Making and hanging our rosaries

I am finally getting around to making rosaries for my family. I hope to eventually have a tenner and pair of rosary beads for each person and any chaplet/s anyone would like.

Over the weekend I made rosaries for my two older girls, here they are above and below, (dd8) loves blue and her name is connected to the theme on the silver crucifix. She chose a rosary center with Our Lady with her hands in prayer, to me it looks it could be a Lourdes image, it has beautiful filigree all around Our Lady. She chose Blue Crazy Lace Agate gemstones for the Ave beads. Golden Shadow Swarovski Crystals for the Pater beads, sided by some beautiful Pacific Opal and Crystal Satin AB swarovski crystals, also beautiful sterling silver bead caps - she was SO EXCITED when I finished them Friday night.

Then (dd11) chose her beads and rosary pieces. She chose Pink Crazy Lace Agate gemstones for the Ave beads. Copper Swarovski Crystals for the Pater beads and vintage rose and Satin rose swarovski crystals to side the Pater beads. The bead caps were particularly beautiful, Vintaj's Etruscan Brass Bead Caps. After very loooooong consideration by dd, she finally settled on a Vintage Reproduction Ornate French Crucifix and my favourite Lourdes center. (Well I DID tell her, "take your time, it is a decision for life") Another very happy little girl Saturday night.

For (ds5) I decided to make him a tenner first, as I will probably hold off making his rosary beads until his First Holy Communion, a tenner is more suited..often he can only focus on one decade well, it keeps it simple for him.

The pieces chosen suit his name and he told me, "brown beads and a dark, round Pater bead." I had to search high and low for the perfect Pater bead - a lovely dark brown, carved wooden bead - "Oh yes mum, that's it!" when he saw it. He was so proud of his new tenner and when he gives out his decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet he carefully gives it out on his new tenner.

For (ds3) I thought I'd make his tenner now, he can at least hold his tenner when we recite the family rosary, he will grow up knowing this is his and it is special. Once again pieces were chosen to suit his name and I picked out MY favourite Pater bead for a man's tenner - a lovely dark carved stone bead. African Red Poppy Jasper gemstones for his Ave beads.

My oldest son (ds13) is now PATIENTLY waiting for his rosary beads...not long to wait now.

Now that we have these very beautiful, heirloom quality beads for our family it is very important that we have a set place to hang them. So I went to Bunnings and bought some lovely brass Fleur deLys hooks (very excited about them being Fleur deLys, VERY Catholic, VERY Marian! Jane, you'll have to track these down!) There is one for each member of the family. On mine I can hang my rosary beads, tenner, St Anne chaplet, Mary Undoer of Knots chaplet, the hook is quite big.

I know it SHOULDN'T matter if our beads are beautiful/quality or not, I mean, look at the saintly people who have been in solitary confinement for the faith (or other extreme circumstances) and they have used a bit of string to create their beads of prayer, I know God views those creations as the most dearest of all. BUT I also think of this beautiful Church saying, "Lex orandi, lex credendi" and the loose translation for us in this instance is, the beauty of the beads reflect and speak to us all of the beauty of the prayers.