How to Make Iroquois Dreamcatchers
Although the Chippewa Indian tribe was the first to invent the dreamcatcher, other tribes, such as the Iroquois, soon began to use them. These dreamcatchers were designed in the shape of a spiderweb with beads and feathers hanging from the bottom. The Iroquois hung them over the beds of infants and small children to keep the kids from being plagued with nightmares. After learning about the Iroquois Indians, students can craft their own version of the dreamcatcher.
Instructions
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Bend a thin tree branch that is no longer than 12 inches so that it forms a circle.
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2
Secure the two ends of the tree branch together with a piece of duct tape.
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Cut a piece of tan or brown yarn that is at least 4 feet in length. Tie one end of the yarn around the side of the tree branch circle so that it is secure.
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Wrap your yarn around the opposite side of your circle. Continue wrapping the yarn around different sides of the circle until you form what looks like a spiderweb. Tie the yarn in a knot around the side of the circle, and cut off any excess yarn that you didn't use.
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Measure and cut three pieces of yarn that are 12 inches long. Tie the tops of each piece to the bottom side of your dreamcatcher.
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Thread as many beads as you desire through each of the three pieces of yarn, and then tie a knot to keep the beads from sliding off of the yarn.
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Attach a feather to the end of each piece of hanging yarn with a hot glue gun.
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Tips & Warnings
Hot glue some spiderwebs inside the dreamcatcher.
If you have metal cutters, you can cut an old wire coat hanger and bend it to make the circle base for your dreamcatcher.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
