In the Workshop
IN THE WORKSHOP | 📖 4 min.
by A. Buis | founder and artisan | © OLOG Rosaries
published: June 2026 |⏱️ 4-minute read
Step inside a workshop: behind the scenes of our father-daughter artisan tradition. A look at the hand-crafted process and sustainable stewardship that shape every handmade Catholic item.
In this look behind the scenes, we invite you into our sanctuary of patience and prayer. Discover how two generations come together at the workbench—blending traditional wire-wrapping techniques with a deep respect for reclaimed wood—to create sacramentals that are built to endure for generations.
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In the Workshop: A Father and Daughter's Shared Tradition
FOCAL POINT:Bringing two generations together to transform raw wire and reclaimed wood into prayerful sacramentals.
We believe that quality cannot be rushed. As father-daughter artisans with over 25 years of experience, we create every item in the tradition of Christian artisan design. Our workshop is a place of patience, prayer, and deep respect for the materials we use—a sanctuary where we transform reclaimed wood and raw wire into items that stir the heart toward God.
Our work is rooted in the belief that we are stewards of God’s generosity. For my parents, farming was a way of honouring the land as a gift from God, protecting it from the encroachment of housing and industrialization.
A Labour of Love
My father carries this same philosophy into his workshop. He creates something new with wood that he salvages from old furniture, staircases, church pews, and cabinet scraps—saving these materials from landfill. This is a true labour of love. He carefully removes the nails and finishes every piece of oak, cherry, maple, or walnut. In the photo, you can see the process unfold: from raw, reclaimed wood to to the shaped Cross, to the finished Crucifix.
A Philosophy of Stewardship
FOCAL POINT: Honouring God’s generosity by rescuing, de-nailing, and finishing salvaged materials with care.
Revealing the Hidden Beauty
FOCAL POINT: Working with the wood’s natural grain and history without artificial stains.
While the modern world prioritizes mass-produced uniformity, my father’s work celebrates the unique character of the wood. He does not use stains to mask the it’s history; instead, he chooses a clear, protective finish that lets the natural grain, knots, and variations in shade tell their own story. When you hold one of these Crosses or Crucifixes, you are holding something as close to nature—and the beauty God created—as possible. The photo shows a close-up of walnut wood on a handcrafted St. Benedict Crucifix.
My workshop is built on the ancient skills of wirework. Historically, the tradition of wire-wrapping used to create our signature rosaries dates back to antiquity. As shown in the photo, using only hand-held tools, I work with wire, cord, beads, and specialty components to create durable beads for prayer. Consequently, with different sets of pliers, I carefully bend, shape, and cut every piece of wire into place.
Attention to Detail
Additionally, when working with cord, I use specialized tools to secure it into neat, wrapped stacks. Because I pay close attention to detail, I provide enough space for fingers to move smoothly from one bead to the next during prayer. Every step requires a watchful eye on the structural integrity of the components. Inevitably, I set aside beads with surface imperfections for our bargain shop or children’s crafts, ensuring nothing is wasted.
The Art of Rosary Making
FOCAL POINT: Traditional rosary-making techniques using manual hand tools for prayer durability.
Enduring Quality, Sustainable Care
FOCAL POINT: Shared stewardship through reclaimed materials, longevity, and heirloom repair services.
Repair Service
To us, creativity is the heartbeat of our workshop. It is the spark that turns an idea into something tangible and lasting. While we both started with that spark, it is the discipline of patient practice and innovation that defines the quality of our work today.
We love creating something new! My Dad developed a way to create a Celtic-cut Saint Benedict rosary with an embedded medal to meet the demand for these specific Crucifixes. As shown in the photo, he also created his own hand-carved version of a Crucifix that his father gave his mother as an engagement gift in the Netherlands in 1928, ensuring that all his children could have a replica of the one we always saw hanging in their home.
I developed the all-in-one rosary bracelet for a customer who wanted a layered look, as well as the convertible rosary necklace, which transforms from a wearable necklace into a functional rosary.
Where Creativity Meets Tradition
FOCAL POINT: Innovation in heritage replicas alongside modern wearable designs.
The Artisan's Hand
FOCAL POINT: The peaceful, patient, and meditative pace of authentic handmade craftsmanship.
Whether recreating a piece of family history or designing something brand new, our workshops are a sanctuary from the pace of daily life for both of us. It is a place to be creative – working with our hands, at a slow, steady pace. Whether we are building a Crucifix or working with wire or cord to create a rosary, this work is an important part of our day. It is a time when worries are lifted because we are focused on the creative moment. The best part is that it is meaningful and worthwhile because you will hold it in your hands as you pray.
We view this type of creativity as a “use-it-or-lose-it” trait. We are always looking for ways to combine ancient traditions with fresh innovation. When we prepare the wood or choose the parts combinations, we think through the details that make it functional yet beautiful.
- “A Crucifix in every home,” and
- “Put as many rosaries in as many hands as possible.”
From the Workbench to Your Hands
When you choose a handmade item from our workshop, you are choosing a creative piece shaped with our imagination and made with our hands. We hope that by providing items that feel comfortable in your hands and sturdy in your heart, we can make it easier for you to pray more deeply, more often.
Day-to-Day Creativity
FOCAL POINT:Crafting sturdy, comfortable sacramentals to help you pray more deeply and more often.
© 2026 Our Lady of Grace Rosaries
All Rights Reserved
CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is an original artwork by my son, Martin Lariviere, in 2009. We have the artist’s permission to use it as our exclusive trademark LOGO.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna, circa 1513-1514. We made circular cut-outs from the original image.
These are our original photos and are intended for use only while visiting our website.
While our information is based on years of experience and shared resources, it is intended for educational purposes. We recommend using it as a springboard for your own research and fact-checking.
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IN REVIEW
How do you choose the materials for your wood Crucifixes?
We practice “rescue mission” stewardship. My father sources high-quality reclaimed wood like oak, walnut, cherry, and maple from discarded furniture, staircases, and church pews. He believes the wood’s history is part of its beauty, so he uses clear finishes rather than stains, allowing the natural grain and character of each Crucifix or Cross to tell its own story.
How is a wire-wrapped rosary different?
It is an ancient, manual technique where we shape wire into secure, rounded loops by hand. It ensures the rosary is flexible, easy to handle during prayer, and strong enough to last through a lifetime of use.
Do you offer repairs?
Yes, but it is very small-scale. We value blessed rosaries because they can be your connection to your faith and your family. However, our time is very limited so we only work on repairs on Sunday evenings. You are very welcome to send your rosary for repair as long as you are patient.
What makes your workshop different from a factory?
Unlike a factory that relies on mass production, automated assembly lines, and synthetic materials, our workshop is centered on hands-on craftsmanship. For us, faith and creative expression go together.
As a father and daughter team, we work at a patient pace using manual techniques—like shaping individual wire loops by hand and sanding wood to reveal its natural character. We strive to be good stewards of the materials God provides, minimizing waste by repurposing reclaimed wood for our Crucifixes and upholstery scraps for our leather rosary cases. Most of all, our goal is to create heirloom-quality items that last for generations, rather than mass-produced pieces that customers must quickly replace.