How to Make a Mala
Designing your mala
Lay your beads out in the order you want them, exactly as you want them to be on your mala. Be sure to count your beads and make sure your pattern is even on both “sides” (or staggered any way you like).
If you are adding a charm somewhere on your mala, lay it where you want it to hang.
TIP: Read all of the instructions carefully before beginning.
Looking for the pre-made tassel instructions? Scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find them.
If you are using spacer beads instead of knotting, click here for instructions:
1. Unwrap the nylon cord from its holder and straighten the needle as much as possible.
2. Tie a double knot at the very end of your cord. You want this knot to be large enough not to allow the guru bead to slide off of it.
3. Follow these steps to add your lotus bead with the gemstone inside:
a. Push the needle through the bottom hole of the lotus so just a little is sticking through.
b. Add the gemstone bead that fits in the middle of the lotus hole, then slide the needle down so you can line up the hole of the bead with the top hole of the lotus.
c. Pull the needle through the top of the lotus bead hole and slide the whole lotus bead down towards the bottom. Leave a 3-4 inches of cord between the end knot and the lotus guru bead so you have room to tie on the tassel on.
4. Add the first seed bead, followed by a mala bead. Repeat, alternating mala bead and seed bead.
TIP: after you’ve added 54 mala beads, that is when you’d add a charm to hang in back if you have one. Depending on the jump ring or bail on your charm, you may want to put the charm between or over 2-3 seed beads so it can hang freely.
5. After your last mala bead, add a seed bead and then string through the top of the lotus guru bead. This may be a tight fit, but we check every kit to be sure the hole will accommodate the cord through twice. Pull slowly and gently.
Basic Tassel Instructions (details & photos at bottom of this page):
1. You may want to wrap the thread onto a card or object so you tassel is the length and thickness you prefer. You can also simply cut the thread in half from the skein if you are using DMC thread.
2. Tie the nylon cord around the the tassel thread and tie a knot opposite the guru bead. Tie 1-2 more single knots. Be sure there is equal thread on either side
3. Using a comb or your fingers, brush the tassel thread down and gather it together.
4. Using the silver thread (or your thread of choice), wrap it around the top of the tassel until it is the desired thickness.
5. Tie the 2 ends of the thread together in 2 single knots.
How to make a knotted mala with your own tassel
1. Tie a double knot at the end of the knotting cord. Make sure this knot is large enough so your guru bead can’t slide off easily. (see knotting diagram below this set of instructions)
2. Add the guru bead to the cord and move it to the end by the knot. (Be sure to check that your thread can go through the guru bead twice before proceeding). If your guru bead has a top and bottom, enter through the bottom and out the top.
3. Leave 3-4inches of thread after the guru bead, then tie another knot (now the guru bead is between the 2 knots). If using the larger, 8mm beads, leave only 3 inches if this is your first mala, so that you know you have plenty of room for knotting. (See knotting diagram below)
4. Add the first mala bead and place it right next to knot, then tie another knot right next to mala bead. (See how to knot with a pin below for more detail)
- TIP: insert a tooth pick or metal pin in the hole of the knot and slide the knot as close to the bead as possible. Then, using your finger tips, push the knot towards the bead as you remove the pick.
- NOTE: Close knots are important so you don’t run out of cord. If your knot is not next to your bead, consider unknotting and trying again to get the knots as close to the beads as possible.
5. Add the next bead, and push it up against the knot before it with just a little bit of pressure. Then repeat step 4 as before, knotting after each bead, including the last one.
6. Pull the knotting cord through guru bead in the opposite direction as it started (top to bottom) so that both ends are hanging out of the same side (it should now look like a circle and your mala is almost complete!)
7. Prepare your tassel thread
- Wrap thread around a card to your desired thickness & length (example: short side of a business card for a short tassel, long side for a long tassel)
- Cut the thread so it lays flat and is no longer in a circle
8. Use the knotting cord to tie tassel thread on, be sure there is equal tassel thread on either side. Two single knots should do it. (see below “how to make your own professional looking tassel” for more details)
- TIP: try to knot directly opposite the guru bead, not next to it, so that the knot is hidden when you finish the tassel
9. Wrap the tassel with another piece of thread, this can be the same as your tassel thread or any other color. Tie it off with first a double knot, then a single knot.
