*AD – the item in this review was gifted to our household for this post. All opinions, as always, are our own.
When it comes to crafts, Amelia is the queen. She loves trying out different craft kits and creating things that look beautiful and are fun to make. She was delighted when we opened up the Paper FX Dream Weaver Machine, determined to make something “really beautiful” with as little help as possible. This craft machine allows children to make all sorts of weaved projects, from bags to bunting, to vases or pencil holders. Amelia was well into making a very tall pencil holder and a coin purse, especially as she wanted to use all of the tools in the kit.
Reading through the instructions, the Paper FX Dream Weaver Machine is one of those craft toys where you will want to spend some time understanding the whole thing, before diving in. There are lots of different pieces, which help with different projects. At first, it does feel complex, but once we were able to explain what each bit did and how to do it, Amelia was able to take over and easily get into the flow of crafting! These projects take different sizes and types of weaves; open and closed, that need to be placed into the grid at the right place to create something whole that works together. We did the pencil case first, and it turns out a bit taller than expected, due to us not fully understanding the guidelines.
We then did a coin purse on another day, which came out pretty perfectly, but did take both Dann and I helping Amelia to understand the instructions. We feel like part of the issue is that the instructions are all spread out, as there is step 1 to 3 in every language possible, then step 4 through 6 on the next page, in every language possible. These instructions are tough to follow, and it would almost work better as a video tutorial that has no actual speaking, so that we can see what happens instead of focusing on all of the different languages being supported.
The Paper FX Dream Weaver machine itself is well though out as a machine. There is a big bar at the top that holds the tip of the paper down, so that it is stuck in place. The other bar at the bottom doesn’t stick down as well, and is used along with the turning handle to highlight what strips need to be weaved under and over in that moment. You can just slot in you current bit of paper and then pull it up, which does make quick work of weaving. Before you use this main machine, you will use a long, measured piece to pick the size of your paper, rip along the edge of it, and then another crinkling machine to make the lines in the paper and fold them, so they are all uniform. This ripping thing does take confident rips, which Amelia was a bit too nervous for, however she did get the hang of it over time. The crimper she really enjoyed, and the guide helped her be able to create open and closed weaves all on her own. For the pencil case, there is a big circle that you wrap weaves of paper along the middle, to create the bottom of the pencil case.
The Paper FX Dream Weaver machine can be used with craft paper, but you can also use whatever you have around the house, using magazines, card, and anything that would normally hit your recycle bin. This gives children the chance to really take on the phrase “reuse” head on. Taking paper that would otherwise have been put in the trash and using it to create new objects can be a really fun and useful task, and you most likely have something to use with the machine within your home. We did also use glue to reinforce many aspects of the project, which is something worth noting, as the machine does not come with glue!
Amelia’s verdict on the Paper FX Dream Weaver Machine was that it was a little tough, but she really liked making the various projects, and wants to make more for her friends to have. She liked the coin purse best, and wanted to cover it in stickers as well, to continue to personalize the item. If you’ve got a tween or teen into crafting, you can easily give them this machine for a few hours, and watch them make a bunch of purses with a bit of help from you from time to time!
I used to love doing paper weaving crafts like this, it reminds me of junior school. My daughter still loves to craft and is always saving scraps of paper and cardboard so she would really enjoy this.
I use to do them as a kid too!
That is so cool! I would love to get the dream weaver to my daughter, super fun.
It is a really fun machine.
What a cool crafting machine! I have never heard of something like this and it is nice to have something to keep the kids busy and off their devices.
It is a really fun and busy kit, especially for keeping kids entertained.
That’s so cute. My nieces will surely love it if I ask them to make that as well. I need that machine, lol.
It is a really fun kit for kids!