How to String Rosary Beads

Make a rosary with beads personally chosen.

Many of the world's religious and spiritual traditions use beads to facilitate prayer. Catholics, Eastern-rite churches and other Christian denominations use rosary beads. The name "rosary" comes from the Latin "rosarium," which translates as "rose garden." According to JSBeads.com, some claim the rosary has ancient roots. St. Paul of Thebes counted his prayers from a bag with 300 small stones. Once made of 15 decades--sets of 10 "Hail Mary" beads, contemporary rosaries have five decades. Each decade symbolizes a set of mysteries. Meditate on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries on assigned days of the week.

Things You'll Need

• 53 8mm matching "Hail Mary" ("Ave") beads
• 6 12mm matching "Our Father" ("Pater") beads---use a different color than the 53
• Rosary-size crucifix
• Toothpick
• Clear nail polish
• 3 feet of beading string or wire

Instructions

1. Tie a knot 6 inches from the tip of one end of the string. Add 10 "Hail Mary" beads, or "Aves," to the other end. Allow the beads to drop to the knot. Tie a knot above the 10 beads, leaving a small space for the beads to move.

2. String one "Pater" bead above the knot. Tie another knot above the "Our Father" bead. String four more sets of Ave and Pater beads, creating five decades. Wait to string the fifth Pater bead.

3. Tie the ends of the string together in a knot. Tighten the knot. Leave one piece of string longer than the other. Dab a droplet of clear nail polish on the knot to ensure its integrity.

4. Drop another Pater bead, tying a knot above it. Add three Ave beads and a knot. String the final Our Father bead and knot the string above it.

5. Tie a double knot around the crucifix loop. Tighten the knot and secure it with nail polish. Snip the hanging string after the polish dries.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a rosary gift made from beads the color of birthstones.

• You can observe the Feast of the Rosary on Oct. 7 of each year.

References

• Jerry Smith, Beads & JSBeads.com: Catholic Rosaries/Rosary Beads
• Loyola Press: String Your Own Rosary

Resources

• New Advent: How to Recite the Holy Rosary
• Rosary Center: How to Pray the Rosary