When it comes to religious holidays, there are all kinds of gifts that you can give your closest family and friends. Even in cases where the person you’re giving the gift to is very young, we like that some things might be held onto for years like keepsakes or heirlooms. Rosaries are a great example of that! Sure, there are plenty of stunning rosaries in stores that you might buy your loved ones, but the idea of making something so beautiful and special on our own gives us a much better feeling when we see our favorite people’s faces light up.
Just in case you’d love to make your loved ones handmade rosaries as well, here are 15 of the most beautiful (and least complicated) rosary tutorials we’ve come across so far.
1. Nested hand beaded rosary chain
Have you made lots of jewelry before and you’re quite experienced at beading? Then we don’t think you’ll have any trouble at all with this nested beading idea from Ruby Lockwood! Despite the way the larger pearled beads sit inside the smaller seed beads, this design is actually a lot simpler to create than you might think. Counting your beads just takes a little bit of patience.
2. Baby’s first rosary tag blanket
Is the family member you’re making the rosary for actually so young that they’re not even ready to have their first real rosary yet? In that case, you’d probably be better off using your sewing skills to make this baby-friendly plush cross and chunky wooden bead blanket tag instead! Catholic Cradle guides you step by step through the process of making the shape, adding the stuffing, and knotting the beads along a fabric “chain”.
3. DIY wooden bead baby rosary
Is the little one that you’d like to introduce the idea and purpose of a rosary to old enough for more solid toys and trinkets but not yet old enough for an actual finely beaded rosary like you’d normally make a family member close to you? In that case, we think this chunky wooden bead rosary with a matching wooden cross at the end might be just the design for you! Eep shows you how to make it happen with some simple beading, just like if you were making a chunky necklace.
4. Rosary friendship bracelets
Have you ever made knotted coloured bracelets that weave in different patterns and directions, like the ones kids make at camp? Well, these knotted friendship bracelet-style rosaries are the perfect way to get kids into the idea of making their own! These little bracelets by Bargain Blabber are a blast to create, can be done in any colour you please, and are simpler to do (even at the cross) than they might look.
5. Crocheted rosary
Are you intent on making your own rosary but you’ve never been great with more finicky things like small beads, even though you’re a whiz with wool and yarn? Then you’re in luck with this adorable pattern from Claudia Daneu! They show you how to crochet your own cross and rosary chain using only a few simple stitches, making this a quick and easy project despite how much care and love goes into it.
6. Single bead chain rosary
Were you a huge fan of the beaded idea we showed you earlier on our list but you’re just not sure that you’re quite ready or that level of intricacy? In that case, we think perhaps you’d have a more enjoyable time making this similarly beautiful single beaded rosary chain instead! Instructables shows you how to use jewelry links to attach the beads and a cross charm.
7. Wooden bead and pearl rosary
Are you pretty comfortable with the different beading techniques available to you now but you’re still browsing to try and seek some inspiration for colour and texture combinations when it comes to the beading itself? Then here’s a design from Potomac Bead Company for you that we think is absolutely stunning! They used light wooden beads and flat pearls.
8. Hand knotted rosary
Were you a very big fan of the friendship bracelet style knotted rosary but you’d rather make one with a full sized chain instead of just a short chain that fits around your wrist? In that case, we have a feeling that this hand knotted design from Instructables might be a little more up your alley. Their tutorial shows you how simple increasing the size of the chain is using the same techniques you saw before, but just with more floss.
9. Coloured bead and heart rosary chain
Perhaps you’re still introducing the concepts of prayer beads and rosaries to your kids and you’d like to start them out with a fun design that they’ll really like to carry around with them until they understand the point better and are feeling ready for the real thing? In that case, you might be best to make something like this rainbow beaded rosary that has a heart on the end. Craftbits gives you instructions for making it.
10. Pearl and clear bead rosary
Have you always liked very crisp looking white rosaries the best of all the designs you’ve seen, made, or owned? Well, luckily for you, that’s not a hard effect to achieve at all! In fact, this tutorial from Milo Magnussen was design to help you create just that. Check out how they used white pearl beads alternated with clear glass beads to build their chain and contraste with their silver charms.
11. Fully beaded white and gold rosary
Would you rather make a rosary design that looks a little bit more grand than what you’ve seen so far? In that case, perhaps you’d rather create one like this white and gold rosary from Beads Art It might be quite simple looking in it’s design and the straight on way it’s strung, but the detail in the tiny beads that sit between each larger one is impressive enough.
12. Wooden bead, turquoise, and tassel rosary
Perhaps you’ve always like the more natural beads on your rosary the most of every style you’ve seen, but you’d still like some colour pops, preferably in the form of a precious stone that has its own healing energy properties? Then we have a feeling you’re going to love this wooden and turquoise bead design from Rings & Things. We’re particularly big fans of the tassel that accompanies the chain and charms.
13. DIY beaded rosary bracelets
Rather than making yourself a rosary that you simply carry around in your pocket or loop over your head, would you rather make one (or even two) that ca be part of your outfit so you can wear it all the time and have it visible for people to see and appreciate? Then perhaps these layered beaded chain rosary bracelets are just the design for you! Find out how they’re made in more detail on Beadiful Nights!
14. Step by step tips for linking prayer beads
Are you feeling inspired by the designs we’ve shown you so far but you feel like you might still be in need of some guidance when it comes to the actual beading itself? In that case, we think you might find these tips and tricks for good beading and making strong jewelry links! Instructables has all the details you need from start to finish.
15. Tips for making a rosary bead chain using jewelry pliers
Perhaps you’d like just one more point of reference but you’ve done hand beading before in jewelry making and you can remember well how much closing the metal links with your fingers hurt? In that case, here’s a great tutorial for creating the linked and beaded chain using small jewelry pliers to help yourself along. Check out some of the best ways to make it happen on Bead House.
