Homeade Rosaries

A couple of weeks ago, while deciding what to make as gifts for my family and friends, I pondered upon the idea of making a rosary. I loved the idea - making them is almost as soothing as praying them. I originally got my inspiration from about.com, since I had no idea where to start. Here's how I've made them.

Materials needed:
Wire cutters
Needle nose pliers
Crucifix
Rosary center piece (available cheap online)
Eye pins
53 Smooth beads
6 slightly larger or different colored accent beads

Here's the basic directions.

Place your bead on the eye-pin.

Use the wire cutters to cut excess wire off of the eye-pin about a centimeter away from your bead. This will get easier to eyeball as you go.

Use your needle nose pliers to create a loop at the top of the bead. Simply use the pliers to pinch the top and then roll them down - the pliers will do the shaping for you.

Make sure not to close the loop yet.

Attach the current beads to your previous bead. Use your pliers to close the loop

Continue in this fashion until you are done

The order for your beads is: Crucifix, one large bead, three small beads, one large bead, rosary center, ten small beads, one large bead, ten small beads, one large bead, ten small beads, one large bead, ten small beads, one large bead, ten small beads. You then want to connect the last of the ten small beads onto the rosary center by opening the eye-pin with your pliers. Then you should have a complete rosary.

Here are pictures of finished rosaries. All should be listed in my etsy shop within the week.

This is a St. Patrick rosary I made for a friend. Green beads, Celtic crucifix, St. Patrick center

This one is made with glass pearls

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