How to Make a Rosary

One of the essentials for practicing the Roman Catholic religion is the Rosary, often referred to as prayer beads. Ozark native and practicing Catholic, Kenzie Wade takes us through a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own rosary with interesting information on what each of the parts are named.

Step 1: Supplies you will need

59 Beads – Can be 59 of the same, or 53 of one and six of another.
59 Eye pins
3 Jump rings (4 if Crucifix does not have a jump ring)
8″ of Chain
1 Center (usually Mary, has two jump rings on top and one on bottom)
1 Crucifix
Optional:

Additional charms of saints

Bag to carry
Gift box

Tools:
Round nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutters.

Step 2: Cutting the Chain

Use your wire cutters to cut every 6th link, making 14 pieces, each with 5 links. “There isn’t any rule for how many links you have, it just depends on how long you want your Rosary.” Kenzie said.

Step 3: Put Beads on Eye Pins

Roll the end toward the bead. It takes practice to keep the loops rounded.

In this step, you attach each bead onto an eye pin. Eye pins have one end already formed into a loop, so you only have to form the other end. It is important to use the right size eye pin.
1. Put the bead on the pin, all the way down to the loop.
2. Bend the other end 90 degrees right at the bead, perpendicular to the existing loop. If your eye pin is extra-long, you’ll need to snip it to within one-half inch of the bead.
3. Grasp the end of the eye pin in the round nose pliers and roll the pliers toward the bead. This step takes practice! The end result you want is to have both loops twisted 90 degrees to each other.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for a total of 59 beads.

Step 4: String Beads

1. Group beads together. Five sets of 10 beads (The Hail Mary Beads), one set of three (The Antiphon Beads), and six loose beads (The Our Father Beads).

2. Connect each set of 10 Beads together in a Decade as follows:
a. Select one loop on each bead to twist open.
b. Using the flat nose pliers, twist the end open being careful to not unroll the loop.
c. Place the loop of the next bead on the opened loop, and twist closed.

3. Connect the set of 3 beads which will be your Antiphon beads.

4. Connect a piece of chain on each loop of the six loose beads, using the same techniques as step 2.

Step 5: Assemble!

Now that we have all of the components ready, we can complete the Rosary.

1. Connect (by twisting loops open and closed) a chain piece to one end of one Decade.

2. Connect the chain from one end of an Our Father to the other end of the first Decade.

3. Connect the other end of the Our Father to another Decade.

4. Continue steps 2 & 3 until all five Decade are strung together, separated by four Our Father

5. Add the last piece of chain to the end of the last Decade.

6. Twist open a jump ring and use it to connect one end of the Decade chain to one of the top loops of the center.

7. Repeat for the other end of the Decade chain.

8. Connect the last two Our Fathers to each end of the set of three Hail Marys.

9. Twist open a jump ring and use it to connect the short string to the bottom of the center.

10. Twist open the jump ring on the Crucifix and connect it to the end of the short string.

11. The number of twists in the short chain make the Crucifix hang at 90 degrees to the Center. Align the loops of the Our Father above the Crucifix so that they face the same direction. This lets the Crucifix and center to face the same way.