There are two fantastic things about this witch's broom. 1. It's easy and free to make. 2. If you don't have a lot of storage space for things like Halloween decorations you can just compost it or burn it at the end of the season then make a new one next year.
Hi. I'm Karen. I long like walks on the beach, scented candles, and sharp things. Sticks, needles, knives sharp enough to cut the piggly off a wiggly ... that sort of thing.
Nothing makes a woman shine that Match.com smile like a cozy front porch, a Buck Knife and a sharp stick. You might wonder what I'm doing with a stick and a buck knife. And to you I say WELCOME because you must be new 'round here.
Everyone else is thinking "Oh, there's Karen with a knife and a stick. I wonder if she's teaching us to make a crossbow for shooting jelly beans."
I am not. Although that would be a reasonable guess.
What I am doing is making a witches broomstick for by the front door.
There couldn't possibly be an easier Halloween craft. It's something you can do yourself or something you can pawn off on your kids or grandkids.
I'm not a parent, but I can tell you right now with my hand over my heart I'd be a terrible one. Reason number 1? I'd never let my kids do any crafts because, let's face it, they're kids ... they'll screw it up and it will be ugly.
More than one child on this planet has wasted a whole whack of glue and sparkles on some hideous craft when both things could have been put to better use bedazzling a toaster.
But it's up to you. Maybe make it a two-parter. The kids hunt and gather the sticks and small twigs and then you assemble it. And that's all this is. A dead branch for the broom handle and a bunch of sticks for the bristles.
I gathered all of mine after a big wind storm here in Southern Ontario. I should have put that in my Match profile. I also like big wind storms and gathering twigs.
DIY witch broom
Materials
1 branch apx. 3'ft long
twigs/small branches
rubber band
twine, natural jute or rope
hot glue gun (optional)
- Remove the bark from your branch/tree limb for an extra creepy look, then snip off any bumps or branches near the bottom that will interfere with attaching the twigs.
- A thick elastic band helps hold the twigs in place before you secure them more with jute twine.
TIP
You can swap out the twigs for other materials for the broom portion. This would also look really good using wheat, rye or roadside dried grass.
- Keep shoving more and more twigs under the elastic until it's packed tight and then secure it with the twine pulling it as tightly as possible.
And don't forget that you can use different materials, it doesn't have to be what I use here.
Materials
The Handle
Stick, branch, cornstalk, actual broom handle, large vine
The Broom
Twigs, rye, wheat, dried roadside grasses, small vines, straw
TIP
A crooked handle looks better for a witches broom than a perfectly straight one.
Now the rest of the creative process is in your hands. You can paint your broom black, cover it in glitter, leave it as is or hang it from a tree using fishing line so it looks like it's suspended in mid-air.
Make a Witch's Broom
Make a witch's broom Halloween decoration using a branch and twigs.
Materials
- HANDLE
- Stick, branch, cornstalk, actual broom handle or large vine
- BROOM
- Twigs, rye, wheat, dried roadside grasses, small vines, or straw
Instructions
- Strip the bark off of the branch. You don't have to remove the bark, I just think the branch looks more interesting if you do.
- Shave off any bumps and knots, especially around the bottom of the branch where you're going to attach your twigs so you have a smooth surface to attach your twigs to.
- Wrap a thick elastic band around 5" up from the bottom of your branch. You're going to insert your twigs under it.
- Stick your thin twigs under the elastic band at the base of the branch. Just keep shoving them in there until you have a nice, big, whack of twigs.
- Lay the broom (because you now officially have a broom) on the ground and wind your twine around it, covering the elastic band. You need to pull the twine as tightly as possible. If you can't hear a few of the twigs cracking, you aren't doing it hard enough.*
Notes
You can swap out the twigs for other materials for the broom portion. This would also look really good using wheat, rye or roadside dried grass.
Brilliant. That's all I got.
This is a great easy projecT. Thanks. I look forward to others in keeping with the season.
