How to Make a Rosary Loop

A rosary loop is a bead wiring technique that gets its name from its common use in the Catholic prayer piece. This technique is now common in many styles of beaded jewelry, particularly those that incorporate both beads and jewelry chains, since the rosary loop at either end of a bead allow it to be connected directly to a chain's link. While store bought beads can be purchased with rosary loops already attached, mastering the technique of creating your own loops will allow you to add them to any bead in your collection.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Round-nosed jewelry pliers
• Beading wire
• Wire cutters
• Nail file or emory board

1. 
    

   Cut a length of wire with your wire cutters. This wire piece should be long enough to fill your bead with room for making the loops. The wire pictured is about three times as long as the bead.

2. 
    

   File one tip of the wire with your nail file. This will help eliminated sharp edges that can get caught on hair or clothing.

3. 
    

   Grip the filed tip of your wire in your round-nosed jewelry pliers. For best results, the tip should be in line with the very edge of the pliers and not poke out the top. Also, since the two halves of the pliers nose are conical, the loop you are about to create will correspond to the width of the cone at the point where you grip your wire. The farther back you go, the larger the loop will be, so place it accordingly.

4. 
    

   Wrap the loop around the outside of the pliers' nose while gripping the pliers tightly in your other hand. Wrap the wire tightly around the cone.

5. 
    

   Remove the loop from the pliers by pulling it straight off.

6. 
    

   Adjust the angle of the loop using the tip of your pliers. The round loop should sit evenly on the top of the straight line of the wire, rather than sitting to one side or the other.

7. 
    

   Close the loop with the tip of your pliers, as the process of adjusting the angle will cause it to open again.

8. 
    

   Thread the wire through your bead.

9. 
    

   Repeat the wire curling process on the opposite side. Focus on keeping this loop the same size as the first and on making sure that the two loops not twisted at different angles from each other.

10. Trim the excess wire from the new loop.

11. Adjust the angle on the new loop and close it. Your bead is now looped on both ends and can be attached to a chain link or another rosary looped bead.