Those gorgeous besoms you see in the occult shop are beautiful and easy to make.
And while we always encourage you to support local artisans, these brooms can be super expensive ($150!! or more).
So, if you have the time and inclination, but not the cash, this floral besom tutorial is for you.
What is a besom?
A besom is a round brush typically used for ritual in modern witchcraft. It’s usually made from twigs & bound together with a natural rope.
Modern practitioners most often use it to “sweep” the ritual space and cleanse it of negative energy.
But it also makes a lovely entryway decoration! You can swap out the flowers for seasonal items (like fall leaves, robin’s eggs for spring, & wildflowers for the Summer Solstice, ect) to honor the natural changes of the landscape. Or, you can decorate with a particular intention (rosemary for protection of the home, lavender for domestic peace, and so on).
This ritual tool is most often associated with the Element of Water because of its cleansing properties.
Choosing a broom handle
While any stick roughly an inch thick will do, I love taking special care to select a stick for my broom handle that is unique and beautiful.
Twisty sticks and vines make especially beautiful broom handles and give your project character/uniqueness.
We have wisteria vines all over the backyard. So, I selected a somewhat straight section of dead vine and I think it looks just gorgeous on a broom!
A WORD OF CAUTION: Remember, a besom is literally a bundle of kindling. Exercise extreme caution when near open flames, as is common in the ritual space. Keep it away from anything that might ignite it, because boy oh boy will it go up.
Materials
You can get really intentional with the materials you use. For example, you can select branches from a tree associated with your local folklore, or pick a tree that has special meaning to you (like from your childhood backyard, or a sacred place in the forest).
Wherever you gather your materials, select them respectfully and with intention.
-large stick (at least 1 inch in thickness)
-lots of smaller sticks (thin and flexible are best)
-rope or sturdy ribbon (I like nautical rope, twine or jute rope)
-hot glue
-optional: Decorative items like flowers, charms, moss, ect
–optional: essential oils
Step 1
Arrange the smaller sticks around your larger stick in a way that is pleasing to you. Make sure at least 10 inches of the large stick is below the bundle of smaller sticks to ensure they are firmly secured. Here is a photo of how I did this one:
Step 2
Using twine, jute rope, nautical rope, or another sturdy rope of your choice, tie a firm knot around your bundle of sticks to secure it to the broom handle.
Leave a little room (about a finger’s width) so that you can add flowers and decorations if you plan to do that. Otherwise, tie that knot super tight, especially if the branches are not dried out, because they will shrink!
Step 3
Wind the rope around the broom, securing it with hot glue as you go.
Step 4
Now comes the fun part! Add embellishments. You can tuck flowers in the rope (fresh or fake), add moss to the handle, herbs, ect.
I like to add an old charm or piece of jewelry to finish it off.
Step 5
Pro tip: Add a couple of drops of essential oil. This is my favorite secret and when I give a broom away to a friend, everyone always remarks on how good it smells! You can periodically add a few drops here and there.
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