I love it! We have no shortage of materials. The grandkids and I will make a few. It looks like it's hard to get it wrong, which, as you pointed out, is the ideal craft to do with kids. I also appreciate that it's something we can do outside. Thanks, Karen! :)
My favorite part of this, besides being honest about kids and crafts, is that the list of alternate materials include: dried roadside grass.
This is, if you DO HAVE kids, how you can get rid of the pests. Just slow down enough for them to jump and roll using that tempting “We’re doing crafts with a hot glue gun!”
I myself, the person who swore I’d never, ever, nevvvvveeer, in a million years, have kids, have two who are grown adults and no matter how many times I slowed the car and headed toward dried roadside grass, advertising it as a craft project, they never took the bait.
The thing is, I don’t regret that in my 40s, I had some form of space madness and birthed both within a two year span. I know. As every expert professional medical genius seemed super worried about how they’d turn out, I was not. They are fabulous adults. Fun even.
My older one turns 25 in a week. He and I are music enthusiasts and took in a Smashing Pumpkins concert last week. I can attest, Billy Corgan still sounds like two angry wet cats in a gunny sack alternating with the sound my washing machine makes in the spin cycle. It was fun.
The other fun thing about being an older mom is how I had mellowed out and was able to appreciate seeing the world in such a different way than I’d ever imagined possible. I encouraged both to play the piano and guitar when they were tiny and nobody ever had to sell a single cookie or coupon books because I was old and knew… f that sh/t. Both are good people so I only screwed them up an appropriate amount of weird.
But I’m on board with anyone who took the other road and stayed minimalist. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, which is saying a lot. I survived the ad biz AND Hollywood madness biz. I’ve also rebuilt carburetors and whole engines and replumbed bathrooms and crawled under creepy houses. Still the roughest thing was reliving 7th grade math and not remembering anything about it. Snakes, insects, wild animals are a treat compared to trying to teach an 11 year old how to math.
You Karen are absolutely the best thing on the blogosphere. I will never grow asparagus or beets and likely won’t build a Halloween broom but I will always open my email and hope you’ve done your part to cheer me up at the end of a long, hot day of tending my cactus garden and cleaning the grill.
Yup that's Billy alright. Did you go dressed as Courtney Love just for fun? ~ karen!
A fun, easy and cheap project - what's not to like? Oh, your recent veggies post inspired me today to buy a small can of plain beets. I shall report back after I've mustered up the courage to open it and try them. And a very Happy October to ya'.
Randy, I’ve come to expect your comment being right before mine. I always enjoy your enthusiasm (even for my most hated vegetable, the beet) - you are often simpatico with my own bizarre opinions (except for the beets).
I fell in "luv" with Karen and her style of presentation seconds into her YouTube video beating the shit out of a wine bottle on a tree in her yard. The "luv" has grown as time has marched forward.
I cannot wait for you to report back. If they need a little something you can drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Add goat cheese! At least that's how I try to fix everything I don't like. ~ karen!
Randy & Karen-
I needed to hang curtain rods and did a search for “best drywall anchor” and a YouTube popped up with Karen walking through a method and the right anchors to use. I signed up and just never quit reading about the exotic Canadian adventures of Karen. I’ve been in love with this place and Karen too - What I’ve learned:
Betty is how things get weird.
Karen is the result of growing up with Betty.
This makes Betty some kind of special.
Karen has a separate side hustle besides this side hustle.
Karen will do anything to open a bottle of wine, if nukes start flying you may need fast alternatives.
Family get togethers with Karen mean Jenga.
Photography is serious business.
Vinegar and sea salt potato chips go with everything.
Randy is an atheist like me who can open a bottle of wine during a nuclear holocaust so stick with Karen and Randy. Personally I keep a cork screw in different places behind a glass emergency window that clearly states “IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS” plus one in my Subaru Outback next to the spare tire.
There’s always time to do things that need to be done but there’s never enough time.
I'm adding "likes long wind storms and gathering twigs" to my profile right now! Should scare a few off. But what will it reel in.
You're a riot! Love the broom too. There'll be a few varieties around here.
