Wall hangings above a bed go wrong in one direction almost every time. Too small, hung too high, floating in the middle of a large blank wall looking apologetic. It is the commonest styling mistake in British bedrooms and it is entirely fixable with two measurements.
Here is the sizing done properly, using the macrame dream catchers we actually stock.
Start with the bed width
The reliable proportion for anything hung above a bed is that it should span roughly two thirds to three quarters of the width of the bed or the headboard, whichever is wider. Less than half and it reads as an afterthought. More than the bed width and it starts to look like a headboard replacement, which is a different design decision.
Standard British bed widths make this straightforward. A single is 90cm, a double 135cm, a king 150cm and a super king 180cm.
Which of ours suits which bed
We keep two sizes. The medium macrame dream catchers, in patterns including natural Elemental Spirits and grey Elemental Spirits, suit a single bed as a solo piece, or a bedside wall, or a narrow section of wall where a large hoop would crowd.
The large macrame dream catchers, such as the large turquoise, large brown and large multi, are the ones for a double or larger, hung centrally above the headboard.
For a king or super king, one large piece can still look modest against that much wall. This is where grouping earns its place, and we come to that below.
Height above the headboard
The number most people get wrong. A wall hanging above a bed should sit close enough to the headboard to read as connected to it, which in practice means a gap of roughly 15 to 25cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the piece.
Any higher and the visual link breaks: the hanging belongs to the ceiling rather than the bed, and the wall between them becomes an awkward empty band. If your bed has no headboard, measure from the top of the mattress and allow around 60 to 75cm to the bottom of the piece.
Low ceilings, which most British bedrooms have
Modern British ceilings are frequently around 2.3 to 2.4 metres, and older cottages can be lower still. That compresses the available wall and changes the answer.
With a low ceiling, prioritise closeness to the headboard over centring the piece in the remaining wall. A hanging that sits low and close reads as intentional; one pushed up to fill the space reads as stranded. If the wall genuinely will not take a large hoop, a medium hung correctly beats a large hung badly.
Grouping, which suits wide beds
For a king or super king, three medium pieces in a loose asymmetric arrangement often work better than one large one. Vary the heights slightly rather than lining them up, keep them within the two thirds width rule as a group, and allow a hand's width between them so they read as a set rather than a row.
Mixing patterns within the same family works well. The Heart in Heart and Elemental Spirits designs sit comfortably together.
Fixings, including for renters
These are light pieces, which makes life easy. A single picture hook or a small nail into plasterboard will hold a medium comfortably. For a large piece, use a proper plasterboard fixing rather than a bare nail if there is no stud, since plasterboard crumbles around a bare pin over time.
Renters have good options here. Adhesive hooks rated well above the weight of the piece will hold these hangings without marking the wall, provided the wall is smooth and clean when you fit them and you remove them slowly and correctly.
Feathers and sleeping underneath
Worth a practical note. Any hanging above a bed collects dust, and anything with loose trailing elements collects more. Our macrame pieces are cotton cord, which shakes out easily and does not shed, but they will still want a shake or a gentle vacuum with a brush attachment two or three times a year.
If anyone in the bedroom has dust sensitivity, keep the piece a little further from the pillow than the sizing above suggests, and clean it more often.
Our guide to where a dream catcher should hang covers placement beyond the bedroom, and the Ojibwe origins covers where the object comes from.
Questions people ask
What size dream catcher should go above a double bed?
A large piece, hung centrally. As a rule the hanging should span roughly two thirds to three quarters of the bed width, and a double is 135cm.
How high above the bed should a dream catcher hang?
Around 15 to 25cm above the headboard. Higher than that and the visual link to the bed breaks, leaving an awkward empty band of wall.
What if my ceilings are low?
Prioritise hanging close to the headboard over centring the piece in the remaining wall, and choose a medium rather than a large if the wall genuinely will not take it.
Can I hang several dream catchers together?
Yes, and for a king or super king it often works better than one large piece. Use three mediums at slightly varied heights, keeping the group within the two thirds width rule.
How do I hang one in a rented flat?
Adhesive hooks rated well above the weight will hold these light cotton pieces without marking a smooth clean wall. Remove them slowly and correctly when you leave.
