Nature Activity – Autumn Dream Catchers
Dream catchers have long fascinated me. I’ve been making them since I was a kid because I truly believe that they can help to “catch” bad dreams before they reach you. As someone who has suffered from night terrors my whole life, I would do pretty much anything to prevent them.
Unfortunately, my sons also suffer from nightmares. So as parents, we have found ourselves trying anything and everything to make them feel safe before bedtime. One of the things that has given comfort to my oldest son is a dream catcher. We bought one from an Indian Trading Post in my hometown in Pennsylvania, and it seemed to help him out. He calls it his “dream web.”
Whether these really work or not, there’s no denying that they are pretty and make a great piece of decor for any room. As we are currently working on our new baby’s nature-themed nursery, I can’t help but want to bring some homemade nature art into it!
To begin with, gather your materials. I’ve provided the most necessary items below, but the best thing you can do is to gather a variety of natural materials and use whatever works for your aesthetic. You’ll notice that not every item was used in the final result, but you can always make more than one if you want!
You will need:
- Three sticks. Two should be about the same size and thickness (about 12 inches) and the third should be twice as long, but the same thickness as the other two.
- Thick and thin twine.
- Autumn leaves
- Glue gun
- Different colored straws
You can also use:
- Some smaller sticks that are much thinner than the other three for decorating
- Ribbon, yarn and string
- Feathers
- Flowers and plants
- Craft paper
- Any other craft supplies that inspire you
How to make:
Place the largest stick horizontally, while placing the other two near the center with the top of them overlapping and bottoms evenly spaced about 6 – 8 inches apart.
In the three sections where the sticks touch, use the twine to tie the sticks together. Wrap tightly around and secure.
Next, begin to weave your dream catcher. Start by tying and knotting the end of the thin string on any outside edge of the triangle. Begin to wrap the string around the outside edges about every two inches. You simply do one wrap around with the string every couple of inches and you don’t leave a whole lot of give on the string or it will pull more than it should.
Once you get back to your starting spot, you are going to follow the same weaving pattern but instead of looping it around the outside edge, you will be looping it around the centers of the strings from the first time.
Continue this pattern until it stops in the middle. Then weave the string in and out of some strings and tie it off on an edge stick.
TIP: Do not worry if your dream catcher does not look perfect. Everyone’s will look different and it can look unique like the ones shown in the photos.
Cut the paper straws into short pieces to use like beads. Cut through the length of each piece so that it is simple to attach to any strings you like.
Lay out the leaves and tie some string onto each of the stems. Leave at least a few inches of length so that you can knot them onto the dream catcher.
You can tie the leaves directly onto the bottom stick, or add another, smaller stick to the bottom if you prefer.
Once you’ve hung your leaves along the bottom, feel free to add other things such as flowers, feathers, more sticks, etc. Whatever you can find in nature or at the craft store. Pine cones would be great, as well! Just use your glue gun to attach your various supplies onto your dream catcher.
Finally, hang your dream catcher on a wall to stay connected to nature and to dream big!
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
