Most of my students want to plait the top. You can omit this step by winding over the stalks and making a band at the top just like the first band of string. It’s easy to forget to let slack out, and before you know it, you can be slouched over, working at your feet. Pay close attention to posture when making a broom and let some slack out from the spinner regularly. That thick band of string should be like a Victorian corset, squeezing the material onto the handle. When the top layer has been placed all around the handle, wind the string around the broom at least eight times. Be sure to maintain strong tension when putting on the corn. Like the other layers, place them one piece at a time. Place the outside layer of broomcorn heads with the pith (concave) side to the handle. Wind the string around the stalks until it’s on the handle then add the outside pieces. First, trim the ends from the first two layers, tapering the material toward the handle. The next step is to tie the outside layer. It is better to have too much than not enough. There may be extra pieces of broomcorn, which is fine. After one inside layer has been placed around the stick, a second inside layer is added. The heads are placed one at a time under the string, below the knuckle on the brush. After tying the string to the handle, begin by placing the inside layer of broomcorn. When the broomcorn has soaked for at least 15 minutes, it’s time to start tying. And local craft stores carry macramé cord, which also works well. Some outfitters or camping stores will have nylon cord for anchoring duck decoys. Mason line will work, although finding appealing colors may be a challenge. Some people simply use a stick, but I prefer the spinner as it keeps the string from rubbing on the ground. It is not high tech with a few pieces of scrap wood and some deck screws, it is easy to make one of these. The photo offers a visual of this as well as other necessary tools. I make and use something called a foot spinner. The next step is to choose the nylon cord and to wrap it around the apparatus that will be used to create tension when tying the broom. That hole is for tying the string onto the handle. Sharpen the tip with a hatchet or knife and drill an eighth-inch hole just above the taper. If any shrinkage, cracking or bark peeling occurs while drying, reject those sticks. (Commercial dowel handles can be ordered from a supplier.) When I collect handles, I cut them to length (18 inches for a hearth broom), and they dry for at least six months. I prefer the rustic look and use a stick with the bark still on it. While the broomcorn is soaking, you can prepare the broom handle. foot held apparatus (for holding cord taut).The corn needs to soak for a minimum of 15 minutes.Īssemble the following materials before you sit down to make a broom: Place the broomcorn in a bucket of hot water with the cut ends submerged. Stalks are trimmed just past the knuckle on the stalk side for inside layers, but left longer for outside layers so they can be plaited. The broomcorn is prepared by cutting the stalks differently for each layer. If the material is too short, it will be used for a whisk broom later. If the bristles, or brush, are past the tip of your fingers, that stalk is a keeper. Put the knuckle of the corn, the place where the head meets the stalk, at your elbow. Each head is measured with a cubit (the distance between your elbow to your longest finger). To make a hearth broom, 28 heads of broomcorn are used for the inside layers of bristles and 17 heads for the outside layer. Other materials can be used for the sweeper of a broom, but we’re focusing on traditional corn brooms. That tassel is the part of the plant used for making brooms. Yet, upon close examination, there are no cobs, just a large tassel on the top. Broomcorn is an annual and, from a distance, looks like sweet corn in the field. This plant is closely related to sweet sorghum ( Sorghum vulgare), which is the plant used to produce sorghum molasses. One of the most common questions I hear when I am demonstrating my craft is, “What plant material is used for the broom bristles?” The material is called broomcorn ( Sorghum bicolor). But even if you can’t grow broomcorn, you can order it from a supplier (see Resources at the end of this article). You can make your own brooms! If you have a green thumb, you can start by growing your own broomcorn. Start building your skills by making this DIY hearth broom from broomcorn, then move up to larger brooms.

Making a beautiful homemade broom is easy, fun, and practical. Homemade Cheese Recipes: Cheese Making Articles.Sustainable Farming & Agriculture Articles.Power Equipment Articles - Lawn and Garden Equipment.Raising Ducks and Geese: Articles & Ideas.Homesteading Poultry - Chicken, Turkey, Ducks Archives.

Diy broomstick