symbol of unity and identification among the many Indian Nations and First Nations cultures. Sadly, many other Native Americans have come to see dream catchers as just another cultural appropriation, over-commercialized and at times offensively misappropriated and misused by non-Natives.
filed under: culture, symbol
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We adore anything unicorns and came up with this easy DIY Unicorn Dreamcatcher inspired craft kids (and adults) can make by stringing yarn around an embroidery hoop (like our string yarn ornaments). Add a glittery horn, felt ears and glued on flowers and you have a beautiful handmade unicorn dreamcatcher. The yarn hangings are just simple loops and you can add lots of texture and variety by choosing various colors, ribbons and yarns.
Scroll down to watch the video to see how to make these beautiful DIY Unicorn Dreamcatchers. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more fun videos.
If this DIY Unicorn Dreamcatcher makes you and your little one smile while making, then be sure to a look at my Cute Unicorn Crafts for Kids. You’ll see a world of endless possibilities that will make everyone filled with joy.
From Wikipedia: “In some Native American Cultures a dreamcatcher or dream catcher… is a handmade willow hoop, on which is woven a net or web.”
Our Unicorn Dreamcatcher is inspired by the many we’ve seen on Etsy. But as mentioned, wedidn’t create the traditional webbed string and instead looped yarn around our hoop to keep it simple for kids to make. You can feel free to research the method online in how to make a traditional dreamcatcher webbed version. We chose to still call our craft a “dreamcatcher” because it is inspired by and resembles a traditional one. For our unicorn, we added a glitter paper horn, but you could get fancy and add a felt sewn and stuffed one.
More Cute Unicorn Crafts:
P.S. These would pair well with our Send a Unicorn Boxes!
These adorable Unicorn Dreamcatchers make a fun unicorn party craft or playdate activity. We plan on making lots of them at my daughter’s upcoming unicorn party paired with magical unicorn foods of course.
As you can see we made a variety to show how you can make different types, from pink, rainbow, and even a Valentine heart themed one!
She helped in making the ones you see here. The “rainbbow” one is her design!
Watch the video above top of post for the DIY or follow the instructions below to make your own Unicorn Dreamcatcher.
DIY Unicorn Dreamcatcher – Materials:
– 6″ Embroidery Hoops
– Yarn and ribbon of various textures and colors
– Hot glue
– Felt (stiff white and light pink)
– Decorative craft flowers
– Glitter paper
– Scissors
* For the Valentine one, use glitter heart stickers and decorative roses.
DIY Unicorn Dreamcatcher – Instructions:
(watch video top of post or follow below for the step-by-step)
Step 1. Wrap yarn around your embroidery hoop and secure with a dab of hot glue when you’re done.
Step 2. Tie yarn around one end the hoop and then tie around the hoop, crisscrossing yarn tightly. Tie off the yarn when you are done.
Step 3. Cut out felt outer white ears and inner pink ears. Use a stiffer white felt for the outer ears so they stick up. Hot glue the inner pink ears to the white ears.
Step 4. Cut out a paper horn shape from your glitter paper.
Step 5. Cut out lengths of various colored yarns and ribbons for your hangings (cut as long as you want the yarn to hang, but keep in mind they will be folded over to make a loop)
Step 6. Determine how you want to arrange your flower pattern.
Step 7. Assemble your unicorn dreamcatcher! Hot glue your glitter horn, flowers, and ears to your hoop.
Step 8. Loop your yarn hangings through the embroidery hoop (watch video for this step).
Watch the fun video in action above!
You’re done! Which one is your favorite? Hang up your pretty Unicorn Dreamcatcher for a magical decoration. Don’t you just want to go make a bunch now? We can’t wait to see yours!
Materials
- 6″ Embroidery Hoops
- Yarn and ribbon of various textures and colors
- Hot glue
- Felt (stiff white and light pink)
- Decorative craft flowers
- Glitter paper
- Scissors
- Glitter heart stickers and decorative roses for a Valentine unicorn dreamcatcher
Instructions
Step 1. Wrap yarn around your embroidery hoop and secure with a dab of hot glue when you’re done.
Step 2. Tie yarn around one end the hoop and then tie around the hoop, crisscrossing yarn tightly. Tie off the yarn when you are done.
Step 3. Cut out felt outer white ears and inner pink ears. Use a stiffer white felt for the outer ears so they stick up. Hot glue the inner pink ears to the white ears.
Blue Angel Dream Catcher
Step 4. Cut out a paper horn shape from your glitter paper.
Step 5. Cut out lengths of various colored yarns and ribbons for your hangings (cut as long as you want the yarn to hang, but keep in mind they will be folded over to make a loop)
Step 6. Determine how you want to arrange your flower pattern.
Step 7. Assemble your unicorn dreamcatcher! Hot glue your glitter horn, flowers, and ears to your hoop.
Step 8. Loop your yarn hangings through the embroidery hoop (watch video for this step).
Check out our new shop Send a Unicorn!
Angel Dream Lyrics
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Blue Angel Dream Catcher
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