A DARWEN mum is following her dreams while helping other people catch theirs.

Rebecca Vamillar makes huge dreamcatchers and mooncatchers, with her designs proving popular on Instagram.

She has now opened a new studio at her home in Darwen, where she also makes macrame backdrops.

Her work has featured in a blog called Whimsical Weddings, as the 33-year-old’s intricate creations are adored by brides-to-be.

Mrs Vamillar, who has 17,500 followers on her social media page Vanir Creations, said: “When we first bought a house I wanted to make things for decoration and started making dreamcatchers.

“When I fell pregnant, I made more pieces and people said I should make an Etsy shop and within a week I got my first order.”

A dreamcatcher is a small wooden hoop covered in a net, which symbolises the circle of life. They were traditionally used by Native Americans as a talisman to help filter out nightmares when sleeping.

Beads and charms on the dreamcatcher are said to symbolise the good dreams that could not pass through the net. Good dreams are said to pass through gently and slide down the feathers of the dreamcatcher to comfort the sleeper below, but bad dreams are caught in the net and destroyed. Over time, people began to also make mooncatchers, similar to dreamcatchers but which take on the shape of a moon.

She started in April 2017, while working as a manager at River Island, but orders began to pour in so she quit and now runs Vanir Creations full time.

Mrs Vamillar, who has a two-year-old son Loki, said: “We saved up quite a lot to convert the garage into my studio because it was getting messy in the house, making it hard to keep up with orders.

“The new studio was finished last week, and I’ve been loving working there because I can get things done quicker.”

Mrs Vamillar’s Instagram page also started growing as her designs became more creative, but it was a mooncatcher that threw her into the limelight.

She said: “I made a grey mooncatcher and people loved it, and that was when my following became huge.

“I have always been creative and into boho, so this was not surprising for my family that I decided to do it.

“My husband has been really supportive, sometimes I even get him to help me with things.”

The dreamcatchers are made using weaved cotton on wooden hangers, then crystals can be added to the designs.

Mrs Vamillar is thankful of her success, as she said: “It is unbelievable that I am doing this and I did not think people even want to buy my designs.”

Next, the dreamcatcher maker is hoping to start a YouTube channel on how to make mooncatchers.