Good Deed Beads Bracelet for LENT!

As Moms, we have all worn bead bracelets and necklaces, proudly strung by our kids. 
Also not exactly formal wear, these thick cord, pony bead
Good Deed Beads Bracelet will help us
with our Lenten sacrifices too.
Inspired by St. Therese, this bracelet works similar to other good deed bead bracelets, as the beads slide and stay in place, recording each good deed, extra prayer (foregone opportunity to complain) or sacrifice.

Arma Dei also sells little craft kits with everything you need to make a string of beads on a keychain, but if you prefer… this handy bracelet can remain on you, ready and reminding you throughout Lent!
We do sell these bracelets as part of Arma Dei’s products to help equip Catholic families, but this is a tutorial to help crafty moms make their own!

The 1/8″ suede lace (or parachute cord) is cut to a 15″ length and folded in half.
10 (+2 for the “clasp”) pony beads are selected for their color.
12″ of thin gauge wire or fishing line is cut and threaded through the folded end of the cord.
Hold the wire or thread strands together and thread a few beads on these thin strands. Wrap the 2 ends of the wire or thread securely around a wooden dowel, wooden spoon or other strong utensil handle. 
I have this neat red handled metal tool that originally came with a little miter saw. 

Hold the wire carefully to the dowel/utensil, as the beads are pulled onto the lace/cord, one at a time.

The order of the beads goes like this:  one clasp bead, 10 beads in the order of the pattern that you have chosen and then the remaining clasp bead.

We print our own Arma Dei logo on T-shirt iron-on  transfer paper and cut 1″ circles of the material to cover buttons using these buttons and tools with the standard wire eye.  You can use other buttons, especially if they have a solid eye to thread the lace/cord through.  This button can slide to adjust for the size of the wrist.  Tweezers help to pull the custom button onto one end of the cord.

To secure the bracelet, thread the 2 loose ends and the button through the loop end of the cord and the “clasp” beads slide and tighten around the button.

We often add holy medals, but we have learned that the small wire clasp of the cheaper holy medals release the medal very quickly with wear.