Thanks Sue! It's getting close to hauling the broom out again for the season! ~ karen
Super cool broom Karen.
Love this will do this. And, oh, how cute and cozy you look in your muffler and moccasins! Looking at 100 deg a couple days next week here in NorCal. Blah!
I’m so torn this year about my favorite day of the year. I haven’t been out of the house since mid March, except to the mailbox and in the back yard walking around the emptied swimming pool. Lots of laps to make 3 miles.
I do want to make a broom - I just had some branches blow down with wind, but the yard guys already took them away. I’ll find something to make this work - it is awesome!
Anyway, I want to decorate as usual - big cemetery in the front yard, with chains and bones and a hugging skeleton that I need to re-cheesecloth. but I don’t want to endanger kids by encouraging them to expose themselves to possible unknown virus carriers coming into the neighborhood.
I need suggestions for how to hand out candy safely. I have missed only one Halloween in 25 years being dressed as a scary, very ugly witch at my front door, (that year I was bald from chemo and went as Mr Clean.) pretending to be a statue until a trick-or-treater tries to reach into my cauldron of candy where my hands are resting. I gently, softly grasp at their hands and say boo quietly, and it scares them for a nano second, then we both laugh and then I make them tell me a joke in order to earn their candy. Good joke/cute little one = an extra handful! The kiddos love it and I’m semi-famous in the neighborhood.
So, therein lies my dilemma - should I put candy out at the street? Should I skip it so the kiddos won’t come? How can I distance myself from the kids and the kids from each other and the candy from other candy?
Ideas?
This might be a case for using Karen's first idea: a crossbow for shooting jelly beans.
Or a catapult for launching mini-candy bars.
They ring a bell at the street and you can launch candy at them from your door - half the fun will be in them trying to catch it.
I’ve got it!! I’ll climb my spiral staircase to the roof, and toss candy down on them! They can catch it and I’ll only have to find a light source to show then where I am, up on high! On my broom!! Thanks, M!
Exxxxcellent craft.
I have a question; the moccasins you're wearing, are they Bastien Industries?
I had a nearly identical pair to yours and I've not loved a pair of mocc's more than those, ever. That is the most comfortable footwear on the planet, at least in my experience.
I'm enjoying perusing your blog and pinterest pages; follow you on IG too.
Thanks Karen, for all you do to empower those of us that find your contributions!
Hi Chandra! I'm afraid I have no idea, lol. I got them at a store on the way to a cottage. I'll check and if there's a name or anything stamped on them and get back to you. They're pretty basic, classic moccasins though. Deerskin upper and sole etc. ~ karen!
I'm a newbe! I'm glad I found You! You make me laugh, you don't know it but I have a good time with you, Your a lot of fun! I like your mild cussing it crack's me up and that's hard to do, to an older than dirt 80 yr old. I think maybe your crazy, because I'm crazy too. Who wouldn't be after bring up 6 kids all by myself, oh yea, one I adopted (I love kids, the problem is, kids grow up.) The other five? I was like the spider, I wanted kids. Oh no I didn't do my husband, there's another way, called a judge, and he's not a hit man. Anyway, kidding aside! you really are an awesome young woman and I wish I had your gift of humor. I really am glad I found this site, thank you pinterest.
Ha! My mom is older than dirt too. Maybe you know her. Her name's Betty. Kids do grow up. Unless they're men of course. ;) ~ karen!
Does Betty know that you play with sharp knives and pointed sticks??...and dead cats?
I love your cats. I think I'll grab some of my daughter's stuffed toys & some strips of cloth....
Do you set up and take your own pics of yourself or have help? Your photo chops are clearly top notch, but when I need to take a pic of me, I can't seem to overcome mug shot face? Does that ease come from standing in front of a TV camera? Or do you just let your inner child shine through? Well sure you do - so how?
I set my camera up on a tripod and have a tiny remote control that works it. Then I take approximately 8,457,902 photos in the hopes that one of them turns out O.K. and I don't look like a lunatic. ~ karen!