RE: Making my own battery
you will need special tools to solder the tabs to your cells. A standard soldering iron will overheat and destroy the cell before you get a reliable connection.
Not worth the trouble. You can get a battery holder at Radio Shack or very cheap at Hobbyking.
They all work great, they have wires coming out, you just solder you leads with the plug on. Much safer then messing with the tabs.