TOHO Beads, manufacturer of premium glass beads, was founded in Hiroshima after WWII to bring color back into the world. With that mission in heart, the Peace Ring Project was created in 2015 by TeamTOHO, a non-profit organization made of of TOHO Beads and two American wholesale distributors of TOHO beads. This project was created to connect beaders around the world because though our languages may be different, beads are universal. To honor 80 years since the end of the WWII, we are bringing the Peace Ring to a whole new level!
The Upper Midwest Bead Society (UMBS), TOHO Beads, The Japanese Beading Association, TeamTOHO, and Lotus Beads and Jewelry are joining forces to create the longest beaded Peace Chain in the world! Join us as we wish for world peace through beading!
Bead by Bead, Link by Link, we hope to connect together through our common love of beads and create something showing our wishes and hopes for a peaceful world.
Bead by Bead, Link by Link, we hope to connect together through our common love of beads and create something showing our wishes and hopes for a peaceful world.
UMBS Peace Chain Committee
Rochelle Peterson
Jan Carlson
Paulette Mazurek
Hannah Rosner
Jan Carlson
Paulette Mazurek
Hannah Rosner
How to Join
- Bead! Use any beads (no metal, we want to try to keep it as light weight as possible!). Use any stitch you'd like, including just stringing and tying together pretty colors of beads (this is a perfect way for anyone of any beading level to participate) to make a ring 1 - 2 inches in diameter. Make another and then start linking them together. Make sure they're strong! For this reason we will not be allowing the use of stretchy cord.
- Bead with friends! Every Wednesday until August 6, Lotus Beads and Jewelry will be hosting Free Peace Ring Workshops from 12pm to 8pm. You bring the people, and we'll bring the beads! You'll get to sit and chat with new friends, and get some instruction if you're finding yourself struggling.
- Connect with Us! Post a picture of your Peace Rings or chains on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #TOHOPEACERING and #PEACERINGGRANDECONNECTION2026 and make sure to tag @TOHO_bead. TOHO beads will share your post internationally and also donate Japanese Yen to a peace charity in Hiroshima for each tag throughout the next year.
- No worries if you need some beads, please contact us at: [email protected], and we will get you the supplies you need.
When you think you've beaded as much as you've can, you can mail us your chain links to:
Lotus Beads and Jewelry
Attn: Rochelle – Peace Chain Project
368 North Garden
Bloomington, MN 55425
Or drop them off (and get some shopping done)!
Please try to get them into us by June! We'll have our work cut out for us if they all come in at once on the day of!
Lotus Beads and Jewelry
Attn: Rochelle – Peace Chain Project
368 North Garden
Bloomington, MN 55425
Or drop them off (and get some shopping done)!
Please try to get them into us by June! We'll have our work cut out for us if they all come in at once on the day of!
Let's Go to Lotus Beads and Jewelry!
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The Grande Connection 2026
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Mark your calendars, Thursday August 6, 2026 is the day we'll be unveiling the our chain! This day a very important day for peace, as it is the day that Hiroshima was bombed, and it is a day that we should all remember.
The event will be held in the Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America. From the moment the mall opens, we'll be hard at work, running down the clock to get every last ring we possibly can attached to our chain! Show up and bead with us, help us reinforce, or take pictures and post! The official measuring will happen at 1pm as our friends from Japan attach their segment to ours. |
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Be Part of the Grande Connection
Below is a Google Form you can fill out if you would like to help us on August 6th, 2026, and be part of something great! There are different opportunities for everyone, and every person counts! Volunteers get a FREE One Ring, One Ring T-shirt.
To order extra One Ring, One Dream T-shirts, use the "Other" bullet and add: color, size, and quantity. Any size of these T-shirts is only $12.00 each and 8 colors to choose from!
At the end of the form, there is a short Q&A that can hopefully provide you with extra information. Please shoot UMBS an email if you have any further questions.
Want to Help, but no Time?
We understand that not everyone can help out physically. If you want to pitch in, but can't or you just want give us an extra hand, considering donating to our GoFundMe below. The money will be used to make August 6th the grandest bead event the world has ever seen!
Peace Rings with ✨Rochelle✨
Join Rochelle and the Upper Midwest Bead Society to learn about the world wide Peace chain project created by Rochelle in conjunction with Toho Beads.
Let's Make Peace (Rings)!
Below are the patterns needed to make peace rings.
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