DIY Dreamcatcher Birthday Party

The weekend before last, we celebrated Zoe's 7th birthday with a dream catching party.  Each of her friends strung beads and hung feathers to create her very own dream catcher.  With a bit a prep work you too can host a party like Zoe's.  Depending on the age of your guests, more or less preparation may be required.  I went ahead and prepared the rings by wrapping them in tape and weaving them with string.  Separately, I also took leather strips and cords, and with Zoe's and Natalia's help, strung one bead at the end of them (to secure the ones the guests would later choose).  Take a look below for the list of supplies and instructions on how to make it these creative party favors come to life:

Supplies:

5"metal rings, brown floral tape, waxed thread, leather strip remnants, glass, ceramic and wood beads, assorted feathers and cording in assorted colors.

Instructions:  Prep the frame and strings.

1. Wrap each metal ring with floral tape.

2.  Weave the rings.  I followed this You Tube video.

3.  Prepare 5-7  leather strips and cording per guest and secured a bead on each end.  This way your guests can add beads and attach feathers without anything falling off.

Party Setting:

1.  Place one prepped ring at each seating.

2.  Drape an assortment of 5-7 beaded leather strips and/or cording next to the rings.

3.  Put a handful of asorted beads at each place setting.

4.  Place a mixture of feathers in cups or small vases along the length of your table.

5.  Have the children add beads and feathers to the beaded strings.  The feathers can be pushed inside the bead holes or secured with floral tape.

6.  Once the strands has been adorned, have your guests knot them onto the rings.

7.  Voila!!  And don't forget to explain how dreamcatchers came to be...

Zoe's Dream-Catching Birthday Party

Our daughter Zoe celebrated her 7th birthday yesterday with a dreamcatcher party.  With a bit more prep work than I anticipated (more on that later this week), her friends strung beads and hung feathers to create their very own dreamcatchers to filter out bad dreams.  Take a look at yesterday's photos and stay tuned for details on how to host your own dreamcatcher party . 

Happy Birthday Zoe!!!

DIY: A Sea Catcher

While camping in Mendocino over the past weekend (more on that adventure later), we collected driftwood and dried seaweed to add to our seaside mementos.  The foraged shore finds found themselves in box where I recently threw in some vintage buttons, chandelier crystals and a mix of feathers.  Together they all looked so pretty that the kids and I decided to make something with them, and voila, the "Sea Catcher" was born.  Using twine, leather cording, a little glue and my drill we simply arranged the collection and attached a few of our other favorites.  Take a look:

This Sea Catcher was made of Maine driftwood, dried Mendocino seaweed, vintage buttons and glass crystals from a chandelier we used to own.  All remind us of beautiful places and happy times.  Can't wait to see how our next one comes together...

A Feathered Affair

My feathered affair began in winter when I decided to make jewelry, and even though my beading attempts never fully materialized, feathers are very much still an obsession of mine.  They keep finding their way into Cocoon botanicals, a dedicated pin board and a very recent purchase.  Whether tucked into a lapel or wrapped as a delicate bouquet, the ethereal beauty of a feather is absolutely timeless.

How do you feel about feathers?

Images: 1./2./3./4./5./6.

'Til Monday: 5 Friday Favorites

Images: 1./2./3./4./5.