A DUMBARTON woman who was ask to help cure a young girl's bad dreams has turned her hobby craft into a full time job.

Sam Paton was asked by a neighbour to make a dreamcatcher for her granddaughter who was having nightmares. From there the quality of Sam's work spread through word-of-mouth and orders started to stream in for the items. Four years later her hobby has become a business and she is teaching others the craft at the Community Hub in the town's Artizan Centre.

The origins of dreamcatchers can be traced back to tribes of Native Americans, their design consists of a willow hoop with a loose net which is decorated – legend has it that they catch harm from the air.

Sam has been travelling to markets and events across Dunbartonshire selling her creatively designed dreamcatchers along with other items such as key rings and charms. She decided to set up a stall three months ago after a number of visits to the Community Hub, in order to provide herself with a more permanent base to sell her products. She recently launched classes teaching others how to make their own dreamcatchers.

It was a move she admits she wasn't entirely sure would prove popular. She said: "I was a bit reluctant to start teaching others as I wasn’t sure how popular the classes would be.

"However, after being given a bit of a nudge by one of the women who runs an art class here, I decided to just go for it.

"We spend two hours learning the basics of how to make dreamcatchers, and at the end the students are able to take them home with them. If they don’t manage to finish them during the class students are able to come back and see me in the Community Hub and I can help them out to add the finishing touches."

The Community Hub has proved popular since it opened in 2013 with more than 130 local groups and organisations, including charities, utilising the space since then.

Stewart Gilmour, operations manager at the Artizan Centre, said "I’m thrilled that Sam has decided to move into the hub and is passing on her knowledge of how to make dreamcatchers to others.

"It’s home to a whole host of different stalls during the week selling a huge range of products and in April alone we’ve had five new stakeholders use the space to sell their products.

"As well as providing a space for charities and groups raising money to engage with the local community, it gives people with that entrepreneurial spirit, such as Sam, a place to establish and expand on their passions and grow their customer base, all without having to think about the overhead costs."

The Community Hub is open from 10am to 4pm Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and after completion of an online booking form is free to use for local groups, charities or individuals.

The form can be found on the Artizan website at: www.artizanshopping.co.uk/the-artizan-community-hub/booking-form.