Our Hopeful Home: DIY Farmhouse Wood Bead Garland

DIY Farmhouse wood bead garland from oversized rosary

Today I'm going to talk about how I transformed an oversized, vintage wooden wall art rosary into a DIY Farmhouse Wood Bead Garland. Wood bead garlands are a popular farmhouse decor item that have been in vogue for a good while, and I've always wanted one for myself.

"What's a wall art rosary?" you ask. Well, it's a rosary that's been super-sized, so much so that it can actually function as serious wall decor. "What's a farmhouse wood bead garland?" you ask. Well, stick with me and I'll show you how I managed to maintain the integrity of the rosary while updating it in such a way that it works for me, farmhouse-decor-loving-gal that I am.

Having been raised Catholic as well as attending Catholic school for 12 years, it's no surprise that I'm a practicing Catholic. So I very much respect the sanctity of the rosary and what it represents.

That's why I wanted to find a way to maintain its utilitarian function (as a rosary and wall art) but at the same time have it mesh seamlessly with my farmhouse aesthetic. As a vintage jewelry artist I'm used to using vintage religious medals and rosaries in my creations.

Ironically, ever since I picked it up a few years ago -- I originally shared it and a little bit of its history with you in Thrill of the Hunt #24 -- I've never been partial to the dark wood. But seeing the beads in these photos makes me question that judgment somewhat!

But I'm still very sure of one thing. Even if I were going to hang them on the wall, I would be removing the rather large cross at the top. You can see in the photos above that I did indeed remove it. From my research it appears that it functioned as the "hanger" for the rosary. But I won't be hanging it so I removed the hanger cross.

You can see here where I actually added a filigree antique brass connector in place of the hanger cross. (Being a jewelry artist comes in handy sometimes.)

I knew all along that I wanted to paint it a white or cream color to mimic the color of all those farmhouse bead garlands I've seen on Pinterest. Plus white is just more my aesthetic anyway. And keep in mind that all my projects now and in the foreseeable future will be fashioned around an idea that I have in my head as to how I want my newly painted dining room and living room to look. It will be a clean slate and I will be able to go full-on farmhouse!

I gave much thought as to how I would paint the beads. I mean, they're round, you know? How does one go about painting round beads? Should I use spray paint or regular paint? I came to the conclusion that spray paint would be a huge waste of paint. Then I remembered that I had some chalky textured paint (can you say farmhouse?) in a creamy color (Sheepskin) and so I went for it.

I basically just laid the beads down on some newspaper and used a brush to paint the top side, or one half of the beads. I let them dry, then went back and painted the bottom side, or other half. Ironically, all the while I was actually praying the rosary for a family friend who is very ill. This project was definitely therapeutic for me.

Then I added a second coat. They came out looking more white than Sheepskin, but that's ok because we all know I have no aversion to white. None at all.

DIY Farmhouse wood bead garland from oversized rosary crucifix

I even painted the chain (which you can see in the final "after" photos) in keeping with the vintage, shabby chic look. I also painted the crucifix and the brass connector, after which I physically removed them from the rosary. I saved those elements for later so I'll be able to display it all together as a rosary again once the mood strikes.

And voila. Here's my
DIY version of a Beaded Farmhouse Garland!
I am over the moon happy with how it turned out!

I love how my lavender plant looks inside the wire cloche.

I planted it in one of my DIY faux-aged terra cotta pots from last summer.

I'm also loving my lemon cypress tree and baby tears. Their pops of green are always a welcome addition to the otherwise neutral decor. And I think my DIY Farmhouse Lazy Susan makes a great foundation for the whole vignette.

I even made my own tassel to hang on the end of it, just like the real thing! Who knows? Maybe you'll be seeing "Tassels 101" in a future post!

Do YOU have anything you can use to make your own garland?

Until next time,
I hope you enjoyed reading about my

DIY Farmhouse Wood Bead Garland
and that I've inspired you in some way!

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