Boho Dream Catcher by Elisa Ablett

Happy Sunday Crafters!

It's Elisa from the design team again with a little something different today...

A dream catcher kit happened to fall into my trolley at one of my local shops a while back and I decided to save it with my credit card (just doing my bit to save all craft supplies) and I have been saving it until inspiration struck.

Here is my finished 'Sea themed' Dream Catcher featuring some awesome shells that my youngest son collected at our local beach.

Let's have a closer look at how I transformed this kid's Dream Catcher kit !

Here are the pieces of the kit, I kept the paper cut out pieces for another project and just used the bare dream catcher.

First step - Paint or spray gesso over your pieces - front and back

Second step - I mixed an amount of Espresso Colour Mica Powder with Gel Medium (about 1/2tsp mica to 1 1/2 tsp of gel medium) in a paint palette and using a palette knife and fingers smooth the medium over two of the mdf feathers and the frames of the dream catcher (dry each side thoroughly before turning over and completing the other sides) before turning over see Step 3 this step has to be done prior to each side drying.

Step 3 - Using a texture stamp or a piece of rubber matting (repurposed placemat) while your gel medium is wet - press your texture piece into the medium leaving a wonderful pattern in the gel medium. DRY before turning over see below photo

Next step - mix a smaller amount of the Polar Colour Mica Powder with Gel Medium  and once mixed spread with your finger over the dry frames of the catcher so the gorgeous teal colour goes into all the grooves of the pattern you made in Step 3. Also using a palette knife and also your finger smooth the rest of the polar mica mixture over the remaining mdf feathers. (same deal here, dry before turning over) 

TIP - use toothpicks through the premade holes on the frames so that you don't fill the holes up with your gel medium mixture. You could also balance your circle frames with toothpicks and work on both sides at once.

Next step - while you are waiting for your frames to dry we will move onto the feathers, grab three white feathers, mix up a very small amount of each of your chosen Colour Shimmer Dusts with water in a paint palette and using a paint brush, add colour to your white feathers. Once dry I also used a Sepia Inkpad to ink the bottom of the feathers and add a touch of the brown to the feathers. Put aside to dry and back to the Frame.

Next step - Spray and splatter your frames with a combination of Colour Shimmer Sprays, I used Just Blue and Envy.

Next step - After your frames are dry, it is now time to thread them with the heavy hessian twine that came with the kit. Tie off the top and then thread through the holes as pictured above in a clockwise direction. Once you have finished the first go around the frame, you then do the same threading in the middle of the first loops that you have made. 

Keep threading around and around (loosely) inside the frame until you reach the middle, then pull the threads tight! this will pull your threads together and then you can tie them off in the middle. I made the decision to tie a few shells in the middle as a feature.

Once I threaded the top frame and attached the bottom circle with twine, I completed the following quick steps.

- Thread blue thread around the first lot of loops on the main frame.

- attach teal and blue coloured thread to your painted feathers, mdf feathers and shells

- distress the coloured twine a little to give them a coarser look

- Glue a couple of shells on the main frame

- Using a sepia inkpad and dauber or your finger brush a little bit of brown ink onto your feathers to colour coordinate them with your frames.

Tie your thread to your pieces first, then tie them onto your frames, you can adjust the length of each drop them a lot easier.

Here are some close ups !!

and the finished product again! 

Either a lovely home decor piece or a cool hand made gift.

That's it from me today! I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and it prompts you to go 'save' some of your own craft supplies in your trolleys. 😉😉😉😉😉

Elisa xx