There are two fantastic things about this DIY witch 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 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 broom.
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. 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 twigs and then you assemble it. And that's all this is. A dead branch for the broom handle and a bunch of twigs 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 Halloween Decoration
Materials
1 branch apx. 3' long
twigs. Lots and lots of twigs.
rubber band
twine
1. Strip the bark off of the branch. If it's an old, dead branch the bark will peel off easily. To get the remaining bits off use your favourite knife. You don't HAVE to remove the bark, I just think the branch looks more interesting if you do.
2. Cut 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.
3. Wrap a thick elastic band around 5" up from the bottom of your branch. You're going to insert your twigs under it.
4. 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.
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 grasses.
5. Lay the broom (because you now officially have a broom) on the ground and wind your twine around it. Once around where the elastic band is, and once a little below it. 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.
6. Display.
And don't forget that you can use different materials, it doesn't have to be what I use here.
What to use to make a witches broom.
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 way 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.
An Easy, Creepy, DIY Witches Broom for Halloween.
Easy, free and compostable! The DIY witches broom.
Materials
- 30"-36" branch
- twigs
- rubber band or zip tie
- string/sisal
Instructions
- Strip the bark off of the branch. If it’s an old, dead branch the bark will peel off easily. To get the remaining bits off use your favourite knife. You don’t HAVE to remove the bark, I just think the branch looks more interesting if you do.
- Cut 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. Once around where the elastic band is, and once a little below it. 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.
- Display.
Notes
You can use other materials if you don't have a branch or twigs. Try using vines, wild grasses, wheat and rye.
My name's Karen. I like long walks on the beach, scented candles, wind storms and mummified cats. I also like mummified cats.
And hugs from legless skeletons.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
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!