Pass your cord through the hole you drilled in the handle and tie it securely - you’ll have to tug pretty hard to anchor the broom corn. You’ll be building up the center of the broom one head at a time, using the soaked pieces you prepared earlier. It’s really easy to forget to let slack out, and before you know it, you’ll be slouched over, working at your feet! Attaching the Bristles Always pay attention to posture while making a broom, and let some slack out from the spinner regularly. Or, you can use a simple stick, but if you do so, the string for your broom will rub on the ground. You can easily construct your own foot spinner with a few pieces of scrap wood and some deck screws. I make and use something I call a “foot spinner,” which is a horizontal bar with “feet” attached to hold the string off the ground. Before you begin tying your broom, you’ll need to wrap your cord around whatever apparatus you plan to use to create tension while tying the broom. Outfitting and camping stores often carry nylon cord for anchoring duck decoys, and local craft stores will have macramé cord, which also works well. You can also use mason’s line, although finding appealing colors may be challenging. I recommend nylon cord for tying brooms because it’s sturdy enough for the job and comes in attractive colors. Sharpen one end with a hatchet or a knife, and drill a hole just above the taper you created this will be for anchoring the string you’ll use to attach the broom corn. After a stick has cured and seems structurally sound, it’ll be ready to prepare for a broom. If any shrinkage, cracking, or peeling occurs during the curing period, reject those sticks. After I collect my handles, I cut them to length - 18 inches for a hearth broom - and then cure them for at least six months. You can order commercial dowel handles from a supplier, but I prefer to go the rustic route and use a stick with the bark left on. While the broom corn is soaking, you can prepare the handle. Next, submerge the cut stalks in a bucket of hot water for at least 15 minutes. Straight, unblemished material looks best on the outer layer of the finished broom. Split the stalks on the pieces for the outer layer, removing half the material. If the material is too short, you can use it for a whisk broom later.Ĭut off most of the stalk on the heads for the inner layers, leaving a few inches, and trim the stalks for the outer layer to six inches. If the bristles are past the tips of your fingers, it’s a keeper. Put the corn’s “knuckle” (the point between the tassel and the stalk) at your elbow, with the tassel pointing toward your fingers. Measure each head with a cubit - the distance from your elbow to the tip of your longest finger. ![]() To make a hearth broom, you’ll need about 28 heads of broom corn for the inside and 17 heads for the outside, with the seeds removed.
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