Twenty-third Psalm Pin

23rd Psalm Pin

I've been creating beaded pins that symbolize popular stories and verses from scripture for some time now, but this is the first time I've gotten around to providing the instructions.

Twenty-Third Psalm Pin

The Lord is my SHEPHERD, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green PASTURES,                                                                                He leads me beside quiet WATERS, He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of DEATH,
I will fear no EVIL, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your † staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a TABLE before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with OIL;
My CUP overflows.
Surely GOODNESS and MERCY  will follow me
all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

• Large safety pins in silver or gold

• Large glass seed beads (big enough to slip over safety pin) in assorted colors (You can use my color scheme, or create your own. Use beads to represent important words/ideas and use an equal number of beads on each side of the pendant.) The colors I used are gray, blue, green, black, brown, red, yellow, rose, gold and silver.

• small cross pendants

• Jump rings to attach pendants to safety pin

The order of the beads I used is

Don't stress over finding the exact colors I used. Put your own spin on the idea. BE CREATIVE and HAVE FUN with it! You could even use a brown bead for the staff and put a sheep in the middle!

The process for creating the pin is fairly easy--especially if you find one  these jewelry pins (I found them at JoAnn Fabrics Etc. for $1.49/18 pieces). I had the beads on hand but all the supplies are generally available at large craft stores such as Michaels or JoAnn.

Materials needed:

Instructions:

I loaded my beads in reverse order so that the pin opens on the right side. You begin by opening the safety pin wide to receive the beads.

It is possible to use a regular large safety pin, 

but it requires you to bend the round circle on the end straight and then bend it back again after you finish loading the beads, which is a little bit hard on your hands.  (It can be done, and I have done it myself many, many times.)

Then you load the beads on in order, with the cross pendant serving as the bead in the verse Your rod and Your † staff (cross), they comfort me.

gray, green, blue, silver, black, black, CROSS, brown, yellow, red, gold, rose, gold. 
I actually placed the beads on the pin in reverse order, so the first pin I add goes closest to the fastener end:
gold, rose, gold, red, yellow, brown, CROSS, black, black, silver, blue, green, gray. I used the transparent colors for this pin (except for the gold and silver beads), but the opaque beads look good as well.

 This is the actual completed pin, which opens on the right. When worn, the beads are read from right to left.

I create little flyers with the color key and pin the completed safety pins onto the flyers. These are great to use for Children's time. After you explain the pins to the kids (only the ones old enough to handle pins and tiny beads of course!) it is ideal to have enough pins to hand out to everyone present, as adults really like the pins. I was a little afraid they would be seen as "girly" but I have had grown men pin these onto their motorcycle jackets and suit jackets and wear them everywhere. It is a way to wear your faith on your sleeve.

Please drop me a line/send a picture if you create any pins of your own. (I have also created pins for the story of Easter with a butterfly pendant to symbolize the resurrection, but I don't have any photos of those right now. If I do it again I promise to post the photos.)