30 December 2011

Doily Dream Catcher DIY

This beautiful DIY was inspired completely by this post over at Lune Vintage. I love how hers take the natural web shape of a dream catcher. Each one looks earthy seamless. Anyways, I saw this months ago and adored it, but I ignored it thinking it would be too difficult for my shoddy skills. While walking around the thrift store brainstorming Christmas presents to make, I found myself digging through the doilies, and the idea came back to me. I grabbed a few doilies and later got feathers. I knew I had pretty yarn at my house, and wooden beads. So I went to town on this dream catcher with only the idea in my head, and it was simple. So easy in fact, I've made several. believe me!
I like the idea of the doily being noticed as a doily, ya know? You know that it's a doily when you look at it. And the colors- I'm a bright color lover. I guess that's my own spin on this one.

Needed:
- Large Embroidery Hoop (I think mine was 12 inches)
- Doily (smaller than your hoop)
- Yarn color of your choice (I use a thicker yarn. "Hometown USA")
- Beads or jewels or any decorating things
- Feathers 
- Thin wire

\\ Discard of the hoop that has the tightening screw. You'll only be using the other! Begin by tying your yarn (still attached, not cut) one time on the hoop (leave enough length to tie). Wrap very neatly and seamlessly until you reach your starting point. Then tie the your yarn to the excess from the knot. 

\\ Cut a piece of yarn, 5-10 inches to give your dream catcher something to hang from. Find the knot from the last step and tie the yarn right over it, to hide it. I used a bead instead of just a knot, whatever works for you!

\\ Now examine your doily. Is it mostly a circle, or does it have a few points to it?
If it looks like the one on the left, I'll have to explain how to attach it with words and no pictures. Don't fret! It's simple. Start by taking one of the points and slipping the yarn through a hole. Temporarily tie the yarn around the loop.Grab the point directly across, line it up with the other, and tie. Do this with every point. When finished, adjust each tie so the doily looks symmetrical and tight.

If your doily is mostly round, you may want to do it this way. Measure a piece of yarn the circumference of your hoop, twice. Cut, and tie somewhere around your hoop. Thread yarn through one hole of the doily, and out another. Then wrap yarn over the hoop, and under. Repeat. You'll probably have to rely on the pictures for this one!

\\ Before tying the yarn, adjust the strings to pull your doily as tight as possible. Just pull each little loop until all the slack at the very end (In the yarn your going to tie) Tie your yarn to the excess yarn from the begining knot. Cut off excess.

\\ Hold your dream catcher up by the yarn we attached earlier for hanging. Directly below it, attach a good size of yarn with one tie. (Like shoe strings, so you have two strings hanging down) Hold up the dream catcher again and find the two sides you want the other strings dangling down from. (look at the photo at the very top if you need a little guidance) Try to keep it symmetrical! Cut the two strings on each tie different lengths so your feather and beads aren't hanging right next to each other.

\\ String your beads, jewels, go crazy with the decorating. I sewed beads on the doily itself on this one. Tie the yarn around a feather and wrap the knot in wire. Cut off the excess tip of the feather if you'd like. The decorating is up to you!
That wasn't so hard, was it? And now you have a pretty dream catcher to gift or keep. 

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