Unique Rosary

On our last trip to my in-laws, my daughter decided to bring with her, the rosary I had made (just to see if I could do it). I told her she could have it, and bring it with her should the church decide they want to honor Mary that month with a recitation of the Rosary.

She decided one day to show my mother- and sister-in-law. They were impressed with how it looked. My sister-in-law then showed me a much smaller, more compact rosary that she had been given a long time ago, and inquired about me making her a new one.

I can't entirely remember if she wanted a full sized rosary, or a compact one, so I thought I'd go with something more unique. It can still be used in the usual manner of a full rosary, but compact...sort of a compromise.

I haven't see any in the design I am thinking of, but I'm making one in a similar manner as this:

Click to go to the pin

...the difference is connecting the five decades to the single chain w/cross, I will be using one of those "mary" things with the three holes (sorry, it's late and my brain doesn't want to work), and I will be looping the decades instead of leaving them hang.

You can pray along one decade, then you can move to the next decade without losing your place, as you might with a single-decaded rosary.

I can't wait till it's complete. I'll post a picture once it's done. Like I said, I have yet to see a compact rosary in the manner that I want to make, and the picture above is the ONLY one like it I have found online. 

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**UPDATE**

Just thought I'd show you my progress:

I have to make another decade, then make the five beads that attach to the cross. It normally wouldn't have taken me so long to make something like this, but the loop-pins I'm using are very stiff making bending harder than usual (which hurts my fingers). But...hopefully that will make for a very sturdy prayer tool.

The Dream Catcher

There are many different theories and methods to making this fine craft.

Traditionally, the dream catcher is used to "catch" dreams. "Good" dreams are able to weave their way through the web and strands of the hoop, then slide down the feathers to the sleeping dreamer. The "Bad" dreams get tangled in the web on their way through the hoop. Once the light from the dawn sun hits the dream catcher, it carries away the "bad" dreams. Of course, there are many other theories of how they work, this is just what I was taught by my mother.

Directions to make your own "Dream Catcher".

Items needed:
Brass/silver/metal hoop OR fresh twigs twisted into a hoop shape then dried.
Waxed cord (traditional dream catchers used "sinew" from their hunted animals)
Feathers (color choice is yours)
Beads (again, color choice is yours)
Leather cord

Step 1
Now, this first part can be done in a couple of ways.
Method 1:
Take hoop and wrap leather cord around it. Then thread waxed cord around the leather covered hoop

Method 2:
Thread waxed cord around the bare hoop, then wrap leather cord around the hoop.

What you do is up to you. I prefer to wrap the hoop with the cord first...just easier that way.

Step 2
Traditional dream catchers will contain thirteen sections going around the hoop. 13 represents the 13 moons of the year.

Take your waxed cord and tie it to your hoop, leaving about 5 inches extra string hanging (this will be to tie knots when you make new sections as you weave). Eyeball how much space you want between your initial knot and your first weave. Wrap the cord over the hoop, and through the now formed loop (so from the knot, stretch a bit, go up, over hoop, through loop, then pull tight). This is your first loop (one of 13). Continue this until you have 12 loops.

Step 3
When you come back to the knot, take your excess string and tie a new knot. This will start your new line of loops. Again, continue the same looping method as above, and tying a knot when you come back to the excess string. Keep doing this until you have no more room in the hoop.

Step 4
During the weaving/looping process, thread beads, feathers, whatever you like, in strategic places (please do not overwhelm the dream catcher). When I make a dream catcher, I use traditional native colors: Black, White, Red and Yellow, and placing them in the appropriate directions (Black=South; White=North; Red=West; Yellow=East). I don't normally weave feathers into the web itself, but to each his own. This is your dream catcher.

Step 5
Once you are done the initial web, you are ready for the hanging feathers. Take some more leather cord and fold it in half. Tie the cord to the hoop by threading the two ends of the cord through the loop around the hoop. Thread beads onto the cord, then slide the beads over both the cord AND the shaft of the feather. The beads should hold the feathers in place.

You have a completed dream catcher.

Again, traditionally a dream catcher is hung over the bed of the dreamer. I was taught that a dreamcatcher should be placed in the window of the sleeping dreamers room. Both are acceptable places. Periodically, take the catcher out and cleanse it with a smudge to unblock any "bad" dream residue.











(I hope to perhaps give better instructions in the future, with images)

Thanksgiving Yields Creative Influences

This Thanksgiving (here in Canada), I had family visit. My mother and father came for a visit, to the delight of my children. Their visit prompted "adventure" throughout this area, and thusly provided opportunity for craft making.

