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DREAMCATCHERS


http://buckskinbunnydesigns.com

How To Create a Dreamcatcher
 
Dreamcatcher Hanging Ceremony
 
Objibwa Legend
 
Chippewa Legend
 
Lakota Legend

HOW TO CREATE A DREAM CATCHER (PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION)
 
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO GET STARTED

1. Metal Hoop 12 Inches To Start With.
2. Spool Of Leather Suede Cord Or Half A Yard Of Suede Cloth
3. Fabric Glue
4. Fake Sinew
5. Feathers
6. Pony Beads
7. A Crystal Or Stone. (Optional)

WHERE TO BUY THESE THINGS?
Craft stores anywhere should have all that you need, unless you live somewhere that dream catchers have never been heard of. In that case, you will have to improvise.
 
LET'S GET STARTED
Here are the Basic Diagrams, they will be shown with each step along the way.


 
 
First of all, as I said, you will need your metal hoop, but there are other things you can use. Metal is the best material for a hoop for it is the strongest. I have known people to use plastic hoops, wood hoops, whatever. The Native Americans used birch. Today, though, because the dream catcher has become so universal, the Indians use metal, too, among other things. If you want, you can find a tree limb on a birch tree and make a circle out of that. Bend it into about 12 inches and tie it together with sinew. You may want to lighten the color of the wood. If you do, you can soak it in water with bleach added and come out with a lovely light wood color.

Next, you will need the kind of material you want to wrap around the metal hoop. You can use anything you want: Fabric, ribbon, leather. Wood, of course, natural wood, needs nothing but the wood to look beautiful. Many people buy a spool of leather cord. Spools of suede cord come in all colors, and are rather expensive.
For your first try, why not go to a fabric store and pick out some fake leather fabric. Cut the fabric in small strips, approximately a half-an-inch wide, as long as you can. For a 12 inch dream catcher, you will need 3 to 5 yards of strips, so you won't have to buy more than a yard of fabric.

Now, to get started, take your bottle of leather glue or fabric glue, and hold your hoop between your knees and put a little glue on the metal hoop and start to wrap the strip of fabric around the hoop. If you are using strips of fabric you have cut yourself, let them overlap a little bit. If you have bought leather cord, hold the cord in one hand and wrap it tightly, snugly, touching each side as you wrap it, and pass the remaining spool under the hoop as you wrap.
 

Whatever you do, hold the fabric or cord taunt and as straight as you can as you wrap it. When you are finished, hold the cord or fabric with a clothes pin an inch before completion so what you have already done does not unravel, and spread on more glue. Then finish the wrap and hold it with a clothes pin until it is dried. In a few minutes, you can continue.

Next, take the fake sinew that you can buy from a craft store or a leather store, and if you can't find sinew, you might try using yarn, although you will not get the best effect with that. Don't use fish wire, it will cut your fingers, and thread is too light. Yarn or sinew is the best.

Now comes the tough part. I find that holding the hoop between your knees works best. Take the sinew, about 5 yards for a 12-inch hoop, and at the top of the hoop, tie a strong knot and let the sinew hang down from the inside. Now, take the other end of your sinew and drop it over the top to the other side, and pass it under the hoop so it crosses the front part of the sinew when you draw it through toward you.

If you don't cross it, you will know, because it won't work. Now, go around the whole hoop doing the same thing. Let your spaces be evenly spaced, about an inch and a half apart on a 12 inch hoop, pulling each loop fairly tight, and when you are almost to the end, leave a space of about a half an inch. In other words, don't complete the weave on the hoop part, itself.


Now, go through the loop that was the first loop you made on the metal, and weave it the same way you did it on the top of the hoop, but this time you are weaving it on the first loop you made. Go all the way around doing the same weaving, pulling it taunt as you go, and when you get to the end, again, just simply continue weaving.

You will see a pattern begin to form. When you are finished, it will look like an actual spider. As you weave, the spaces will get smaller and smaller. Keep weaving until you have a nice round circle in the middle, not too big, and then tie it off, making the knot as small as possible.

    

As you tie it off, put some super glue on the knot so it will not come undone, and cut the tail off. If the knot looks too big, don't worry, this is your first one and you will get better and better as you go along.

Now, cut five strips of cord all the same length, about three feet long. Take the first strip of cord and hang it at the bottom of the hoop so there are two tails hanging down. Take a pony bead and slide it up over the two tails all the way to the top so it holds the cord on. If you have a difficult time sliding the pony beads up over the cord, it will be easier if you cut pointed edges on the ends of the tails. That will enable you to get the bead through both tails.
 
