Prepare Roses

• 1
  Let dewy or wet roses dry before use.2 roses image by claudiu bota from Fotolia.com
  
  Cut at least one dozen dry roses in the morning. Full, unblemished blooms work best. If using roses from a floral arrangement or bouquet, make sure roses are dry before use.
  
  
• 2
  Red petals turn very dark upon completion; choose light-colored roses if you want light-colored beads.roses image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
  
  Pick the petals off the stem and place into a large bowl.
  
  
• 3). Discard the white base of the petals.
  
  
• 4). Throw the stems, leaves, blemished petals and white bases into your compost bin.
  
  

Make Paste

• 1
  You can also use rose water, which is found in natural food stores, ethnic grocery stores or online.rosary image by palms from Fotolia.com
  
  Put 1/2 cup of water in a food processor.
  
  
• 2). Add the petals, about four cups, into the food processor.
  
  
• 3
  Do not use the pulse setting on your food processor.Food processor on a kitchen work surface image by Jeff Dalton from Fotolia.com
  
  Grind the petals and water together in the food processor for at least five minutes. Get the petal pieces as minuscule as possible. Continually scrape the side of the food processor to ensure every petal is ground well. You will end up with a fine paste.
  
  
• 4). Add an optional fixative, like Gum Benzoin or ground Orris Root. These can be found at specialty spice stores, health food stores or online. Fixatives will help hold the paste together.
  
  
• 5
  Do not use an aluminum pot.detail of classical cooking stove image by Tomo Jesenicnik from Fotolia.com
  
  Cook the mixture in an iron pot on the stove. Simmer twice a day --making sure not to boil -- for three days. Do not let the mixture dry out; add tiny bits of water as necessary. You will know it is ready when it looks and feels like play dough.
  
  

Roll Beads

• 1
  Rose oil also keeps the beads smelling like roses.yellow roses image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  Dab rose oil on your hands and fingers to discourage the paste from sticking.
  
  
• 2
  Work on a plastic cutting board to prevent staining other surfaces.cutting board and knife isolated on white image by Elnur from Fotolia.com
  
  Roll the mixture into a form that resembles a very thin hot dog.
  
  
• 3). Cut off pieces the size of peas.
  
  
• 4). Roll the pieces between your fingers until they look like beads. You can choose to make your beads round or oval.
  
  
• 5
  Nylon twine is easy to work with.wool image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  Pierce each bead with a knitting needle and thread on a string or twine.
  
  
• 6). Hang the string of beads to dry indoors. Move them up and down the thread every day to prevent sticking. The drying process can take up to two weeks.
  
  
• 7). Gather beads into a bowl when completely dried.
  
  
• 8). Polish with fine sandpaper.
  
  
• 9). Store in an airtight container to preserve the scent until you are ready to string them into a rosary.