How to Make a Rosary Chain

You can make your own personal rosary chain with items available at most craft stores.

A homemade rosary can make a very meaningful gift or even become an heirloom. You can find all the supplies you need at most bead or craft stores. Specialty pliers for rosary chains specifically designed for working with eyepins are also available. Eyepins are small metal pins with an eye pre-formed on one end. Eyepins are available in different sizes to accommodate different sized beads.

Things You'll Need

• Rosary pliers or other small pliers
• Small crucifix with ring
• 59 beads
• 59 eyepieces
• Center piece with three rings
• Eight inches of chain

Instructions

1. Insert an eyepin through the hole in a bead so that the eye is flush with the hole. Bend the straight end 90 degrees; this end will be turned into an eye. Use your pliers to twist the end of the eyehole into another eye, but do not completely close the eye as you’ll need space to hook the chain together. Repeat the process with the other 58 beads.

2. Cut your eight inches of chain into 14 separate pieces of four to five links each. The layout of the rosary is a crucifix, a length of chain, bead, length of chain, three beads, length of chain, bead and a length of chain connecting to the centerpiece. Continuing around from the centerpiece is a length of chain, ten beads, chain, bead, chain, ten beads, chain, bead, chain, ten beads, chain, bead, chain, ten beads, chain, bead, chain, ten beads, and a length of chain back to the centerpiece.

3. String your chain together by slipping an original eyehole onto a newly formed eyehole and using your pliers to finish closing the eyehole. Do not close the eyehole by crimping the sides. Instead, twist the eyehole from the inside to decrease the opening. Use this same procedure to connect your beads to the chain links or to the rings.

References

• Rosary Parts: Rosary Chain Instructions
• Rosary Makers Guide: Making a Chain Rosary
• Aingl Kiss: Rosary Layout