How to Make a Rosary or Chaplet

Rosaries and chaplets are strings of beads blessed by a priest and used for prayer counting in the Catholic religion. Handmade rosaries make lovely gifts for children's first communions, adult conversions, weddings and other special religious events. Rosaries can be made in different color schemes and with all sorts of beads. In this article you will learn how to make rosaries and chaplets.

Things You'll Need

• 53 8mm beads
• 6 10 to 12mm beads
• Crucifix
• Rosary center
• Silk thread
• Scissors

Instructions

1. 

   Decide what configuration of rosary or chaplet you want to make. Standard rosaries contain five decades of beads, separated by four larger beads, attached to a short chain containing a crucifix and one large bead, three small beads and one large bead. Chaplets vary, based on what prayer is associated with them. For example, a chaplet of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa consists of nine beads, a crucifix and a medal of Our Lady of Czestochowa, while a chaplet of Saint Patrick has 12 beads that symbolize the 12 perils of St. Patrick. This article will explain how to make a rosary; the process is the same for chaplets; just limit the number of beads you use based on the chaplet you want to make. See Resources for a link to chaplet configurations.

2. Assemble your crucifix, beads and thread. Tie the crucifix onto the end of the thread and tie a knot in the thread above it. Slide on one large bead (Pater) and tie a knot above it. Slide on one small bead (Ave) and tie a knot above it. Repeat with the next two small beads and then slide on another large bead.

3. 

   Add the rosary center to the thread. Cut the thread. Tie the thread through the hole on the left side of the center.

4. Begin adding on the beads for the decades. Tie on 10 small beads, with a knot between each one, and then a large bead. Repeat this for each of the five decades on the rosary. You will end with a small bead. When you get to the end, tie the thread through the hole on the right side of the rosary center. Cut the thread short.

5. Take the completed rosary to your priest to have it blessed.

Resources

• Configuation of Chaplets
• Rosary Workshop: Supplies and Ideas
• Lewis and Company: Rosary Parts and Supplies