Before you spend a fortune on a handmade besom, check out this tutorial on how to DIY one for practically nothing.
You know those gorgeous, handmade round brooms you see at summer pagan festivals and on Etsy?
Maybe you’ve imagined leaning one against your kitchen wall, or on the porch during Samhain to give your home that authentic, witchy vibe.
But alas! The high quality ones cost anywhere from $30-$50. That’s a lot to spend on a broom, you think.
Good news. They’re super easy to make! I’ll show you how to select materials, make it from scratch and then customize it for your specifications. Let’s get started.
Contents
The Lore of the Besom
A number of theories have made their way around the circle about how witchcraft became associated with brooms.
The prevailing one remains that the image of a witch flying on a broomstick originates in the use by early pagans of psychoactive drugs.
Although the evidence to support this is frankly pretty thin, it makes a good campfire story.
You might be asking, what exactly do psychoactive drugs have to do with flying around on a broomstick?
I’m a little squeamish about detailing the specifics in this blog, but if you’re super curious, here’s a pretty detailed explanation.
Nowadays, besoms are mostly used for ritual cleansing and, in some traditions, handfasting ceremonies.
Gathering Materials for Your Besom
(Please note that this portion may contain affiliate links for your convenience. You can read all about this practice on Moody Moon’s disclosure page. Spoiler alert: It’s pretty boring).
To find materials for this project, start in your backyard!
First, find a stick. This will be the handle for your besom.
I just used a random one I found, but if you want to get super intentional, you can choose a stick from a tree with significance in witchcraft (an apple tree, a willow, whatever).
Either way, find one that’s sturdy about the diameter you want.
Obviously, the size of the stick will determine the size of your broom. Remember, you can make this broom any size you want, from a 6-inch besom for your travel altar to a full size broom of several feel for ritual.
Then, decide what you’ll use for the sweep.
I chose pine needles because I wanted my broom fairly small for a travel altar.
But you can use grass, straw or anything material that is thin and pliable.
You’ll also need some natural twine.
Finally, it’s not 100% necessary, but it’s super helpful to have some hot glue and a hot glue gun.
And that’s it! We’ll talk about decorating it further down, but for the basic broom, this really is all you need.
To sum it up, you need:
-a stick
-pine needles, grass, straw or other thin, pliable material
-hot glue gun/hot glue
Yup. That’s it.
Step 1
Gather your pine needles (or whatever) around the base of your stick.
Allow at least a few inches of the stick to go down into the needles, and make sure they cover it completely.
Step 2
Lay the broom on the twine and tie a tight knot.
Do not cut the twine yet! It should look like this:
Step 3
On the back of the broom, press a stripe of hot glue. This will help to secure the twine.
Carefully wind the twine around the broom, pulling it tight as you go.
When you’re finished, it should look something like this.
For larger brooms, tie off the end of the twine with a tight knot.
But for smaller brooms, the glue is generally enough to secure the twine.
Trimming Your Broom.
Clip the ends of the twine.
You can trim the sweep of the broom with scissors if you want.
Personally, I like to leave it pretty uneven, as I think it looks more rustic that way. But you know, trim it to your preference.
Decorating Your Besom.
You can decorate your broom with almost anything. Here are some ideas:
-dried flowers
-gemstones
-ribbons
-old costume jewelry
Anointing and Charging Your Broom.
I like to anoint my brooms with essential oils. A few drops of cinnamon oil or frankincense fills the air when you bring it out.
Consider charming your broom by leaving it in the full moon light overnight.
Or, store it with a sachet of herbs and let it soak in the energy of whatever blend you choose.
English 
Spanish
Sounds fab, can’t wait to have a go.
Making a besom for my wife and me. We have a Rowan tree (Ash) a nd a stick from it. I’m using dried fronds from our many spider plants. Plenty of fronds to trim after few months. The significance here is like our wedding rings. A time ago stepping over the broom was a wedding ceremony. A long lasting remembrance of our previous 3 lives when we were unintentionally separated as children by over-religious relatives. It will sit nicely beside our fireplace with the tongs and poker. Note to besom and broom owners. If you sit it on the floor, place it so the brush is up and the bare end of the handle is down resting on the floor. Resting it on the brush will slowly bend the brush sideways, making it a bent broom (a useless besom). Hanging it by a hook or laying it flat is OK.
This sounds lovely!