making a rosary

  • Thread starter Thread starter T765
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

T765

Guest
My spouse is converting this next Easter. I want to make him a rosary for this event. I would like to make a practice one first to see if I can do it. I am not the most gifted person w/ my hands. If that goes well, I’d like to make a really nice one w/ sterling silver centerpiece and crucifix and some nice beads. But as I said, I want to make a cheap practice one first.

I have looked around at rosary kits but am a bit confused as to what to get.
I want some kind of strong chain/wire to hold it together. I don’t want him to not use it for fear it may break. Which is the best material for this–wire, chain, etc??
Is it hard to bend the wire or attach to the chain?
I see that they have various types of pliers. What kind(s) do I need?
Some sets have smaller beads between the main beads. I’d ratheer not have this. Does this mean I should get chain/wire/some other connector?

Sorry to ask so many questions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Theresa
 
Hi! I like to make rosaries for family and friends. I make rosaries with flexible beading wire. It is very strong and durable wire. If you were to make a chain rosary, you need to practice making loops with a pins and beading pliers. I found my supplies in my local beading supply stores, Michael’s , and even Wal-Mart. I have not made any chain rosaries because it is more time consuming. My husband has requested this kind from me, so I guess I must practice those loops. You can get very creative in type of beads used and simple to elaborate cruxifixes and middles. Sometimes you can find those at catholic stores. Instruction can be found online and in beading mags. I acually took a class offered in a local yarn and bead supply store, and I know Michael’s craft store does that. And once your done, make sure to get it blessed!
Good Luck and God Bless you and your husband and family!
 
I’m a rosary maker too!

This is the best site I have found for getting started. You can either buy a kit or the parts separately.
rosaryparts.com/

You’ll find here things called “eye pins.” They are sturdy, 28-gauge wire pins with one half already looped. Get a good pair of needle-nose jewelry-grade pliers (available at this site too) to bend the other end once you’ve put on a bead. They sell the eye pins in the exact length you need for the size bead you want (size 13 for 6mm beads, 14 for 7mm beads, etc.) This way, you don’t need wire cutters to trim the wire. Yes, it’s something to get used to, but I can now put a rosary together, beginning to end, in an hour. It’s very rewarding, very therapeutic and you’ll be so pleased to give away your hand-crafted rosaries! (Or even sell them - I discovered a great customer base at work just by word of mouth! Help someone rediscover their faith!)

I believe strung rosaries (with a sturdy wire) are not as “traditional” as some think of rosaries (and don’t bend into the lil rosary pouches very well) and require more tools - a crimper, a wire cutter and flat-nose plier (optional I suppose) for the jump rings.

A third option is cord rosaries - that soft braided cord that you can put beads onto and just tie a knot in between decades. A great site for those is olrm.org/index.html.

Lewis & Co. sells sterling silver parts as well as base metal. A great selection of rosary centers and crucifixes and a few other treasures.

Good Luck and Have Fun! God bless you and your husband!!
 
I second the recommendation for Lewis & Co; they have quality parts, reasonable prices and fast shipping.

You can go to the Rosary Shop and find instructions for makiing both the chain rosaries and for making rosaries from flexible beading wire. I personally prefer the ones from flexible wire and they also take less time to make. The Rosary Shop will also allow you to design a custom rosary that you can either make yourself or have them assemble it for you. I highly recommend this site as well, they also have fast shipping and I like the ability to see how the beads and metal parts will work with one another before starting to assemble the rosary.

I’ll warn you though–rosary making can be addictive! 🙂
 
Thanks to all for the suggestions. I ordered some parts and pliers and will try to make a cheap one. If that goes well, I will try to make a really nice one for my spouse.
I have already thought of a few other people I’d like to make a rosary or chaplet for.
I hope I don’t botch this too badly.
 
I think the Rosary Army is awesome, and you can request a Free Twine Rosary through them, if you are not wanting to make one yourself. I love the twine rosaries as much as my normal beaded rosaries.
 
And you can use any sort of inexpensive beads to practice. I made jewelry as a hobby for years before I started thinking about making Rosaries so I had a good supply. 😛
 
imamom said:
I think the Rosary Army is awesome, and you can request a Free Twine Rosary through them, if you are not wanting to make one yourself. I love the twine rosaries as much as my normal beaded rosaries.
Click to expand...
They are wonderful rosaries, and very strong.
Be sure to get the recommended twine, the hardware store stuff is nothing like real rosary twine.
You can get beautiful crucifixes from olrm.org/
 
The crucifixes are the only things I have trouble, here in Sweden, finding… and trying to find somewhere online who has affordable shipping…
 
HI! I have the BEST source for you with the most exquisite rosary crucifixes and centers ever-- they are hand cast reproductions of antique items from around the world. Get thee to : www.rosaryworkshop.com! Their crucifixes and centers come in a choice of brass or sterling. Not “cheap”, but you don’t want cheap- you want quality and you’ll get it with this vendor. They are unparalleled for making a rosary that is 100% unique and if you want to focus upon your husband’s ethnicity, or a special spiritual devotion, you can do that. For example, my father is from the Philippines and they actually have a 19th C cross and center from the Philippines they’ve reproduced. It’s fabulous. THey have many many from Western and Eastern Europe, South America, RUssian and Africa. They add new stuff all the time. An example of a devotional one would be to get a center from Lourdes, or representing Joan of Arc. The possibilities really are endless. I’ve used this source to make my son’s 1st communion rosary (a sterling chain one by the way-yes, it’s more time consuming to make the loops (get a decent pair of "rosary pliers- which allows you to make the loop and cut the wire without switching tools) but it is more traditional and more sturdy, in my mind), and right now I’m making 4 different ones for family and a missionary priest I know. Also, I wholly recommend going to fire mountain gems, www.firemountaingems.com, for all your bead needs (they also have the eyepins, flexible cord, tools- really everything but the unique Catholic crucifixes and centers!) My son’s rosary was Swarovski bicone light blue crystal (his favorite color- and I wanted him to have a traditional crystal rosary for 1st communion)… but for example, the one I’m making for the missionary is out of faceted jasper beads-very masculine and sturdy.I made an absolutely stunning one last year to auction at our Church’s fundraising event out of green aventurine rodelles (looks like translucent jade), with accent Our Father beads out of green Swarovski crystal for a little kick, with an ornate Irish crucifix (we’re a historically irish community). I would be happy to help it I can! Let me know and good luck! (And make sure to get it blessed by your priests!)
 
I was thinking about making some rosaries for my RCIA class. Those cord/knotted kind…what color do you all think would be best?

Thanks! 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top