Dream catchers are one of the most bought and least explained objects in British homes. They hang above beds, in windows and on landing walls, and almost nobody selling them tells you what you are actually looking at.
This guide covers size, material, placement and price, and it starts with the part that matters most.
What ours are, and what they are not
Ours are macrame wall hangings made in the dream catcher form. They are decorative pieces, not objects made within Ojibwe tradition, and we would rather say that plainly than let the word do work it has not earned.
The original is Ojibwe, and it was a small hoop with a woven web, made for infants and understood as something that would not last. If you want a piece made within that tradition, buy from a Native maker rather than from us. Our article on what the Ojibwe dream catcher actually was goes into the history properly.
What we sell is a well made textile object that looks good on a wall. That is a reasonable thing to want and a reasonable thing to buy.
The two sizes, and which room takes which
Our range runs in two sizes and the difference matters more than the numbers suggest.
| Size | Price | Suits | Reads as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | £13.99 | Above a single bed, a child's room, a narrow wall between windows, a bathroom | A detail. Part of an arrangement rather than the point of one |
| Large | £23.99 | Above a double bed, a chimney breast, a landing wall, a hallway | A focal point. Holds a wall on its own |
The commonest mistake is buying medium for a double bed. A medium piece above a 135cm bed reads as slightly lost, because the bed is wider than the hoop by a factor of three. Our guide to how big a dream catcher should be above a bed covers the proportions.
The two patterns
Elemental spirits is the more intricate of the two, with a layered web and a longer fall of macrame beneath. It comes in large brown, large turquoise and large multi at £23.99, and in medium natural, medium grey and medium rainbow at £13.99.
Heart in heart is simpler and softer, with a heart form inside the hoop. It is medium only, at £13.99, in pink, blue and multi.
Elemental spirits suits an adult room and a plain wall. Heart in heart suits a child's room, a nursery, or anywhere you want something gentler.
Colour, and the British light problem
Worth a note, because British light is flatter and cooler than the light in most product photography.
Natural and brown read warm and disappear into a magnolia or cream wall, which is fine if you want texture rather than contrast. Grey and turquoise hold their own against pale walls and sit well with cooler schemes. Rainbow and multi read considerably brighter in person than on screen, and they suit a room that already has colour rather than a neutral one.
If your wall is white and you want the piece to be seen, avoid natural.
Where to hang one
Three positions work and one does not.
Above a bed is traditional and it is where most people put one. Hang it so the bottom of the fall sits clear of anyone sitting up, which usually means the hoop centred around 40cm above the headboard.
A window has the strongest traditional argument, since the original was understood in relation to morning light. The British complication is that our windows are draughty and a hanging piece will move and gather dust faster there.
A plain wall is where a large piece does its best work, particularly a chimney breast or a landing. Our guide to styling a large dream catcher on a plain wall covers the arrangement.
Not directly over a radiator, where rising heat will dry the cotton and lift dust into it continuously.
Cleaning and keeping it well
Macrame gathers dust and cannot be washed. Use a hairdryer on cool, held at a distance, which lifts dust out of the web without touching it. For anything more, a vacuum with the upholstery brush held slightly away from the surface.
Never put one in water. Cotton cord shrinks, knots tighten unevenly and the shape does not recover. Our guide to cleaning a dream catcher without wrecking it covers the detail.
What to expect for the money
At £13.99 and £23.99 these sit at the honest end of the market. What you get is hand knotted cotton macrame, a proper metal hoop rather than a bent wire ring, and feathers and beads that are attached rather than glued.
What you do not get, at any price from anyone selling online in bulk, is an object made within a living tradition by someone from that tradition. That costs more and it is bought differently.
Buying for a child
Common, and worth two practical notes. Hang it well out of reach rather than within grabbing distance of a cot, because feathers and small beads come off under a determined toddler. And choose heart in heart over elemental spirits, which has more loose elements at the fall.
Our article on whether dream catchers are appropriate in a child's room covers the cultural question honestly, since it is one a good many parents think about and few shops address.
The full range is in our dream catcher collection.
Questions people ask
What size dream catcher do I need?
Medium at £13.99 for a single bed, a child's room or a narrow wall. Large at £23.99 for a double bed, a chimney breast or a hallway. Most people buy too small for a double.
Where should a dream catcher hang?
Above a bed with the hoop around 40cm above the headboard, in a window, or on a plain wall. Avoid directly over a radiator, which dries the cotton and pulls dust into the web.
Can you wash a dream catcher?
No. Cotton cord shrinks and knots tighten unevenly. Use a hairdryer on cool held at a distance, or a vacuum upholstery brush held slightly away from the surface.
Are your dream catchers authentic Ojibwe pieces?
No, and we would rather say so. They are macrame wall hangings made in the dream catcher form. For a piece made within the tradition, buy from a Native maker.
Which pattern suits a child's room?
Heart in heart, which is softer and has fewer loose elements at the fall than elemental spirits. Hang it out of reach of a cot either way.