Knotting Diagram:
Image to left show the first steps of crafting your mala. The double knot is usually sufficient to keep your guru bead from falling off if it is the same or similar size hole as your mala beads. Guru beads with large holes may need to have a loop or extra bulky knot added.
The guru bead sits between this double knot and the first single knot, leaving a few inches so that you can tie on your tassel (or pendant) in the very last step.
How to knot with a pin:
How to Knot Diagram:
How to make your own professional looking tassel
These instructions can be used to craft a stand alone tassel, or add one to a mala from the first set of instructions. This is a little bit more of an advanced way to tie your tassel together, so allow yourself a few tries to get it right.
Part 1: Attaching your tassel thread to the mala.
- Wrap tassel around a business card, credit card or cut out a piece of cardboard. The length should be about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer than you want your tassel so you have room to trim it evenly. Wrap until your desired thickness. This is a personal preference, and may take some experimenting.
- Cut the thread, and lay it evenly over the knotting cord.
- Tie a single knot, and then another single knot, directly opposite the guru bead. Pull the knots so they are tight, and then drape the cord down with the rest of the tassel thread.
Part 2: Wrapping your tassel
I’m showing these instructions using a thick cord so that it is easiest to see. I recommend a thin thread for tying tassels as the final knot will sit nicer with a thin thread.
- If using the same thread as your tassel, make a knot or loop or some way of distinguishing your tassel tie thread from your tassel wrap thread so that when you go to tie the two ends together, you can find that thread.
- Lay the thread so it is parallel with the tassel and hold it towards the very top of the tassel, nearest the guru bead (see first photo below).
- While holding the thread at the top, begin to wrap the thread around the tassel (second photo)
- After you have made several wraps around, release the hold at the top of the thread and pull the thread you were once holding through so that there is no extra thread loose at the top (4th and 5th photos).
- TIP: if you pull on the thread and the whole tie spins, you need to wrap a few more times. You should be able to pull the thread down without the rest of the wrapped thread moving.
- Continue wrapping the thread around if you wish to have the wrap longer (if you make a very long wrap before you pull the thread down through, it may be very hard to pull it and the thread could snap)
- Tie the 2 strands together once the length you want is achieved. Use a double knot at first, followed by a single knot.
- Place a tiny dab of glue on the knot and press down to make the strands hang down with the tassel thread.
How to make a knotted mala with premade tassel
For this design, we start at the “back” of the mala, for a full 108 bead mala that would be with bead #54 in your sequence – and note that we do not count the guru bead, there are 108 mala beads and 1 guru bead. Be sure to test your guru bead to be sure your cord can go through twice before you begin. If not, find another guru bead or use a bead reamer to enlarge the hole.
1. Tie a knot at the end of the knotting cord. Then tie another knot about 2-3 inches after that one. Pull the thread to tighten that 2nd knot.
2. Add bead #54 to the cord and move it to the end by the 2nd knot.
3. Add the next mala bead and place it right next to knot, then tie another knot right next to mala bead.
- TIP: insert a tooth pick or metal pick in the hole of the knot and slide the knot as close to the bead as possible. Then, using your finger tips, push the knot towards the bead as you remove the pick.
- NOTE: Close knots are important so you don’t run out of cord. If your knot is not next to your bead, consider unknotting and trying again to get the knots as close to the beads as possible.
4. Add the next bead, and push it up against the knot before it with just a little bit of pressure. Then repeat step 4 as before, knotting after each bead, until you have 54 (half of your 108) beads to the cord.
5. Add your guru bead and be sure there is a knot between the last mala bead and your guru bead.
6. Add your tassel, and then pull the cord through the guru bead again, going in the opposite direction.
7. Pull the cord so that there is no slack, and then knot again next to the guru bead.
8. Continue knotting as in steps 3-4 until the remaining 54 beads are added. Now you have your mala nearly complete.
9. Take the 2 strands and tie these together.
- option 1: tie 3 single knots, pull tightly and leave a bit of string hanging out on each end
- option 2: tie 2 single knots, add glue to the knots, cover with a c-shaped crimp cover, then cut the extra cord.
