From time to time you see new crafts or decorations and you are instantly obsessed. That was the case when I saw that colorful spiral dreamcatcher!
So I spent the last few days weaving and knotting until I had created loads and loads of those fun little discs. It is so much fun and so easy to do. – Perfect for a tutorial! 🙂 Over the next few days, I will show you how to do all the different techniques and patterns you need to make the spiral dreamcatcher of your dreams!
If you prefer this tutorial in video form, you will find it at the end of this entry. OR you can subscribe to our youtube channel: Colorfulcrafts on Youtube >>
Today we start with the most basic technique: The spiral pattern!
You need:
a hoop (available here*) or a simple wreath
colorful yarn (I used crochet thread available here*), wool or waxed cotton cord
scissors
a blunt needle (available here*)
If you have some willow branches at hand, you can make your own little wreath like I did. How to make a basic willow wreath >>
How to make a spiral dreamcatcher
You start just how you would with a normal dreamcatcher by knotting your thread in even intervals all around the hoop.
Divide your hoop in several even segments. The number of segments depend entirely on the size of your hoop. One segment should measure about the width of 3 – 4 fingers. I divided my hoop – which was about 5 inches wide – in 12 even segments.
Start by cutting off a long piece of blue thread and secure one end tightly at your hoop. Measure about 3-4 fingers away to the right and loop the loose end of the thread OVER the hoop to the back. Loop it back to the front UNDER the hoop, right BETWEEN the hoop and the thread. (see the picture)
Work your way all around the hoop in clockwise direction. The spaces between the knots should be as even as possible.
Try to keep a little bit of tension on your thread and pull it tight. You can secure the last knot with your left hand, while you make the new knot with your right.
Once you have worked your way all around the hoop, make your last knot as closely as you can next to the first knot.
Once you have checked if all the knots are spaced out evenly, you can begin with the next round.
If you haven’t already, you should start to use a blunt needle (available here*) at this point.
Put your first knot, as snugly as you can, to the right side of the knot from the previous row. The way you make the knots is always the same. But this time you loop it around the thread from the previous row instead of the hoop.
Work your way clockwise around the hoop and make your knots just to the right of the knots from the previous row. (see picture)
It is always the same knotting technique: Loop the the thread OVER to the back, bring your thread back UNDER to the front, right BETWEEN the threads.
In the next row you loop your thread around BOTH threads from the previous round. Continue to make your knots right next to the knots from the previous rows.
Carry on like that for the next few rows. Always loop your thread around ALL the threads from the previous rows.
After about 12 rows or so (depending on how thick your thread is, you can choose to weave more or less rows) we need to switch it up a little.
This time you DON’T wrap your thread around all the threads. Leave out the topmost thread and loop your thread around the rest.
Continue like that all around the hoop. Always leave out the topmost thread.
The next round you skip the TWO topmost threads. From now on skip an additional thread each new row.
If you lose track, just look where you made the knot in the previous row. The new knot should be made exactly one thread down from that.
After about 20 rows or so with the blue thread it’s time to change the color! (But you can change it sooner or later – just as you like.)
Just tie the red thread to the blue one. There is a little trick to hide the loose ends and the bulky knot!
Tie both threads together just behind the last loop you made. In the next rows, you can loop your thread around the loose ends and the bulky knot to hide them.
(You can use the same concealing technique if you run out of thread.)
Conceal the loose ends under the loop of the next row.
After a few rounds of red you can change to orange! The typical spiral pattern begins to emerge.
Switch to yellow after a few rounds of orange. Now you will slowly get to a point where you run out of space between the individual loops. Once there is hardly any space left, you can SKIP TWO threads each round instead of one. Continue like that until the space widens up again.
Fill in the middle part with a red color. Now the spaces between the loops are so small that I just loop around a few threads at this point.
Continue to work your way around as long as you can and then close the last bit by weaving the sides together. (You can also fill the middle part with a pretty bead or leave it open.)
Secure your thread with a tight knot, hide the end by weaving it underneath some loops and cut it off. Finished! 🙂
Experiment with different colors and the number of rows in one color to get different results.
You can decorate your spiral dreamcatcher with feathers, beads or tassel if you like, or just leave it like it is.
If you want to know how to create all the other spiral dreamcatchers you can see in the first picture, check in with us over the next few days!
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Video tutorial on our youtube channel colorfulcrafts
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