DIY Giant Crochet Dreamcatcher

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DIY Giant Crochet Dreamcatcher

8/18/2017

This post is dedicated to two special people: my daughter since I am making it for her wedding day and my friend Patty who recently said "I want to make one for my kids room." I will be posting another giant dreamcatcher soon, however the difference is that the center is crocheted a little different and there are no feathers so the bottom part is much simpler to make!

Second Giant Dreamcatcher DIY How To coming soon! See...no feathers so the bottom is simpler! It was also made with a repurposed hula hoop!!

Supplies Needed:

Sprinkler hose - I used 3/4" but you could also use 1/2". It is the least expensive here at Lowes. It is 100 psi 3/4" polyethylene tubing. NOTE: you can also use a hula hoop (see the dreamcatcher my daughter is standing next to above!).However, if you do use a hula hoop know that the tube is much thinner (and it will use less yarn to cover) but it can lost it's round shape due to lack of strength so you will need to be careful in how it is hung.
Sprinkler hose coupler (connector) - not needed if you use a hula hoop.
Two 2.5 ounce skeins of cotton yarn in your color of choice.
A large crochet hook
A 4.5 mm crochet hook
Scissors
Yarn needle
Seashell or other center hanging decoration
Multiple laces and ribbons
Feathers
Needle and thread

Directions:
Make the hoop and wrap it with yarn.

Sprinkler hose - 50 feet!!!

Cut the length you want to create the diameter you choose and connect ends with a coupler. We use a heat gun to make it easier to connect.

This one is about 2 feet 4 inches interior diameter. I also made one that is 3 feet 6 inches in diameter!

To wrap the tube I use two skeins and a large crochet hook. This makes the process go a lot faster!

Attach both skeins together to the hook (doubled up).

Wrapping the tube is more like doing macrame than crocheting. You will be going from back to front then though the loop, and then front to back and through the loop, etc. After doing it a few times it will seem natural. This picture shows from the back.

This pictures shows from the front.

Try to keep the yarn nice and neat and not overlapping each other.

After going completely around, you will cut off the end and pull the last threads tightly through the loop.

Then take the ends and tie them together in a knot.

Completed wrapped hoop!

Crochet the center:
HINT: always do an even number of loops.

Chain 25 and connect to create a loop.
Chain 8 and double crochet into center. Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 loops around the center and connect to the base of your original loop.
Slip stitch up the side of the original loop until you get to the center of it, then do a single crochet into the center and chain 15, single crochet into the center of the next loop, etc. all the way around until you connect to the base of the original loop.
Slip stitch up the side of the loop to the center, single crochet into the center of the loop and chain 20, single crochet into the center of the next loop and chain 20, etc. all the way around until you connect to the original loop again.
You will continue this pattern increasing by 5 chains each round until it is approximately half the size of the hoop (see picture below). It will look way too small but it is NOT!

Completed center! I had 5 loop levels when I was done.

Cut eight pieces of string to tie the crocheted center to the hoop.

Weave a piece of string through the macrame edge on the hoop (otherwise it will not look right) and then tie down and knot one of the crocheted loops in place.

Then tie the opposite side the same way.

Then do the next pair of opposite sides...

Until all 8 loops are tied on! Be sure to keep the spacing about equal too.

Then use the yarn needle to weave all the hanging pieces of yarn. Note I also crocheted a simple chain of about 70 and created a loop at the top to hang it from.

Add the fringe and feathers:
Supplies (some are affiliate links):

Natural Vintage Lace
Ivory Cotton Lace
White Gold Dipped Feathers
White Goose Feathers
Natural Beads
Small scissors
Gorilla Glue
Needle
Thread

P.S. Sorry if some of the pictures are a little blurry - it is kinda hard to be working and snapping pictures at the same time!

Hang the dream catcher in a location where you can easily work on it.

Cut lengths of lace approximately 4' long each and loop them over the dreamcatcher as shown in the picture. Do about 8 or more of them in equal intervals from the left side to the right side.

Cut 4' lengths of cotton yarn and loop onto the dream catcher in equal intervals from left to right between the cotton lace.

You will have to lengths of string hanging side by side. You will be attaching two feathers to each one in an alternating pattern so they are not all the same length.

Thread the needle with ivory string and have your beads ready!

Push the needle through the end of the feather.

Push a bead up the yarn above where you want the feather to be. Lay the feather on the yarn exactly where you want it to be and begin wrapping the the threaded needle around and around the end of the feather.

When finished wrapping push the needle through the wrapped portion and snip off the end.

Add a drop of glue on the threaded part and pull the bead all the way down into place.

Snip off the excess end of the feather.

Do two feathers per string at different intervals and also cut off excess string at the bottoms. Also remember to use a gold dipped feather every once in a while!

Continue adding feathers and lace until it is as full as you want it! Notice how the feathers and lace go up on the sides? You can also trim the lace to length when you are done.