How to Make a Modern DIY Dream Catcher

Create a modern day style dream catcher using acrylic yarn, craft rings, and liquid watercolor. The style varies from your typical dream catcher, as we filled the center circle with wood dowels, beads, and you can get creative with other craft materials. This craft is great for teens and adults looking for a more advanced project. Use the dream catcher as a decoration or give it as a gift for upcoming holidays, like Mother’s Day!

Materials:

You’ll also need:

Scissors
Art Trays
Paintbrush
Water

DIY Dream Catcher Tutorial

Follow along with the video below, or read through the step by step tutorial to learn how to make your own modern dream catcher!

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL WITH IMAGES

Step 1: Cut Your String

Cut about 50-75 pieces of yarn, depending on how full you would like the dream catcher to be. Each strand of yarn should be cut about two feet long.

Step 2: Tie the Yarn

Tie the yarn to the craft ring using a lark’s head knot. You can place the yarn either over or under the craft ring when tying the knot, but be sure to stay consistent whichever you decide. This way the knot is always facing the same way.

Step 3: Cut the Yarn

Smooth your yarn out so it is flat on the table. Use scissors to cut the yarn in a “V” shaped angle, so that the middle is longer and the sides are shorter. It may help to use tape as a guide for cutting evenly. Lift up your dream catcher to visualize if you are happy with the angle, and cut any pieces you may have missed.

Step 4: Pull Apart the Yarn

Now that all of your yarn pieces are tied to your craft ring, you can choose whether you would like to pull the strands apart to create a more “full” look. Start from the top, and separe each yarn strand in half. It should pull apart fairly easily.

TIP: You may want to twist the strand to make it easier to separate. Keep in mind this process does take awhile, but it’s worth it for the result!

Step 5: Dye the Yarn

Choose what color(s) you would like to use to dye your dream catcher. We chose purple and red for this tutorial. Place some paper towels in your art tray and fill a cup with water. Mix water into the liquid watercolor and start brushing the mixture onto the bottom of the yarn with a paintbrush. Alternate colors, mix colors, or add layers of different colors. We like the look of keeping the yarn at the top of the dream catcher white. There are so many fun options so be creative! To help the watercolor soak into the yarn, we recommend carefully pouring it over the parts of the yarn you want colored. Once the bottom of the yarn is covered in color, let it dry.

TIPS:

You can also wet the yarn with warm water before painting to help the color absorb into the yarn.
If you would like a more vivid look, use less water. For a more pastel look, use more water. You’ll see in the tutorial ours came out very pastel because we used a lot of water.

Step 6: Add Beads, Wooden Dowel, and String

For the final steps, you will add the wooden dowel to the center and also add the string and beads for hanging.

Dowel: Place the dowel in the center of the ring. Measure where you will need to break the wooden dowel in order for it to fit snug inside the ring. Use scissors to cut slightly into the dowel, then snap it. Fit it inside the ring with tension.

TIP: You can sue a dab of glue to hold the dowel in place if tension alone won’t keep it secure.

String & Beads: Cut a piece of string about 7.5 inches long. Tie it in a larks head knot to the craft ring. String wooden beads onto it. Then tie the ends of the string together so you can hang up your dream catcher, and cut the excess.

Dream Catcher Variations

There are many variations to this craft. You might choose to add other embellishments to the center of the wood dowel. Add some wooden beads with string, add another craft ring with some string, or use one of the new popular word discs. You can also create a classic dream catcher with yarn in the center.

If you would prefer a more vivid look, you can use cotton yarn, which absorbs color very well. Also, as you learned in Step 5, the less water you use, the more vivid the colors are when it dries. You can see an example below of the cotton yarn, and also the difference between the original wound yarn (left) versus the pulled apart yarn (right).