Directions for Making a Broom
- 1). Lay the pieces of broomcorn in the bathtub, cover with boiling water and let soak for 20 minutes or until they are pliable.
- 2
You can find wooden dowels at a hardware or craft store.dowel image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
Drill a hole for a ¼-inch dowel 3 inches from the bottom of the broomstick. Drill a second hole 3 inches above that first hole and at a right angle to the first. Insert dowels into both holes to form the anchors to prevent the stalks from sliding around the handle. - 3). Tie one layer of broomcorn around the handle so the tops of the stalks extend about 15 inches from the end of the broom handle. Make your broom stronger by overlapping layers of the broomcorn.
- 4). Reduce the bulk at the end of your broom by trimming the stalks with a sharp knife. This will make your broom look nicer and be easier to handle.
- 5). Add a second layer of broomcorn over the first, wrap the twine around the handle and tie it twice. Add a third and final layer of broomcorn to your broom and tie to the handle.
- 6). Tie one end of your long rope securely to something overhead. Make a tight loop on the other end, big enough to put your foot in, so it hangs 6-8 inches off the ground to help with tying off the broomcorn tightly.
- 7). Loop the rope once around the broom, between the bottom dowel and the bottom end of the broom handle. Place your foot in the loop and push down until the broom is held very tight by the rope. Tie one end of your twine to the bottom dowel leaving a long tail of twine to knot with.
- 8). Wrap the twine several times around the broom as close to the rope as possible. Use the twine tail you have left over to knot the twine to the dowel while holding the broom tight with your foot in the rope.
- 9). Pull a few stalks back and run the twine under them and to the next dowel. Run the twine around the next dowel and tie to secure.
- 10
Slide the rope up near the second dowel and repeat the tying process. - 11
Continue to move the rope up the stalks an inch at a time. Wrap the twine and tie off at each inch ending at the top of the broomcorn stalks. - 12
Remove the broom from the rope and tie a hard knot in the twine when you've reached the top and secure this knot to the broom handle with a small upholstery tack hammered into the handle of the broom. You should be able to hide the tack by pulling a few stalks over it. - 13
Trim the bottom of the broom so that it is perfectly even. - 14
Tie a piece of cloth around the broom sweeps to keep them straight while the broom dries. Trim again when dry if necessary.
