One of my favorite childhood books is now a Disney movie – The BFG. Months ago in preparation for the movie coming out, I bought my daughter a Roald Dahl collection. (A summer reading list from mom.) And I was thrilled for her excitement as she too fell in love with The BFG and Matilda. She can’t stop talking about seeing the movie. Inspired by the story we decided to make The BFG paper plate dream catchers.
This post (and the craft clean up) is sponsored by P&G.
If your kids haven’t read the books, I highly recommend the whole collection. (Matilda and James and the Giant Peach are also must reads!) I always like to read the book before I see the movie, and new Disney version of The BFG is fabulous. If you haven’t read the books or seen the movie, get them below! The purpose of the dream catchers will become so much clearer once your children know the story.
Roald Dahl Collection – 15 Book Boxed Set
The BFGThe BFG (BD + DVD + Digital HD) [Blu-ray]
![The BFG (BD + DVD + Digital HD) [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61CIvaC9j8L.jpg)
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Since we don’t have giant ears like The BFG to hear dreams, it seems reasonable that paper plate dream catchers would be the next best way for human beans to collect dreams. Perhaps next we will start our own splendiferous collection of dream jars.
The BFG Paper Plate Dream Catchers
The beautiful thing about paper plate dream catchers is that there are unlimited possibilities to decorate them, so each one is unique and colorful.
Materials
- Paper plates (cheap, uncoated plates work best)
- Yarn
- Crayons
- Sequins
- Glitter
- Feathers
- Pony beads
- Glue
- Scissors
- Hole punch <- My favorite punch!
Sequins and Spangles Craft SuppliesPony Beads Multi Color 9mm 1000 Pcs in BagFiskars 1/4 Inch Circle Hand Punch
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Directions
The first step is to have a parent cut out the center of the paper plate leaving just the outer ring. Then I showed my oldest (8) how to use a hole punch to punch wholes along the inner edge of the ring. We also placed two holes at the top of the ring (for hanging) and three holes at the bottom (to hang feathers).
After that let kids use their imaginations decorate one or both sides of the paper ring with crayons, sequins, glitter and anything else that makes them happy.
Tip – lay down a few sheets of Bounty Advanced paper towels to keep glue from surfaces and help contain the glitter.
While the globs of glue were drying, I gave my little crafters a snack break.
When we returned to crafting, I cut three strings of yarn and showed the girls how to tie a feather to one end. Once the feather was secure, we strung beads onto the yarn and feather.
Next I cut a length of yarn to string across the middle of the plate. (This was really an estimate, I loosely ran the yarn across the holes a few times to get an idea of how much yarn to cut.)
After tying off the yarn on one hole, I showed my daughters how to weave the yarn through the holes across the center of the ring to create a web. While weaving, we also added a few beads at random to the yarn. (This is a great activity for preschoolers and fun for older kids too.)
Then it was time to attach the feathers and a loop of yarn for hanging.
This craft took longer than I expected to complete because my girls spent so long decorating their dream catchers just so. It was a perfect summer afternoon craft.
The Clean Up With P&G
When it was time to clean up, I had my favorite P&G Household Needs products ready — Bounty Advanced paper towels, Swiffer Dry refills and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Because these products are part of my regular cleaning routine, and a must for post-craft cleanup. I stock up on P&G Household Needs products at Costco.
You probably already know Swiffer dry refills are fantastic for picking up dust and dirt (and hair!), but did you know they are also a miracle for glitter?! We use a lot of glitter in this house, and Swiffer is my go-to solution for wiping up glitter on tile and other hard surfaces. Just look at all of the pretty sparkles picked up by the Swiffer.
One of the reasons I let my girls color on our tile floors is that cleanup is so easy. My youngest is bound to miss the paper (or paper ring in this case) and always ends up writing on the surface below. With a Magic Eraser in hand, wiping up her stray crayon marks is a breeze!
In addition to laying Bounty Advanced paper towels down before gluing, we always use Bounty Advanced paper towels to clean up sticky fingers and wipe down surfaces.
Together with P&G products post-craft clean up was a breeze. Look for your favorite P&G Household Needs products at Costco.
Hi Jen, what a great ideas you have introduced for kids fun activity! It is one of the creative ways to remove boredom and your kid’s will surely enjoy this wonderful idea. Child to Cherish has a variety of fun activities for kids. Engage the young ones with these activities and make learning fun! Your kids will definitely like it.
Thanks for the cute, easy and fun idea! mu daughter has a dream catcher on a shirt and asked me about it. Once I explained it to her she insisted on having one for herself. So when she gets home from preschool we’re doing this!
Awe! Have a great time!!!
so cute!!! It’s a real good moment to share with my kids 😉 thanks
I want to make with my class, how do you attach the bead and feather to the yarn. I cannot figure it out from the picture and don’t see it in the written directions.
Good question. Slip a bead onto the yarn. Then tie the feather to the end of the yarn with a couple of simple knots. Finally, slide the bead down the yarn over the tip of the feather. It holds quite nicely. Have fun!
Your paper plate project is a lovely idea.
Just back from the store. Bought all the items needed for my Girl Scout Brownie Troop to do on Monday. I hope they are as excited as I am to do this project. Of course I am going to test it out (and it will be good to have a sample for them to see). Thanks for the idea.
Awe! Have fun with your Brownies. 🙂
what is the history of dream catchers
Do you mean the connection to The BFG? In The BFG, he collects dreams. Not with dream catchers, but in jars. But we decided dream catchers were a fun way to collect them.
What age group do you recommend for this project??
My daughters were 3 and 6 when we did the project. The younger one needed a lot of help with the weaving part, but she loved it. Then I repeated the project later with a group of 10 year olds. So defiantly a range of kids. The littles just need some extra help with the weaving. Have fun.
What sized paper plates did you use? 9inch ?
Yes, I used 9-inch dinner plates.
I am so excited! My daughter and I are listening to the BFG right now on Audible. She is prone to nightmares so this is the perfect craft for us right now. We’re going to put sticks on the bottom to work like a wind chime and hang it just above her bed!
Oh, this makes me so happy. It’s one of my favorite books from childhood! I hope you enjoy the book and the craft!