The diary of Dad

We’ve been getting all crafty again! This week, with a lot of help from Mum, we’ve created something a little more challenging in the form of a DIY dreamcatcher craft.

Our Son, Robbie, is getting ready to start primary school in September so we have been looking for more ways to introduce him to crafts and get used to using a few different instruments that will come in handy at school. We have made some beautiful paper plate designs already such as these paper plate butterflies, but this dreamcatcher is a step up from these basic crafts.

Despite the more complicated method, this craft is still perfect for preschool children and those in their early school years, though a little more parental help may be needed. The tools required are still pretty basic yet allow for kids to really get creative with their dreamcatchers.

What you’ll need to make your Dreamcatcher

• Paper plates
• Craft knife or scissors
• Ribbon or coloured string
• Hole puncher
• Paints, crayons, glitter or anything you want to add a little sparkle!

Making your dreamcatcher

The first step to making a beautiful dreamcatcher is to cut out the centre of the plate and separate this from the outside perimeter. This can be done by either adults using a craft knife or if your child is comfortable with scissors, simply fold the plate in half and let them cut around the semi circle.

Now is the fun part. It’s time to let your kid to go wild decorating the outside of the plate with any paint, pencils, glitter and sparkles that their heart desires! They may want to pick a colour scheme to go with the ribbons, or they could be like my Son and just want to add as many bright colours as they can find!

Next up, it’s time to add the ribbons. Make sure that any paint has dried and then make several holes using a hole punch. It helps if they are relatively level but there is no need to panic if not! Now, weave your coloured ribbon or string in and out of these holes until you have a pattern that you love in the middle. There is no secret or set rules for making this part of the dreamcatcher, it is simply a case of adding as much ribbon as you like until you are happy with the look.

The last essential step is to create your handle. Simply weave a ribbon through the two highest holes on the dreamcatcher and then tie them at the top. Your beautiful dreamcatcher should now be ready to hang anywhere in the house.

Did you know??

• Dreamcatchers were first created by native Americans in order to protect children from bad dreams that they believed filled the air at night.
• The centre of the dreamcatcher is designed to act as a spider’s web, with the bad dreams being caught whilst the good are allowed to pass through the gaps.
• It is believed that to use dreamcatchers most effectively, they should be placed above your bed. Ideally, this will also be in an area that attracts sunlight as this is said to make the bad dream evaporate.