If you just feel it's too hard to slide the pony bead up the cord, simply tie it at the top so it stays on the hoop.
Now, count out 12 pony beads and put 6 on one tail and 6 on the other. These pony beads are for holding the feathers on the cord. You are going to divide the pony beads into 3 pairs, evenly spaced from top to bottom. Now take your feathers, 6 in all, put a little glue on the end of the feather, and slip the feather under the top of two pony beads.

Next, do two more pony beads, and then the next two pony beads. Now do the second tail.

Congratulations. You have one tail done.

You now have four left to do. Put two more tails left of the center tails and two more tails right of the center, and put the pony beads and feathers on the same way you did the center one.


At the top of the hoop, tie another strip of cord on it to hang the dream catcher.

 
The Dreamcatcher is now ready to hang.  

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

 
 
CEREMONY FOR HANGING A DREAM CATCHER

Following, is a suggested ritual for initiating your dream catcher. You can follow this ceremony, or create your own.

Remember, ritual is important, for it triggers your subconscious mind into action. In this way the dream catcher becomes an extension of yourself and does what you want it to do.

Before hanging your dream catcher, go through your house and carefully and thoughtfully decide within what room you wish to hang your dream catcher. After you decide what room, carefully choose where you want it to hang.

Do you want it by a window where it will catch the rays of light? 

Do you want it over a television set where it may act as a filtering system, catching any negative vibrations that can steal in and rob your family of peace and calm, allowing only what is worthy of being remembered to pass through the hole in the center?

Or do you want it over your baby's crib so that while the innocent one sleeps its mind will be blessed with joy and peace?

When you have decided where you want the dream catcher to hang, the next step is very important...Smudging (Read More on Smudging)

THE ANCIENT CEREMONY OF SMUDGING

Smudging is a form of cleansing a room, an object, a physical body or place, of negative energy. You will need some sage to smudge your house, which you can gather from the hills or purchase in a metaphysical store.

When you get ready to hang your dream catcher, follow this procedure:

Lift the smoke upward, saying:

Stand in the center of the room and light the sage. When it has ignited and burned for a few moments, gently shake it over a shell or fireproof container like an ashtray to extinguish the flame so it will only smoke. Begin by purifying yourself with the smoke. Move the smoking sage around the perimeter of your body, paying particular attention to any area of your body which is not in balance, or which is manifesting any sign of ill health or pain. Then offer the smoke to the six directions.

1. To the Creator, the Never-ending Force that is all, I thank you.

2. Extend the smoke downward, saying: "To Mother Earth, the place of nurturing and hope, I thank you.
3. Facing the north, lift the smoke upward, saying: To the Spirit of the North, the place of winter and intuitive understanding, of healing, and the place of beginnings and endings, I thank you.
4. Facing the East, lift the smoke in that direction, saying: To the Spirit of the East, where the sun rises, the place of new beginnings and the promise of Spring, I thank you. 

5. Facing the South, extend the smoke in that direction, saying: 

To the Spirit of the South, the place of summer and rapid growth, the place of our heart and emotions, and the place where we learn survival and endurance and develop a trust in life, I thank you.

6. Facing the West, lift the smoke, saying: To the Spirit of the West, where the sun sets and we find healing and self knowledge that gives us the power to use our head and our hearts to serve and to teach, I thank you.

Next, smudge the dream catcher.

When you smudge the dream catcher, slowly move the sage around the perimeter of the object, beginning at the front and covering the dream catcher thoroughly with smoke. 

Then walk slowly around the edge of the room in a clockwise direction, allowing the smoke to be drawn thoroughly around the edge of the room. 

As you do this ritual, allow yourself to experience the cleansing, healing power of the smoke.

Become aware of the higher power of the Universe called by many names:
Great Spirit, Heavenly Father, God, Wakan-Tanka, the Ascendant, All That Is, and allow yourself to feel the presence of the Power within you.

At this point, face the dream catcher, and speak out loud to it and tell the dream catcher what you want it to do. Speak to the object as a friend, for it is your friend, an aspect of yourself.

Close by thanking it for the goodness it will perform.

You can use this ceremony for cleansing your house, your car, your Self, or any thing or place you feel has collected negative energy. Simply remove the phrases pertaining to the dream catcher.
(Read More on Smudging)

The Making a Dreamcatcher Instructions and the Dreamcatcher Hanging Ceremony Information comes from http://shiningspirits.com .

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