Making your own Besom

[_Cheshire_]

Make A Besom

Materials:
1-Four foot dowl or stick (1 inch in diameter)
Ball of twine
Scissors
Straw, twigs, or herbs for the bristles

Take the straw, and allow it to soak overnight in warm, lightly salted water. (the water softens the straws to make them pliable, and the salt soaks out former energies)When you are ready to make your besom, remove the straws from the water and allow them to dry a bit, but not to much that they lose the suppleness you will need to tur then into your besom.
Find a work area where you can lay out the length of your dowl, and begin lining the straws along the sides of the dowl.
Starting about three inches from the bottom, lay the straws, moving backwards, along the length of the dowl.Begin binding these to the dowl with twine.
You will need to tie them very securely.You can add as many layers of straw as you wish, depending on how full you would like your besom to be.
When the straw is secured, bend the top straws down over the twin ties.
When they are all gently pulled over, tie off the stwas again a few inches below the orginal tie. Leave the besom overnight to allow the straw to dry.

The dowl part of the besom can be stained, painted, or decorated with pagan symbols, your craft name, or any other embellishments you choose. dedicate your finished besom in your circle as you would any other ritual tool.

[_Cheshire_]

BESOM MAKING

* Stick for the handle; diameter one inch (1") or less
* Nine to eleven (9-11) stalks of broomcorn
* Four to five yards (4-5 yds.) strong twine
* One long, large eyed needle or wire
* One three quarter inch (3/4") nail (or drill)
* Eighteen inch (18") piece of twine tied to form tie-off loop
* Six feet (6') of twine, cut into two foot lengths
* Hammer, Tying block, Sharp knife

The Method:

Gather your materials. Make a 'tying block' by whittling the middle of a foot
long, (12") (very straight and smooth) limb. This should look rather like an
hour glass, when finished.

Start by preparing the handle. Drive the nail or drill a three quarter inch
(3/4") hole through the handle, some three inches (3") from where the broomcorn will be attached to the handle. Fasten the twine to this nail or hole. Wrap the other end of the twine around the center of the tying block, leaving a few feet of twine stretched between the block and the handle.

Traditional besoms had a 'knob' on the broomcorn end.

Broomcorn has three sections: stalks, brush and knurl. (The knurl is the
junction between the stalk and brush.)

Trim the stalks to six inch (6") lengths. Place the broomcorn, (stalk down) into hot water, covering both the stalks and knurls. Let soak for ten minutes. (10 min.) Remove the broomcorn from the water, drain off the water. Place the tying block on the floor.

Place your feet on the tying block and pull the twine taut. (Use both hands on
the handle.)

Place a stalk of broomcorn next to the handle, next to the nail or drilled hole. (Have the knurl directly under the twine.) Twist the handle so that the twine binds the broomcorn to the handle. Pull rather hard, so that the twine forms a V-shaped depression in the stalk of the broomcorn.

Roll the handle back slightly. Place a second stalk of broomcorn next to the
first one. Twist to bind both stalks with the twine. Pull to for a V-shaped
depression. Continue with the broomcorns, until you have covered the handle. Be sure to use an odd number of stalks, so that the weaving will come out properly.

After all of the stalks are bound to the handle, pull and wrap the twine around the stalks five times.

Begin the weaving of the stalks by placing your thumb on the twine and releasing pressure on the tying block. Raise one stalk, run the twine under it. Skip the next stalk and run the twine under the stalk after that. Remember to pull the twine taut. Continue all the way around, and as far up the stalks as you desire. (Leave an inch or so, to turn under.)

With the eighteen inch (18") long piece of twine, fashion a 'tie-off loop'. Do
this by tying the ends together.

If you are going to turn under the stalk ends, do it now. To tie off the twine, place the tie-off loop next to the last stalk that the twine went under. Turn and wrap the stalks five more times, being sure to go over the loop, leaving the loop end free, Use your thumb to maintain pressure on the twine. Cut the twine loose from the tie-off block, about six inches (6") from the broom. Thread the cut twine through the tie-off loop. Pull the loop to bring the twine end under wraps on the broom, and to pull the tie-off loop free.

If you did not turn under the stalk ends, take the knife and trim the stalks to about a quarter inch above the twine.

To make the 'spread', wrap twine, about midway around the brush, four times. Do not pull too taut. Do this again, about an inch above, and then a third one, an inch above that.

Thread the large eyed needle with a length of twine. (You can make a 'needle'
out of a length of wire, looped at one end.)

Knot the free end to the top 'spread'. Thread the needle through the brush
(about an inch from the edge, pass it over the front spreader twine, go over the broom three quarters of an inch, and thread the needle back through. Do it on both sides. At the end, reverse and do the same going the opposite direction. (Forming X stitches.)

Tie off. Do the other two spreaders the same way.

[Alhandra]

Well that saves me from going out every halloween just to buy a cheap one. Thanks Cheshire.

[[Haley]]

Question, can the handle be around 6in. or shorter?

[Dark Mage]

The Nimbus 2000 is considerably more expensive but brings a lot of delight I have been told.

Making a besom is really good on a powerful autumn night.

.: DM :.

[[scifichick]]

The Nimbus 2000 is considerably more expensive but brings a lot of delight I have been told.

[Cheshire on vacation]

I really don't see why not, as long as you keep the broom decently proportioned. You wouldn't want an "Off the norm" looking broom, would you?

But that question actually sparked up an idea. I think I'll make a very miniature besom, about a foot or two tall, and hang it up onto my kitchen wall. Yep, I think it'd be cute.

~Cheshire

[moonlit]

SWEEET!!!!! Im going to do this! lol

[Eos]

As far as the traditional woods used, I've heard ash for the handle and birch for the bristles. Is white ash acceptable for the handle in this case?

[HeartAngel]

Many thanks