Make a mala like a pro!
For the past 5 years, I have been making mala beads to use for meditation, counting mantras and affirmations. I sold quite a few of them too :) I put together this list of my favorite tools, techniques and design tips so you can master mala-making!
My favorite tweezers to help create tight knots
One of my favorite Nylon brands for cruelty-free mala making. This is perfect for single strand knotting as most gemstone beads have a 1mm drilled hole.
This is my ABSOLUTE favorite brand of nylon cord…S-Lon from Beadsmith makes several different sizes. I either use a double strand of .5mm or one strand of 0.8mm in my malas. It is so strong!
I love to use a clear acrylic organizer tray like this to plan out my color combinations, charms, pendants, spacer beads, cord colors. I do this before I lay out the beads on a design board. This way I can make sure I like the color combination as I ...
I like Etsy to find rare, antique or unusual amulets and pendants.
I like to use a wooden or plastic design board like this one to plan out my mala beads before I string them. This way I can see how it looks and move patterns around to see if I like it.
I recommend heading to YouTube or even purchasing a tutorial from Etsy to learn how to make knots and complete a mala. Depending on how you want to finish it increases the difficulty, but I know you can do it! The best way to learn is practice and le...
I prefer a wooden board; 108 beads plus pendants can get heavy and they tend to twist. However, these plastic ones are way more affordable and that way you can have 2-3 on the go if you're making more than one mala at a time!
Use Pinterest for color inspiration, color wheels etc, so you can plan out the perfect shades of gemstones together, whether they're complimentary or contrasting colors!
One of my favorite local bead stores in Arizona, with locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix. Friendly staff, millions of beads & supplies, classes…sigh…I could just camp out there :)
When using S-Lon stringing material, it doesn't come with a needle. You can purchase needles, but my preference is to use about 8 inches of small gauge copper wire folded in half to hold the thread. Works like a charm!
One of my favorite online bead retailers is Cherry Tree Beads, pretty good quality gemstones, nice selection of drilled points for pendants.
Drill your own pendants with a Dremel tool and 1-2mm bit. This opened the doors of creativity for me since I had an amazing collection of polished points to use!
I use this for charm and focal bead storage as well as pendants.
I love using these individual containers for gemstone beads. I can place them in a plastic tray, clear to see what color I'm reaching for and don't have the problem of chasing breads around those “tackle box” style organizers.
Beautiful, Sterling silver protection pendant!
Sterling silver prayer boxes, maybe good for holding affirmations or manifestations?
An alternative to folded wire-I like these to hold my knotting cord.
Some Done-for-you sari silk tassels
I purchased the glossy white, they are very good quality!