Junior Legion Activity: How to Make Cord Rosaries

You can make a cord rosary using the colored nylon cord which is quite cheap. You can find it in stores like Walmart or other places, or you can find it online.  For the metal channel, use the metal stays from an old umbrella. These are perfect. Just break them to the sizes you need. One stay can make at several rosary making tools. 

You can either make the rosary out of all knots, or you can use beads and make knots between the decades and Our Father beads. Check out the video to see how easily it's made. This video mentions a group that sends the rosaries to the missions. This would be a wonderful work to send your group's rosaries off to the missions, or you can distribute them in nursing homes and schools and in your  parish -- or give them to the Senior Legionaries to use in their work! 

Be sure to use clear nail polish to seal ends of the nylon cord after each cut. Let dry and then begin your work!

1. Here's a series of videos for step by step instructions for one type of nylon cord rosary with beads. You may use either knots or spacers between decades. Start by cutting a 60 inch piece of cord (or less if you are using spacers instead of knots).  If you are not using the bonded cord, you will first need to apply clear nail polish on the ends and let it dry. This video uses #9 bonded nylon which is "stiff enough to use yet easy on the hands."  How to make the barrel knot and add the first Our Father  

If you use a center piece, this is where you start. First tie the knot to the center piece as shown: Cord Rosary Center Piece  then when you've done the last beads,finish it off by adding the crucifix.

2. Here is an alternate way of making it without the center piece:  Cord Rosary with CenterKnot 

3. Here is an ALL-Twine knotted nylon rosary which uses no beads, but 20 feet of twine. How to make a knot rosary. This young guy uses a thicker twine and uses his fingers to make the knots instead of the channel tool.  Very cool looking, in my opinion.
 
4. Here's a video on how to make a one-decade chaplet--with full instruction on the knots and the cross, in Spanish: Como hacer un decanario