Mini Dream Catchers

A traditional craft among many groups of native North Americans, dream catchers are hung above the head of a sleeping person to ensure a good night's sleep. The complicated web traps bad dreams, while the hole in the centre allows good dreams to pass through.

Materials:

	One plastic ring from a milk or juice jug
	1m heavy thread (or waxed dental floss)
	1.5m coloured yarn
	Some small beads (e-size or seed beads)
	Glue

Instructions:

Cover the Ring

	Tie one end of the thread to the ring.
	Tie one end of the yarn to the ring over top of the knot in the thread. Leave a 3-4" "tail" on the knot.
	Wrap the yarn around the ring to cover it. (See photo). Cover the short end and knot on the thread, but make sure the long end remains free.
	When the ring is completely covered, tie the end of the yarn off close to the ring with the "tail" left at the beginning. Tie the two ends together to form a loop for hanging the dream catcher and trim any excess yarn.

Weave the Dream Catcher

	Use the thread to tie half hitches evenly spaced around the outside of the ring (7-8 hitches usually works well). Make sure the thread is tight between the knots
	Tie another round of half hitches, this time centring one knot in the middle of each straight section formed during the previous round. (Difficult to explain - makes sense when you do it!)
	Continue working around the ring, making round of knots. A few small beads can be added to the thread at various locations if desired.
	When the space in the centre of the dream catcher is too small for another round of hitches, tie off the thread and trim the end short. Add a drop of glue to the knot to prevent it from coming undone.

Pleasant Dreams!