There is something rather lovely about making your Bible feel unmistakably yours.
We underline verses. We add tabs. We tuck handwritten prayers between the pages. We paint, doodle and journal in the margins. Sometimes a dried flower or an old church notice gets slipped inside and quietly stays there for years.
And now, apparently, I have started making Bible chains. 🙃
This one was created as a gift.
I wanted it to feel personal rather than simply decorative, so instead of choosing a row of identical “Christian” charms, I built the chain as a tiny collection of symbols: a cross for faith, a heart, a camera, little flashes of colour and objects that hint at personality, creativity and the things that make a person themselves.
Because our faith doesn’t sit separately from the rest of our lives.
God meets us in the person we actually are, with our interests, humour, creativity, memories, work, friendships and all the little things that delight us.
Why put a chain on a Bible?
Of course, a Bible doesn’t need decorating to make it precious.
The treasure is the Word itself.
But I love anything that creates another small invitation to pick up the Bible and open it.
Tabs can do that. A bookmark can do that.
Bible journalling certainly does that for me.
It becomes a kind of visual prompt: Come back. Open the pages. Spend some time here.
There is something wonderfully biblical about physical reminders of faith too. Throughout Scripture, God’s people used stones, tassels, feasts, written words and physical objects to help them remember what God had done. We so easily forget what God has done!
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord.”
Psalm 77:11
Sometimes we need things that help us remember.
A Bible chain that tells a story
That’s what I particularly love about making one bespoke. It becomes a tiny visual testimony.
And I think these could make rather gorgeous gifts…
And naturally… I went down the Etsy rabbit hole
I had a look to see what other makers are doing and discovered that Bible charm chains are very much a thing.
There are personalised gold and silver chains, charm-chain bookmarks, Bible-spine jewellery and made-to-order versions where customers choose their own faith-inspired charms. One current Etsy maker describes theirs as something designed to rest along the Bible while acting as a reminder of faith; another makes each chain to order so buyers can choose charms meaningful to them.
Which inevitably made me think: PrettyFlowerUK Bible chains?
Oh dear. 😂🌸
I haven’t actually made a collection to list yet, this first one was a bespoke gift, but I suspect there may now be beads, chains and an unreasonable number of tiny charms in my future.
You can browse my existing Bible-journalling and faith resources in the PrettyFlowerUK Etsy shop, and I’ll add Bible chains there if/when the little experiment becomes a proper collection.
For now, this one is heading off to its new home with a Faith Journal.
Made slowly, and prayerfully.
Pretty Flower 