How to Make a Beaded Rosary

What could be more fitting than a post on rosary making for the 1st of October! I am really not organized enough to have planned this...somehow it just worked out.

I love making rosaries, because it’s something simple you can do with the kids or you can make it as detailed and intricate as you want to.

There are many different ways to make rosaries. There are cord rosaries, wire link rosaries, etc. My favorite method is to string the beads on with artificial sinew.  You can get this at any bead store.  I love it because you can separate one string in many pieces and get more use out of it.  It’s also handy to have the ability to change up the size of your string.

What you will need:

2 sections of artificial sinew 1^st about 15’’ long and the second about 45’’ long you can get it below:

Artificial Sinew

6 Our Father beads I use an 8mm size bead for these

53 Ave beads I like 6mm size for these

Lots of tiny seed beads for in between

4 large seed beads or any tiny bead for connecting the strands to the centerpiece and crucifix which you can get here

Sometimes I can even find the crucifixes and centers at a bead store. And often times at catholic book stores.  If you live in Bend OR the book store there has a huge selection of rosary parts!  Sadly, I do not live there.

I usually bead the section with the crucifix first because is short and I can undo it easily if I don’t like the design.

Starting with the shorter string, tie a knot about 2’’ in. Then string your first seed bead, tie a knot again and repeat two more times. So the pattern goes 3 seed beads, 1 Our Father bead, 3 seed beads.  Then 1 Ave and 1 seed bead, 1 Ave and 1 seed bead, 1 Ave.  Repeat the first part of the pattern for the Our Father bead.  Set Aside

Now for the 5 Decades. Take the long string and tie a knot about 2’’ in. String on a seed bead and tie another knot repeat 2 more times. Then String 10 Ave beads with 1 seed bead for spacing in between them and tie a knot. Now 3 seed beads with knots in between them and 1 Our Father and 3 more seed beads with knots in between, repeat for all 5 Decades.

Attaching the center and Crucifix

Start with the short string and on either end string 1 large seed bead, then thread through the hole on the crucifix, loop up and back through the large seed bead. Trim to ½ inch, burn the end with a lighter and blow out the flame. This will give a nice finished look.  Repeat this process with all the remaining connections.

Get your prayer on friends! Now more than ever we need to pray for peace. The rosary is a great family prayer and mini catechism, all the mysteries are perfect teachable moments on the life of Christ.  Children will love making their own rosaries to pray with. 

  
If you are not up to the task of making your own, we have lovely beaded rosaries for sale in our Etsy shop.