How to Make Wire Rosary Beads

A handmade rosary is a thoughtful gift sure to stand out from the plastic-beads-on-a-string kind. Crafting one with beads and wire is relatively inexpensive but takes some basic jewelry-making technique. Once you get the hang of it, though, you can polish off this project in a weekend or less. Make the rosary as simple or ornate as you like, using silver- or brass-colored wire and glass or acrylic beads.

Things You'll Need

• Round-nose and flat-nose jewelry pliers
• Small pair of jewelry wire cutters
• 24- or 26-gauge copper wire in silver or brass
• 4 mm or 6 mm Jump rings in silver or brass to match wire
• 4 mm, 6 mm or 8 mm round or faceted beads in glass or acrylic -- 53 for a complete rosary (sold already on wire or plain)
• 6 wire-wrapped beads for the Our Fathers
• 1 large wire-wrapped bead different from the other six for the Miraculous Medal
• 1 cross pendant

Instructions

1. 

   Choose your color scheme. You'll need 53 beads for each Hail Mary on the rosary, so select a good dominant color. You can pick fancier beads for the Our Fathers and the Miraculous Medal to make them stand out from the decates of Hail Marys (for instance, if you use faceted or pearlized beads for the Hail Marys in white, you can choose wire-wrapped or caged beads in blue for the others.) You'll need six different beads for each Our Father, one bead to signify the Miraculous Medal in the center of the rosary and a cross or crucifix for the end. If you have never worked with beads and wire, or if your beading skills are not as sharp as you'd like, purchase the 53 Hail Mary beads already strung on individual pieces of wire with eye loops at each end. (You might have to order them online.)

2. 

   If you've purchased plain beads, you'll need to string them individually. Unwind the copper wire and snip off a length about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. About a half-inch from the end of the wire, pinch the wire with the flat-nose pliers and bend the wire out at a 90-degree angle. Using the round-nose pliers, pinch the bent-out end and roll the wire counterclockwise around one of the tines of the pliers until a small loop forms at the end. Release the pliers. Thread a plain bead onto the length of wire and make another eye loop on the opposite end. Snip off excess wire with wire cutters. Repeat process until all 53 Hail Mary beads are on individual wire pieces sandwiched between eye loops.

3. 

   To create the rosary, start with a cross or crucifix. Hold a jump ring with the flat-nose pliers. Position the round-nose pliers across the ring so that the seam of the ring is parallel with one of the tines. Gently twist the ring so the seam opens but maintains the original shape of the circle (do not pull apart to open the ring). Slip the cross or crucifix onto the ring through the opening. Then slip the loop from one of the wire-wrapped Our Father beads through the same opening. Using the pliers, twist the ring closed so that the cross and the Our Father bead are joined. Set aside.

4. 

   Pick up one of the 53 Hail Mary beads. Using the round-nose pliers, open one of the eye loops at the end with a twisting motion, the same way as opening a jump ring. Slide the Our Father bead attached to the crucifix through this opening and close eye loop by twisting the wire the opposite way. In this fashion, attach two more Hail Mary beads and an Our Father bead to the chain you've started.

5. At the end of your Our Father bead, open a jump ring (see Step 3) and attach the unique bead to signify the Miraculous Medal. Close jump ring. On the other end of the Miraculous Medal, open another jump ring and attach it as a single loop. Set aside.

6. You'll now create the main part of the rosary. Following the method in Step 4, link together 10 Hail Mary beads and attach an Our Father bead with the jump ring. Then link 10 more Hail Mary beads to this strand, followed by another Our Father bead attached with a jump ring. Continue until you have five groups of 10 Hail Mary beads, separated by one of four Our Father beads. You should have an empty eye loop attached to a Hail Mary bead at both ends of the strand.

7. Pick up the Miraculous Medal and twist open the jump ring at the top. Slide on each empty eye loop from the long string of Hail Mary and Our Father beads in Step 5. Twist jump ring closed. Admire your handiwork.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice creating eye loops and opening jump rings before you start this project.

Resources

• How to make an eye loop
• How to open a jump ring
• The Rosary Shop's detailed instructions for making a wire rosary
• Research supplies at JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts