Rosaries and other prayer-beads such as malas are a popular item. They're great to give as gifts, or just to make for yourself, and the best part is that they're not that complicated! Once you get the technique down, it's really just a matter of laying out your piece properly, as there are certain conventions with prayer beads that make them unique.

Catholic rosaries, for instance, typically include 54 beads plus an additional 5 beads, which are laid out in sequences called "decades," consisting of an Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be to the Father. The rosaries are usually composed of a crucifix at the center which can be made of sterling silver and/or gold (we also have pewter versions); and the beads themselves are usually made of glass, amethyst, rose quartz, crystal, black onyx, or pearls.

Buddhist prayer beads, called malas, generally consist of 108 beads, although other numbers, usually divisible by 9, are also used. Like the rosary, malas are used to keep count while chanting a mantra or the name or names of a deity. The type of bead used varies depending on the purpose of the mantra. For instance, an "appeasing mantra" typically uses pale beads, such as pearl, mother-of-pearl, or crystal, whereas a "mantra for overcoming" would generally involve wooden beads such as sandalwood, elm, or rosewood.

Please check out the links below for more information about the various types of prayer beads, and scroll down further for a list of recommended classes for making your own prayer beads.

Links:

Buddhist Prayer Beads - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_prayer_beads

Prayer Beads - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads

The Rosary - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosaries

Back-to-Basics Bead-Stringing
This is about as basic as it gets -- beads on cord or bead-stringing wire. This is probably one of the fastest and easiest ways to make your own prayer beads. We promise it's a cinch, and this class can show you how to do it!

Knotting Knight
Sometimes people prefer the simplicity of knotting for their prayer beads -- particularly if you don't want to include much metal in it. This class can show you how to knot your beads on silk or nylon cord, with the knots providing a handy gap in between for easy counting.

Link to Link
Some prayer beads are a succession of beads on wire -- it might look complex, but once you get the technique down, you'll be able to wire-wrap a whole sequence of beads all on your own.