Friday, October 31, 2025
10am-1pm

Here’s your chance to make your very own witchy broom on Halloween! The classic witch broom is a besom, an English round broom traditionally tied with birch twigs or heather. In this workshop, we’ll use North American broomcorn instead, which is available in a wide variety of colors, and tie onto distinctive twisty sticks. Besides being an awesome costume element or porch decor, besoms make great sweepers for porch, deck, garden path, or garage.

This style provides a great introduction to tying full-sized brooms. If you are interested in making a traditional (stitched flat) kitchen broom, this is where to start. Tying a broom is a stress-reducing, full-body practice — and a great workout. You’ll use both feet to hold tension and both hands to manipulate the cord and wrap the broom tightly. Tying onto a stick requires a certain amount of strength and dexterity; it is more physically challenging than tying a whisk broom. You’ll feel this in your arms and shoulders when you pull the cord tight, and then tighter! Broom tying is best attempted with bare or stockinged feet, so please be prepared to take your shoes off during class.

Level – Beginner: No experience needed.

Your instructor is Robert Sheckler of Redmond Philbert Handwork, an enthusiastic learner, teacher, and crafter living and working in the Portland area. Beyond the visceral joy of broom-making, Robert is interested in elevating natural materials over synthetic alternatives and loves to incorporate color into his work, making an everyday object and an everyday activity feel special, vibrant, and even fun.