Seriously, admit it, you aren’t going to use it after your high school play or Halloween is over; so why spend some bucks on a prop broom that don’t even look that authentic?
Am I right?
Just think about the money you can save by not wasting it after a thing that’s going in the attic after one-time use anyway. Tell me, aren’t you rethinking the decision again?
And of course, crafting is always fun. Most of the cos players you’ll come across in conventions and events, they always build their props on their own.
Why not? It’s fun, creative and shows respect to the character.
Also, think about the stories that inspired you to have the broom in the first place.
Do you think witches of medieval Europe had stores to buy brooms like the kids of these generations? And don’t even try to debunk my argument by mentioning Diagon Alley. We all know Casey, you are not going for a Nimbus 2000. Your argument here is invalid.
Live the spirit of the famous (or not so famous, in a positive manner, at that time) witches, and save some bucks by investing on the materials around to make a witch’s broom on your own. At least, you’ll have ‘can make prop brooms for theatrical use’ to add in your job CV!
How to Make a Witch’s Broom
That’s the fun part of crafting. You have full freedom to create things exactly the way you want. And it goes for your DIY witch’s broom too.
There are several ways you can follow to make the broom, and each way comes with a completely different look.
So, in order to make both the work and the decision easy for you, we’re going to discuss two DIY techniques on how to make a witch’s broom.
DIY Technique One: Go All Natural
This is the best technique if you’re planning to make the broom for Halloween. Because it’s during fall and the season will make sure that you have ample supply to make the prop.
You’ll need:
- Dry twigs or slender branches.
- A big branch of willow that probably shouldn’t be shorter than 5 ft; but mustn’t be taller than your head as well. It doesn’t have to be a complete straight stick, but not a full bending either.
- A big bundle of strong, durable twine, most preferably jute.
- Utility knife, scissors and pruners.
- Roofing nails or other similar type of giant nails and a hammer.
The Crafting Process
- Take the big and tall willow branch and trim the buckles a little to make the surface smooth using the utility knife. You can adjust the height too if it’s too tall with the help of scissors.
- Gather a whole lot of bunches of dry twigs or branches to make the bristles. Bring them all together at one end of the broomstick and use the twine to tie all the pieces together. Make a very tight knot in the end, so that the bristles don’t go loose.
- Trim the branches a little to give all the bristles an almost even look altogether. The pruner will help.
- Hit a nail or several more on the place where the bristles, twine and the broomstick are joined. This will make the binding of the twine more settled.
And with the final nail on the coffin……err, sorry, the broomstick, your broom’s work is done!
You may also read: How to Clean a Broom Easily
DIY Technique Two: Take a Little Help from the Store
Sure, go ahead and ask, why are we suggesting buying something from the store when the whole deal is centered around saving money on store-bought witch’s brooms? And yes, your ‘Why not buy a prop broom instead if one is going to spend money on something anyway?’ question is welcome as well. Because you know what, you’re looking at all of it from a very wrong angle.
First of all, yes, in the DIY mentioned above, you might get everything instantly just by looking around, but what if you had to go to the hardware store to buy some nails, a brand-new pruner or the bundle of twine?
EXACTLY! Sometimes you just have to buy some stuff even if you’re willing to craft using everything around.
And secondly, buying a few helping elements to make a prop and investing after an actual prop aren’t the same thing; and that’s a fact.
Now, let’s concentrate on making the broom, shall we?
You’ll need:
- Store-bought bristles. The deal is better if you can bag a whole cheap broom for the purpose.
- A wooden branch that’s not too bending.
- A big bundle of twine; and again, preferably jute.
- Utility knife, scissors and a pruner.
- Roofing or similar type of giant nails and a hammer.
The Crafting Process
- Yes, this time, your primary DIY focus should be on bristles. Separate them from the store-bought mop. With pruner and utility knife, untying the whole bundle of bristles from the stick won’t be too difficult.
- Make the wooden branch you picked for broomstick smooth by trimming the rough surface.
- Tie all the bristles together with the broomstick by using the twine. Make the knot tight enough, so that the bristles don’t get all misplaced.
- Make the bond more secure with the help of some nails on the joint.
And here you have the broom, which did cost you a little money, but nothing close to a witch’s broom’s price you see in stores.
Some Modifications
You can make some slight modifications too if you want to. Give the broom a complete different look by altering a thing or two.
– Use can or spray paint to give the broomstick a new color.
– Going natural doesn’t mean twigs and stick branches only; you can use hay or dry grass as well.
– Wrap a cardboard piece, twine or paper around the joint to hide the nails. You can glue some more twigs too for the same purpose.
Final Word
See, how easy it is to make a witch’s broom! And fun activity at the same time! This fall, take the broom you made for a test drive. Same goes for conventions and Hogwarts event (not only the ones organized by muggles).
This is Autem Decker. Main Author of ‘TheHomeDigs‘. You may not find her on the list of top 10 contemporary Canadian interior designers, but everyone who knows her says she was born to be an interior designer.
She makes her plan in her head and draws them in her years-old diary with a note in the corner. The way she plays with color and shape amazes us.
Connect Her On – Twitter
