Feb
The Basic Setup and Why I Even Started This
So I made my first actual dream catcher wall hanging thing in spring 2022 when I was basically reorganizing my entire apartment and realized how bare my walls looked. I’d seen these bohemian crochet dream catchers all over Instagram and figured how hard could it be, right? Turns out the hardest part isn’t even the crochet itself but getting that initial hoop ready and not having everything slide around like a mess.
You’re gonna need a metal hoop or wooden embroidery hoop. I used a 10-inch wooden one from the craft store because it was like three dollars. The metal ones are sturdier but whatever you have works. Then you need some kind of bulky or chunky yarn for the main web part. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in like a cream color because I had it leftover from another project that never happened.
Starting the Web Part
The actual crochet web is basically just a big granny square or circular motif that you make separately and then attach to the hoop. Some people crochet directly onto the hoop but that annoyed me so much because the hoop keeps moving and your tension gets all weird. Make the circle flat on a table first, then attach it.
I started with a magic ring, then did like 12 double crochets into the ring. Second round you’re increasing – so two double crochets in each stitch. Keep going and increasing every few stitches until your circle is slightly smaller than your hoop diameter. Mine ended up being maybe 8 inches across for the 10-inch hoop.
Here’s the thing though – and this really bugged me – you can’t make it too dense or it looks heavy and weird, not flowy and bohemian. So I started doing chain spaces instead of solid stitches. Like, double crochet, chain 2, skip a stitch, double crochet, chain 2, skip a stitch. That opens it up and gives it that actual dream catcher web vibe instead of just looking like a doily.
The Lacey Web Pattern I Figured Out
After you get about 4 or 5 rounds of the basic circle, switch to a more open pattern. I did this thing where I would do a double crochet, chain 3, skip 2 stitches, double crochet into the next chain space from the previous round. Keep going around. Next round, you do double crochet into the chain space, chain 3, and so on.
You can also do a shell pattern if you want it fancier. Like, work 5 double crochets all into one chain space, skip some stitches, single crochet, skip stitches, then another shell. I tried this on a second one I made later and it looked pretty good but took way longer.
Attaching Everything to the Hoop
This is where I messed up the first time because I thought I could just like, tie it on with random pieces of yarn. Don’t do that. It looks sloppy and the web part sags weird on one side.
What actually works: use the same yarn you made the web with, and whip stitch or just yarn-over the hoop edge, catching the outer round of your crochet circle as you go. Space it evenly – maybe every inch or so, wrap the yarn around both the hoop and the crochet edge. Pull it tight enough that there’s no gaps but not so tight that your circle puckers.
I was watching some true crime documentary while doing this part and kept losing track of where I was, so I’d recommend just focusing or at least watching something less distracting.
The Hanging Fringe Situation
Okay so the bottom fringe is what makes it actually look bohemian and not just like you hot-glued a doily to a hoop. Cut a bunch of yarn strands – and I mean a BUNCH. I used probably 30-40 pieces for a 10-inch hoop. Each piece should be like 24-30 inches long depending on how long you want the final fringe.
Fold each piece in half and loop it onto the bottom part of the hoop using a lark’s head knot. That’s where you fold it in half, put the loop under the hoop, then pull the two ends through the loop and tighten. Do this all along the bottom half of the hoop, spacing them however you want.
I used Red Heart Super Saver in white and also some tan color I can’t remember the exact name of – maybe Cafe? I mixed the two colors randomly which looked better than all one color. My cat kept trying to attack the fringe while I was working on this which was… not helpful.
Making the Fringe Look Intentional
You can leave the fringe as regular strands but it looks more interesting if you add texture. I braided some sections – take three strands and braid them together, tie a knot at the end. Leave some strands loose. You can also add beads if you’re into that, just thread them onto individual strands before you attach them to the hoop, or slide them on after and tie knots to keep them in place.
Some people unravel the yarn ends to make them feathery looking. This works better with wool yarn than acrylic – the Red Heart stuff I used didn’t unravel great but the Wool-Ease did. Just separate the plies with your fingers and brush it out a little with like a dog brush or something.