I took my mother to a park nearby that holds a great Weeping Willow tree. It sparked ideas for my mother (as well as myself) for things to make. We gathered fallen branches and brought them home. My mother attempted to make baskets from them (of which she is going to make candle holders). I found myself making a head wreath for my daughter, perhaps for Halloween, as she will be one of the Disney Fairy's (being given a fairy costume from our neighbor's daughter).

What I did, was took branches and simply twisted them into a circle and secured them by weaving the end through the twists, then allowed the branches to dry. I think I'll attach some ribbons to it, maybe some flowers, and beads, just to make it more fun for her. Other than wreaths (of which I think I may make a wall pentacle from), I can't think of anything else I can make from these branches.

Other craft adventures yielded corn dollies. I always thought they were harder to make than they were. I'd already made a variation of such dollies using dish cloths. I've learned how to make them with corn husks and may make more, simply to decorate my altar during this time of year.

To make them, I simply took 3-4 corn husk leaves and sat them on top of each other. I folded the top (where the leaves come to a point) down 2-3 times (depending on preference). I then gathered the sides up a bit and tied it with string (or husk if you like). I took more husk leaves (about 2-3), and folded them first lengthways in 3's, then sideways in half and sat them below the string between 2 of the vertical leaves and tied under the horizontal husk leaves. Essentially, that is a corn dollie. You can also tie the ends of the horizontal husk leaves to make little hands if you like, and you can split the bottom of the vertical leaves to make legs, or leave it as it is, depending on what "sex" you want your dollie to be. Quite simple actually, I was surprised.

The last craft we did for this year's Thanksgiving, was to paint small pumpkins. My son painted emotions on his pumpkin (kinda made me a little sad to know how he feels sometimes, but that's beside the crafting point). My mother, (haw, haw, haw) made a "Witch"...stereotypical, with a long pointed nose lol. It actually was impressive. I made a flower on mine. A purple flower. I really had no idea what to paint on my pumpkin lol. I have to let my daughter (who is at the moment fighting a terrible cold) make one tomorrow.

Crafting is a fairly relaxing project to participate in. It allows the imagination to become free and flow outward into our hands. Something I'll always enjoy.

Pagan Rosary/Goddess Beads

For centuries people have used numbered beaded strings to count the prayers they said, dedicated to their Deity. Most notably, the Catholic faith continues today to use prayer beads or "Rosary's". Pagans are no exception. Many Pagans of the past also used prayer beads. Today the practice is making a big comeback with religions such as Wicca making new use of the beads.


Making your own is as easy as threading beads on a string. How it's threaded is dependant on what you're trying to accomplish. The most common Pagan type of prayer bead or rosary is a Triple Goddess type rosary, consisting of three sections of 13 beads (13 representing the 13 full moons of a year, and a sacred number to the Goddess, 3 representing her triple aspect). Each section or "decade" being one color representing each aspect of the Triple Goddess: White, Red and Black. Separating each "decade" would be a silver bead, representing the Full Moon.

The prayer beads can vary in their form and function. Not all prayer beads are Triple Goddess style, some even look like typical Catholic rosaries, with five decades and five beads at the beginning, with some type of medallion at the end. Still others look more like bracelets (making them easier to carry without questions as to their function).

As to what to say during these beads...that's up to you. I myself have had troubles finding just the right type of prayer to say with any prayer beads. But that doesn't stop me from making them. I find it relaxing to create a set of prayer beads.

My latest creation in Rosary/Prayer Beads is a set of 3 decades of 13 beads, separated by silver/black spacer beads. All the beads are black hematite. However, when I make beads, I do not string them on strong string. I make each bead an individual link in a chain of beads. It's painstaking work, but the outcome gives me a strong sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I will add a key charm to this set of beads and wear them as a bracelet so I may have prayer beads with me at all times (the key being one of the many symbols of Hecate, the Goddess I serve).


If you would like to make a set of prayer beads in the same fashion I make, here is an instruction:


You will need:
-Either eye pins, or a roll of wire (preferably 20-22 gauge)
-Regular pliers, round nosed pliers, and wire clippers
-Whatever sort of beads you wish to use


If you don't have eye pins, take a small length of wire and create a loop at one end, by rolling from the very tip of the wire around the smaller part of the round nosed pliers once

Thread your bead to the end of the looped wire or "hand made eye pin". Bend the wire at a 90 degree angle

 If your wire is too long, snip it with your wire snippers about a bead width

Create a loop by following the instructions to make an eye pin (wrapping the wire around the round nosed pliers)

Continue the above instructions to create as many wired beads as you wish to make your "rosary".

To link them together, you simply open an end of one of the loops on your bead and hook it to the closed end of another bead. Close the loop, and you have two beads linked. Eventually, you will have something that looks like this:

The End Result:

Using the same instructions above, you can also make traditional looking rosaries: