Dreamcatcher Evolution - Transformation of Butterfly

Album link: 3D Dreamcatcher - Transformation of Butterfly

Finally I'll hold my first handicraft workshop in two weeks!! In the workshop, I will show the students how to make a dream catcher, and how their creativity can be integrated into their works.

I started to learn how to make a dreamcatcher when I was on my working holidays in the UK 2 years ago. At the time I didn't have proper materials at hand, and therefore I had to use something else instead. For the hoop, I used tiny bracelet in replace of willow; for the web itself, I used elastic thread bought in the shop in stead of sinew or cordage made from plants; as to the feather....although I could pick feathers everywhere in Brighton, they were too big for the tiny bracelet, and so I'd decided to use everything I had as the decoration.

For example, once I used alphabet beads and spelled my friend's name, and another time I even made a Chinese know and tied it under the dream catcher. I was so proud of that work - perfect combination of Eastern and Western tradition.

After coming back to Taiwan, finding proper materials for making a dream catcher is not a problem anymore; but still, I love to use bracelets to make dreamcatchers since the results look more elegant and exquisite. You may hang it above the bed as before, or you may wear it as an special accessory or necklace. I had add ingredient of FASHION in to the traditional mystical dreamcathers.

The web of a traditional dreamcatcher looks like a blossomed flower, with all its petals touching the edge of the hoop and layer by layer crossing each other. 

However, when I looked up information on the internet in preparation for my workshop, I've came across different styles of dreamcatchers and weaving techniques. Hence, I started to look for the works I like, and figured out myself how to make them. I love trying new things, especially advanced techniques.

At first, I only changed the way I weaved the web or decorated it, which resulted in different looks of dreamcatchers.

Then, I went further, and added another ring into it. With two hoops, the possibility is limitless, and I only taste it a little bit so far.

Last night, I've decided to leap to a higher level, and turned the world of dreamcatchers from 2D into 3D. I combined 2 bracelets together to form the skeleton of sphere, and began my weaving inside of it. I didn't plan carefully how I wanted the work to look like; my idea was to make each facet symmetrical and hope the thread tension may hold the shape. Also, to make the work more interesting, I added some beads, just to highlight the petal shape.

The result was a big surprise!! The web itself presented as a curved surface in topology, and the beads dotted into a beautiful butterfly!! It was totally beyond me imagination; I had never thought this idea could turn out to be something so beautiful.


On top of that, since the dreamcatcher is in 3D, it shows difference faces at different angles. From one angle, it looks like a butterfly spreading the wings, and from another angle, it looks like a tunnel or a butterfly net...well...hopefully it doesn't come for my butterfly. But it does make a good dream-CATCHER, isn't it?

I love this work very much; like the transformation of butterfly, I've made a breakthrough again. I proudly share this work to you :)