Top Hanging Part
For hanging the whole thing on the wall, you need something at the top. I cut a longer piece of yarn, maybe 18 inches, and tied each end to the sides of the hoop at like the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions. This creates a loop you can hang on a nail.
Some tutorials say to wrap the whole hoop in yarn first before you do anything else but honestly that takes forever and I didn’t think it made that much difference. If your hoop is wood and looks nice, just leave parts of it showing. If it’s beat up or you got a cheap metal one, maybe wrap sections of it in yarn or macrame cord.
Adding Extra Stuff
The one I made in spring 2022 was pretty basic but when I made another one in like August 2023 I added feathers. You can get fake feathers at craft stores – I used some brown and white ones. Tie them onto individual fringe strands with regular thread or thin yarn. Space them out randomly, don’t line them all up in a row or it looks too organized and less bohemian.
You can also add smaller hoops inside the main hoop if you wanna get complicated. Like, take a 3-inch or 4-inch hoop, make a tiny crochet circle for it, and hang it inside the main dream catcher with yarn. I tried this once and it was fine but felt like overkill honestly.
The Thing That Actually Annoyed Me Most
The most frustrating part of this whole project was getting the tension right on the web portion while also keeping it open enough. Like, you want it to have structure and not be floppy, but if you crochet too tight, it doesn’t have that airy boho feel. I probably frogged and restarted the web part three times on my first attempt because it kept looking wrong – either too dense and solid or too loose and sloppy.
Also choosing colors is weirdly hard because you think you want all neutrals but then it can look boring, but if you add too much color it doesn’t look bohemian anymore it just looks… I don’t know, like a kids room decoration or something?
Yarn Amounts and Sizing
For a 10-inch hoop, I used maybe half a skein of the Wool-Ease for the web part – probably like 50-60 yards total? The fringe takes way more yarn than you think. I’d say plan for at least 100-150 yards for decent coverage on the fringe if you’re doing a 10-inch hoop. Bigger hoops obviously need more.
If you make a 14-inch or 16-inch one, the web takes longer but honestly doesn’t use that much more yarn because it’s still mostly open chain spaces. The fringe is where you’ll need way more – maybe double the yarn for a 16-inch vs a 10-inch.
Different Yarn Weight Options
I used bulky weight because it works up fast and has good presence on the wall, but you could totally use worsted weight yarn if that’s what you have. It’ll just look more delicate and take longer to make. I wouldn’t go thinner than worsted though or it starts looking like lace curtains instead of a wall hanging.
For the fringe specifically, you can mix yarn weights which actually looks cool. Like use the same bulky for some strands and add in some worsted or even some thin macrame cord mixed in. Gives it more texture and visual interest.
Variations I’ve Seen or Tried
Some people do the web part in one color and the fringe in a different color which can look good if you pick colors that work together. Like a rust orange web with cream fringe, or a sage green web with white and tan mixed fringe.
You can also make it asymmetrical – like, put the fringe just on one side cascading down instead of centered at the bottom. I haven’t tried this but I saw someone do it and it looked pretty cool and different.
Another thing is using multiple hoops in a cluster on the wall – like three different sizes grouped together. I made a small 6-inch one, a 10-inch, and was gonna make a 14-inch but never finished that project because I moved and it got packed away somewhere.
The other variation that’s popular is adding fairy lights somehow woven into the web part but that seems like it would be annoying to do and then you gotta have it near an outlet so I skipped that idea entirely.
Actual Tips That Helped Me
Work on a flat surface for the web part, not in your lap. Keeps everything even.
Cut all your fringe pieces at once before you start attaching them. I tried cutting as I went the first time and they ended up all different lengths unintentionally.
If your hoop has a screw closure thing (like embroidery hoops do), position that at the top back where it won’t show, not at the bottom where everyone can see it.
Take breaks when doing the fringe because your hands will cramp from tying all those knots. I had to stop like every 15 minutes and shake out my hands.
Don’t overthink the pattern for the web – it literally doesn’t matter if it’s perfectly symmetrical or follows a specific pattern, the whole boho vibe is kind of imperfect anyway.
