Make Your Own Rosary with a Rosary Chain and Other Jewelry-Making Accessories
If you were raised in the Roman Catholic Church, chances are you already own a rosary. Even if you are not Catholic, a rosary can make a wonderful gift for anyone celebrating a baptism, first Holy Communion, confirmation, or the marriage of a friend or relative who is Catholic. Before we can show you how to make a beaded rosary, it is vital to understand what a rosary is and the various components that make it up. Let’s explore.
What is a Rosary?
A rosary is a length of beads and other attachments strung on a cord or metal chain. In the Catholic religious practice, a rosary is a devotional tool used to focus one’s attention on prayer and encourage meditation on the life of Jesus Christ.
What Are the Components of a Rosary
Rosary beads can be made from a wide variety of materials, including wood, glass, agate, quartz, opal and countless other gemstones. Rosary beads are typically — but not always — round or oval and may be smooth or faceted.
A rosary consists of more than just a string of beads, however. The “findings” are all the other components of the rosary except the beads. These include a crucifix, a center or medallion, the chain itself, and all the other connecting metal pieces, like wire, eye pins, and jump rings.
The metal chain can be made of gold, silver, or any suitable combination of precious or non-precious metals. The various pieces of a rosary should complement one another in color, pattern, shape, and size. Other than that, you are limited only by your imagination in designing your rosary.
What Tools and Supplies Do I Need?
Rosaries can be made using individual beads, chains, and other findings. Alternatively, you can purchase lengths of pre-beaded gold rosary chain by the foot, for example, which will significantly simplify your project. However, you will still need some other tools and supplies to make your rosary.
At TheBeadTraders.com, we offer a vast selection of beads and jewelry supplies online. Here is what you’ll need to make your own rosary:
- 2 pairs of pliers: flat-nose pliers to hold and manipulate the piece you are working on and “rosary pliers,” which are a handy combination of round-nose pliers used to create loops and side-cutting pliers used to cut wire and chain. Round-nose pliers and a separate wire cutter can be substituted for rosary pliers.
- 53 small (6-8 mm) beads, 10 for each of five groups of beads for the “Hail Mary” prayer, plus three additional “Hail Mary” beads. Each group of 10 beads is called a “decade.”
- 6 separator beads to say the “Our Father” prayer, which can be the same size or larger than the decadal beads
- 14 short pieces of chain (3-4 links each) to connect the decadal beads with the separator beads and other rosary components
- Wire or eye pins
- 1 medallion or “center” (often depicting Christ, Mary, a saint, or a biblical event)
- 1 cross or crucifix
- 4 jump rings: three small jump rings to connect the medallion and one larger jump ring to connect the crucifix
How Many Beads To Make a Rosary?
Based on the materials listed above, a typical roman catholic rosary contains 59 beads. Make sure to purchase enough when starting your rosary-creation process.
How To Make a Rosary Yourself
Learning how to make a rosary with string and beads can seem daunting at first, but it is simpler than you may think. Read below to learn how to make a rosary step by step and share your creations with us!
- Create the five decades of beads
First, cut 53 same-length pieces of wire, one for each decadal bead. Each piece of wire should be long enough to create a loop on each end. For each piece of wire, make a loop at one end using your rosary or round-nose pliers. Insert the straight end of the wire through the hole in the bead, and then make another loop identical to that on the other side.
Rather than cutting individual pieces of wire, an easier method is to use eye pins, which are already cut to size and have a loop on one end. Simply insert the straight end of the eye pin through the bead and then form a loop on its end, as described above.
Once you have constructed all 53 bead segments, join them together, using your flat-nose pliers to open, connect and close the loops at either end of each bead. Repeat this process 50 times, joining 10 beads together into each of five segments or decades. Join the remaining decadal beads into a single group of three beads. This group of beads will be used in the last step to connect the crucifix to the rest of the rosary.
- Connect the separator beads to the decades
For the six separator beads, cut six same-length pieces of wire as described above. As in the previous step, each piece of wire should be long enough to create identical loops on both ends of each bead. The length of wire will depend on the size of the separator beads chosen. Eye pins may be substituted for the wire.
Cut 14 segments of chain (3-4 links each) to connect all parts of the rosary. Twist open the loops on the ends of each separator bead, add a chain segment on each end of the bead, and close the loop. Connect the free end of each chain segment to one end of a decadal segment made in the previous step. Continue this process until all five decadal segments are connected to the separator beads. This step will use four of the six separator beads and 10 of the 14 pieces of chain.
- Connect the medallion and crucifix
The medallion or “center” has two holes on either side of its upper end and one hole on its lower end. Connect one small jump ring to each of the three holes in the medallion. Add a segment of chain to each of the upper two jump rings and connect the free end of each chain segment to opposite ends of the single strand of beads assembled in the previous two steps. You will now have a complete circle of rosary beads connected by the medallion.
The crucifix is connected to the medallion and circle of beads with another short string of beads. First, attach one of the four remaining segments of the chain to the small jump ring already connected to the bottom end of the medallion. Connect the free end of this chain segment to one separator bead, followed by a second chain segment, then the three-bead segment created in step 1, followed by a third chain segment, another separator bead, and finally the fourth (and last remaining) chain segment.
Attach the free end of the last chain segment to the hole at the top of the crucifix using the large jump ring. Make sure the face of the crucifix and the front of the medallion are oriented in the same direction.
Making your own rosary can be a spiritual and rewarding experience, and they make a unique and heartfelt religious gift.
If you are interested in learning how to make a rosary with string only, feel free to search online through many of the wonderful tutorials.
How To Make a Rosary Bracelet
Creating a bracelet from extra materials is a great idea. We suggest you learn how to make a rosary bracelet after you have mastered the skill and meaning of the rosary necklace. Come back soon for more information on how to make a rosary bracelet.
FAQ’s
How many beads are on a Rosary?
The Rosary chain is composed of a string of beads, each representing one prayer in the Rosary. This custom of reciting the Rosary began in the twelfth century and quickly spread through Europe thanks to its popularity as a way to turn simple prayers into a devotion.
Where to buy Rosary Beads?
Rosary Beads are everywhere, from traditional sites to Bead Traders' online stores. It is essential to find Rosary Beads of quality material and ensure you are getting a Rosary Chain that will stand the test of time. A Rosary Chain often includes a cross or crucifix charm and is used to aid prayer and meditation.
What Are The Rosary Beads Meaning?
Rosary beads serve a particular purpose to those who use them. They are used as a visual aid to help keep track of prayers, known as the Rosary. Many people don't know that Rosary chains have been around since the 6th century and have held religious significance for just as long. Rosaries are an essential part of many religions, including Christian and Catholic faiths, in which it is believed reciting them brings a strong connection between the speaker and God.
Get What You Need at The Bead Traders!
Now that you are armed with the knowledge of how to make a rosary with string and beads, it is time to put everything into practice. Start using your creativity to create a one-of-a-kind rosary that will bring peace and joy to its users. For wholesale bead pricing, visit our wholesale page. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing what you make.
Shop the Bead Traders today for expert-curated, high-quality gemstone beads, crystal beads, opal beads, and more.