Prayer Tassel Necklace

Beads can be so much more than pretty shiny things that appeal to our magpie gene! A piece of jewelry can be infused with meaning and a silent prayer that you wear through the day as a talisman or reminder of deeper meanings and symbols. 

I reviewed a great little book years ago called Bead One, Pray Too and it came to mind last night when I was making this necklace. 

I made this necklace as a reminder and a prayer to myself that no matter how harsh the winter, spring always comes. No matter how hard the day, tomorrow has the promise of being a better one. 

So I picked some beads to symbolize things I'd like to remember when wearing this necklace. It's a prayer for my family. And if you are a mom you know whether you are religious or not, there is a always a prayer in our heart for your beloved children!

I used two charms to symbolize my daughters. The leaf, is my youngest. She floats, goes with the flow, she is flexible and giving. 

The other charm is a flower, my oldest. Ready to bloom into an adult, she is beautiful and has layers of complexity that makes her so interesting and creative. 

The nest symbolizes our family, our home. It's in the center, it's the heart beat that keeps me going each day.

I added a bird, that symbolizes me. I'm the mother hen, brooding over my nest. With wings that gather them in for protection and comfort on the rare moments they let me! 

I choose beads that are bright and cheery with a playful mix. A reminder to let joy seep in during the trials. To bring love and light to each day.

In case you are wondering about the construction - the beaded strand is on waxed linen, I knotted between the beads.

At the end of the strand I attached it to the ball chain by wrapping and tying it several times around the chain. I added a dot of glue to keep things in place. I threaded the linen through the connector and then trimmed it. I did that for both sides of the necklace and then attached the two sides with a little bit more of the ball chain.

Oh and a really good tip my aunt Rosanne shared with me about the tassels - brush them out with a toothbrush to make them fuller.

Leaf and nest from Stinky Dog Beads. Flower from Gardanne. Ceramic bead: Firefly Designs. Disk Beads and Bird: Humblebeads.

Have you been having fun making these tassels? I know I can't quit!