broommaking

Brooms

What do I need to build my best broom?

Katie Pelton ·

A Broommaker's starter kit.

You want to start making your own brooms? You came to the right place. Whether it is going to be a large scale operation, a weekend hobby, craft fairs, or something else, Caddy Supply has got you covered. 

For most new broom makers, we recommend the following items:

  1. 10 lb. box of craft broomcorn - Craft is the broomcorn needed for any type of braiding or weaving of the stalks. Perfect for round brooms or cobweb brooms.

  2. Twine (Nylon or Hemp) - The $15 tarred black twine is the highest strength and will help grip to the broomcorn

  3. Optional for sewing - Needle, Stitching clamp, knife

  4. Optional - Handles, 12” ash is perfect for cobwebs, we also have 48” handles for kitchen brooms.

  5. If you want to build different types of broom with processed hurl, we recommend the following lengths.

    • Standard Kitchen Broom- 18" +

    • Turkey Wing Whisk - 14, 16, or 18"

    • Mini Whisk Broom- 14"

    • Pot scrubbers - 12"

Depending on what type of broom, we realize you also might need knives, processed hurl, scissors, a tying table, a footwinder or a tying frame.  You will also need some way to soak the broomcorn before starting the broom making process. For a standard kitchen broom,  it takes about 13 oz to 16 oz. of hurl. You will have to plunge the broomcorn in a sink for 5 to 10 seconds, then promptly remove it and let it dry for about 10 minutes. Once the broomcorn is more suitable to work with, you can start winding around a handle.

We also have information regarding broom equipment including kickwinders, sewing vices, and broom trimmers. 

Further reading material and instructions on whisk making, please visit here!

Brooms

Broomcorn - Did you know? Part 2.

Katie Pelton ·

Like so many things in life, there is much more to a 'simple' broom upon second glance.

We talked about what broomcorn is exactly and what it is not in our first installment, now its time uncover why is broomcorn the best for sweeping and different types of corn brooms.

Below, Luke Lewis of North Woven Broom describes the first used broom, the round brush broom made with craft broomcorn to now most commonly used flat Shaker style broom.

In a fast-paced world of technology, computers, screens and social media inundating us at every turn, is there anywhere left for old-fashioned traditions? The two sisters behind the Granville Island Broom Co. believe there is. Mary and Sarah Schwieger make brooms the way their parents taught them, using methods passed down from Shaker traditions from the 1800s.

Start at 0:22 seconds into the YouTube video below to see a simple way the broomcorn is cleaned. Karl is using craft broomcorn (we sell ours already cleaned!) with the stalks attached but does not weave them.

In the simplest way, you can make a broom by hand by using wood pegs, a handle, twine, broomcorn, and tools.  He makes a first layer using 8 stalks, wrapping, and pulling the twine around the handle. He covers it with a second layer, using around 16 stalks total.

For a detailed instructions on broommaking, please visit here. 

 

Did you know that there is still a broomcorn festival every year in Arcola, IL ?

Check out details here !