Brooms

Supplies Needed:
Long branch from your home vacenity (length is your choice) as straight as possible but some twist &
turns will make your broom really pretty!
Sand Paper
very, very thin, long, stiff, twigs (how meny depends on how thick you want your broom)
Wraping material (can be leather strips, hemp, twinning, ect..)enough to wrap around broom several
times
Goop
Clear seal or ployurethane (spray or liquid)
Spray sealer such as Clear Seal or Polyurethane,(optional)
Decorations Can be anything, use your imagination. You can use feathers, roping, stones, whatever you
come up with! (optional)

PROCEDURE:
1) If you have cut you stick from a living tree, be sure to tell the tree why you need it and thank the tree.
Also give an offering, fertilizer is great for this. You will also have to let your stick dry well before you can
continue. If you have found your stick already broken from the tree and on the ground, it is probably
already dried out.
2) Sand the stick really well! this is an absolute must!
3) Spray or paint the clear seal or polyurethane, covering the entire stick well. Let dry 24 hours
4) Gather your thin twigs in your hand, making them nice and neat, try to have them meet together at the
top. when it gets too big for your hand, lay it on your work area, and continue putting them together.
5) Now...slide one end of your stick, into the middle of your bunch of twigs...carefully and then strighten
any that got out of place. Try to keep it straight at the top where the stick goes into the twigs
6) Take the wraping you have chosen, and wrap around the twigs (with the stick in the middle) about 2
inches down from where the two meet. Pull it really tight, and secure by puting the loose end under one
of the pieces wraped around.
7) Squirt some of the Goop down the into the twigs, where the stick goes into them, a little bit at a time
because this stuff can be messy!! You may have to use a popsickle stick or something to help get it down
in there. Let this dry over night (24 hours)
8) Spray the twigs really well with the Clear Seal or polyurethane. Spray the outsides well all the way
around and inside as much as possible from the end of the broom. make sure you get in all the little
nooks and crannies. Let dry over night. (this step is optional. I always do this because it holds it together
well and keeps it from "sheding" little pieces of stuff everywhere)
9) Now you can decorate your broom. Go to a fabric shop and look around. I really like the roping. It
looks like rope, but it's flat on one side for sewing onto material. I like to wrap this over the wraping used
to secure the twigs to the stick. I have also used hair that I have cut from underneith my hair, braided it,
and used it over the wraping. I then sprayed it well with Clear Seal. (I also have made ear rings this way,
beaded at the bottom)
NOTE: I sometimes combine steps # 7 & 8, just depends on how messy it is getting.

Your broom is finished!
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/1889/broom.html

Brightest Blessings
Ocean Harmony 

An Easy Way To Make Your Own Besom
Edain McCoy

Materials:

1- Four foot dowel 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 so much that they lose the suppleness you will 
need to turn them into your besom.
Find a work area where you can lay out the length of your dowel, and begin 
lining the straws along side the dowel.
Starting about three inches from the bottom, lay the straws, moving backward, 
along the length of the dowel.
Begin binding these to the dowel 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 twine ties.
When they are all gently pulled over, tie off the straws again a few inches 
below the original tie.
Leave the besom overnight to allow the straw to dry.

The dowel 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.




Broom Blessing
Submited By: AutumnSpirit


I consecrate this broom
Not only as a tool of my craft,
But as a symbol of my faith.

Sprinkle salt on the broom

I bless this broom with the spirit of Earth,
of rocks and trees,
of comfort and security.

Brush broom with a feather

I bless this broom with the spirit of Air,
of bells and feathers,
of spirit and mind.

Touch candle flame (very quickly *g*) to broom

I bless this broom with the spirit of Fire,
of spice and flame,
of courage and energy.

Sprinkle water on the broom

I bless this broom with the spirit of Water,
of pearls and shells,
of emotion and cleansing.

Blow your breath across the broom

I bless this broom with the spirit of Life,
that together we may honor the Lord and Lady.