Here are some instructions on how to make a wire rosary. I've been making them for years and find them very relaxing. Plus, I find making them even more rewarding now that I know of various places to use them. At one time, I had a stash of over 60 rosaries that I made. I'm pleased to say that stash has now been donating, and a mere container is what stores the ones that have yet to be donated, mailed, or passed out.

If these instructions aren't clear or don't help, there are other guides found at the following web sites. I hope one of them will help if you are interested in learning how to make them!

Our Lady of Rosary Makers Wire Rosary Instructions
Rosary Shop Instructions (pdf file)
Polyzine Rosary Tutorial

What you will need:

• 59 beads (can all be the same, or 53 smaller beads for Hail Mary Beads, and 6 larger beads for Our Father Beads)
• 59 eyepins (or at least 24 gauge wire if making your own eyepins)
• center piece
• cross
• wire cutters
• round nose pliers
• chain (optional)
• jump rings (optional)

Cut the eyepin so it has about an half an inch to make the loop. Using the round nose pliers, hold the eye pin at the very tip. Begin by rolling the pliers about half way down. When you have completed rolling them halfway down, you should have something that looks like the bottom tip of an umbrella. Take your round nose plier and continue to roll your loop until it is closed. Your loop will be completed but will be off centered. Put your round nose pliers into the loosp and bend the loop backwards. This will open the loop and help center it. Once you've bent the loop back a little, take your round nose pliers and close the loop again.

Or... Begin by folding or bending the eyepin so that the bead will not fall off. Begin by taking your round nose pliers to the tip of the eyepin. Begin by rolling the pliers about halfway. When you've released the pliers, you should have what looks like an umbrella tip on it's side. Take your round nose pliers and contine to roll the loop until it is closed.

Congratulations! You've made one of your bead links!


Continue with each bead by joining them. Open up one end of the eyepin with the round nose pliers then insert the end of a closed eyepin. After the loop in inside the opened loop, take your round nose pliers and close the loop again.

I like the join all 59 beads in one continuous chain before seperating, but if it's easier for you, you can set up the beads in 5 groups of 10, a group of 3, and 6 seperate beads for the Our Father beads.


Before assembling the rosary, I like the make sure the 5 decades are close to the same size length-wise. If they are not the same size, you can take the longer ones, open up a larger loop and trim a little off the wire. Then re-close the loop on the decade. You can continue to do this until you have then all the same length.


I like to add chain between the Our Father Beads and the decades (you can barely see the chain in this picture though. :( ). Start with the middle bead and either start with a decade, or use a loop to add the chain, then add the decade to the end of the chain. You will only need to use the jump rings for the center piece if using chain.


Starting with the center piece, add a decade, then an Our Father Bead, another decade, Our Father bead, a third decade, Our Father bead, a fouth decade, Our Father bead, then the final decade joined to the other side of the middle piece.


Starting down from the middle piece, have a series of the Our Father bead, the 3 Hail Mail beads, and a final Our Father bead, followed by a cross at the end. I like to hold the middle piece and make sure the cross hangs in the same direction.


Congratulations! You've completed your rosary!