The vine or wood hoop dreamcatcher is a closer representation
of the original Ojibwe Dream Catcher than is its leather-wrapped counterpart. Native American legends tell of how the first dreamcatchers were made from willow branches or thick vines which were fashioned into hoops and weaved with sinew in the likeness of a spider's web as in the story of Iktomi. web.
Some tribal tales describe dreamcatchers decorated with artifacts related to the owner's everyday life, for instance, stones, clay beads, bones and feathers.
Other stories describe unadorned dreamcatchers simply made with wooden hoop and webbing. There are also accounts of masculine and feminine versions as well as tales of dreamcatchers being presented as a mark of passage from one stage of life such as birth, adulthood or marriage to the next.