How To Make A Mala Necklace | Mala Guide

A mala is a string of 108 beads with a knot between each one, a larger guru bead where the loop closes, and usually a tassel. To make one you need 108 beads in one size (2 strands of 6 mm or 3 strands of 8 mm), about 5 feet of knotting cord, a guru bead with a hole big enough for 4 passes of cord, a beading needle, and tweezers or an awl to seat the knots. Here is how to choose each part, how long the finished mala will be, and how to knot and finish it.

What You Need to Make a Mala

What Size Beads Should I Use?

A mala has 108 beads, typically with a knot or a spacer between each one, so the bead size decides the length of the finished piece. With knots between the beads, a mala of 6 mm beads comes out at roughly 75 cm (30 inches) around, and a mala of 8 mm beads at roughly 100 cm (40 inches); without knots, about 65 cm and 86 cm. Worn doubled, the 6 mm mala sits at the collarbone and the 8 mm mala hangs to the chest; worn as a wrap bracelet, 6 mm wraps 4 or 5 times around most wrists and 8 mm wraps 5 or 6 times.

If you are not sure which length you want, cut a piece of string to each length and drape it over your neck. The 8 mm size is the most popular for a first mala because the beads are easy to handle and the knots are easy to see; 6 mm gives a finer, more delicate strand. Any stone in our gemstone bead collection works, and traditional malas also use seed and wood beads such as sandalwood, rudraksha and bodhi seed.

How Many Strands Do I Need?

Our strands are 15 inches long, so a strand of 6 mm round beads holds about 60 beads and a strand of 8 mm about 45. That means 2 strands of 6 mm or 3 strands of 8 mm for the 108, with a handful left over. Keep the spares: natural stone strands always include a bead or two that is chipped, oddly colored or drilled off center, and you will want to swap those out. Mixed malas, with a different stone every 27 beads or a contrasting marker bead at 27, 54 and 81, are a good way to use leftovers from other projects.

Which Cord Should I Use?

Malas are knotted on silk, nylon or cotton. Nylon S-Lon cord is the most popular choice for its strength, its resistance to fraying and the range of colors, and it knots cleanly. Griffin silk is the traditional choice, with a softer drape, and it comes in 2 meter cards with a twisted wire needle already attached, which saves a step.

A mala takes about 5 feet of cord, which is folded in half and worked doubled, so the working thickness is twice the cord's stated size. Tex 210 S-Lon (0.5 mm) is the standard for 8 mm beads. It usually passes through 6 mm beads as well, but hole sizes vary from strand to strand, so keep Tex 135 (0.4 mm) on hand as a backup for 6 mm and for any beads with small holes. In Griffin silk, size 4 (0.6 mm) and size 6 (0.7 mm) suit 8 mm beads and size 2 (0.45 mm) suits 6 mm.

Match the cord color to the stone or choose a contrast on purpose. Knots on a dark cord disappear between black onyx or lava beads; a cream or gold cord between dark beads turns the knots into part of the design.

Knot Size and Cord Choice

The cord size sets the knot size. A small bead sometimes has a hole large enough for a thick cord, but the knot that cord makes will look oversized next to the bead. Before you start, knot 2 or 3 beads with each cord you are considering and look at the knot against the bead. This also lets you practice the knot, so the first knots on the real mala are as tight and even as the last ones.

What Tools Do I Need?

You will tie 108 knots, and every one has to be slid up snug against its bead before it is tightened. Fingers can do it, but knotting tweezers or an awl make the job faster and the knots more consistent: form a loose overhand knot, put the tip of the tweezers or awl through it, slide the knot down to the bead, and pull the cord tight as you withdraw the tool.

A beading needle gets the doubled cord through the beads. A collapsible eye needle is the usual choice because the eye flattens to pass through small holes and the needle lasts through a whole mala. A little beeswax on the cord keeps it from fraying as you work.

How to Knot a Mala

1. Cut and prepare the cord. Cut about 5 feet, fold it in half, and thread the folded end into the needle so you work with a doubled cord. Tie a stopper knot or clip a bead stopper about 8 inches from the loose ends.
2. String the first bead and tie a knot. Slide a bead down to the stopper, then tie a loose overhand knot in the doubled cord. Put the tweezers through the loop, slide the knot against the bead, and tighten.
3. Repeat 108 times. Bead, knot, snug, tighten. Keep the tension the same on every knot; the knots should touch the beads without pulling the strand stiff. Check your count every 27 beads, and add marker beads there if your design uses them.
4. Add the guru bead. After the last knot, pass both ends of the cord, from both sides of the loop, through the guru bead so 4 cords run through it. Pull snug and tie an overhand knot under the guru bead.
5. Finish. Attach a tassel below the knot, or string a few beads on each cord end and knot them off. Add a drop of beading glue to the final knot, let it dry, and trim.

Choosing a Guru Bead

The guru bead sits where the loop closes and takes 4 lengths of cord, so its hole matters more than anything else about it. Our 10 mm guru beads come in a range of stones and are drilled for the job. A 3-hole guru bead is another option, and many makers simply use an oversized standard drill bead of 10 mm to 14 mm, which will usually pass 4 lengths of 0.4 mm S-Lon and may be tight with 0.5 mm. Large hole beads, with holes of 2 mm and up, always fit the 4 cords; the only caveat is that a hole can be large enough for the knot to slip through, so have a standard drill bead on hand as well. The guru bead is the focal point of the mala and a good place for a carved bead, a different stone or a metal accent.

How to Finish a Mala

A tassel is the traditional finish, and tassels made of cotton or silk also hold a drop of essential oil. The cord ends can instead be knotted and left plain, or beaded, with 3 beads on each hanging cord a common choice. If you are making your first mala, have extra cord and a few extra beads in different sizes within reach; it saves a stalled project when a hole turns out small, and it leaves room to change the design as you go. There are many styles of mala, and the one you make for yourself does not have to follow any of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a mala have 108 beads?

108 is a sacred number in Hindu and Buddhist tradition, and a full mala lets you count 108 repetitions of a mantra without keeping track. Wrist malas of 27 beads (a quarter) and 54 beads (a half) follow the same idea.

How long is a mala necklace?

Roughly 30 inches around with 6 mm beads and roughly 40 inches with 8 mm beads, including the knots. The guru bead and tassel add 2 to 4 inches of hanging length.

Can I make a mala with elastic cord?

Stretch bracelets, yes, but not a knotted mala. Elastic does not hold the small overhand knots between beads, and 108 knots in elastic would make a strand that sags. Use S-Lon or silk and knot it, or use elastic cord for an unknotted wrist mala.

What is the best cord for a mala?

Tex 210 S-Lon (0.5 mm) for 8 mm beads and Tex 135 (0.4 mm) for 6 mm, or Griffin silk in size 4 to 6 for 8 mm and size 2 for 6 mm. Buy both sizes of S-Lon the first time, because hole sizes vary.

Do I have to knot between every bead?

No. Knotting is traditional and it protects the beads from rubbing, but many malas use small spacer beads or no spacers at all. Knotting also lets the mala be repaired one section at a time if the cord ever breaks.

How many strands of 8 mm beads do I need for a mala?

3 strands of 15 inches, which gives about 135 beads: 108 for the mala, plus spares and a few for the ends.

Shop Mala Supplies

Start with 8 mm gemstone beads or 6 mm gemstone beads, then add S-Lon cord or silk cord, a guru bead and needles. For the stones traditionally paired with each chakra, see The 7 Chakra Stones in Order, and for the history of the mala itself, Mala Beads in Yoga and Meditation. Have you made a mala? Tell us about it in the comments.