How to make a your own Quidditch broom out of yard waste.
A while back a storm blew through and left behind a plethora of fallen branches and twigs. As I set about to tidy up the yard, I noticed some particularly fine specimens, and since I hate to see good twigs go to waste, I decided to make something out of them: A Quidditch broom.
I started with a straight-ish 5′ long branch, roughly the circumference of a broom handle. Now, you might think a broom-head made of straw would be the way to go, but I’ve noticed that straw brooms handle a little sluggishly. (Think lumbering SUV.) Instead, I opted to make my broom-head out of smaller twigs as they provide for more responsive handling. (Think Japanese import with a tight suspension.)
I trimmed the twigs to about 16″, grouped them in bunches of 3 and then wired them together.
Next, I reinforced the bundles with some hot glue.
Then I grouped the smaller bundles around my ‘broom handle’ and wrapped them tightly with twine. I knotted the twine and shot some hot glue down the top for additional support.
Okay, so it’s not exactly a Nimbus 2009, but it should get me to my next coven meeting and back, no problem.
Glenn–Oh, twigs! I’ve actually been known to ‘borrow’ them from other people’s yards.
I saw your article on diymaven.com and I think you did a nice job making the “Quiddicth” broom. It would be a nice project for kids too while clenaing up the yard.
I know what you are saying when you don’t want to waste a good twig. My husband and I used to heat our house with 2 woodstoves, as we had no central heat for 20 years and I was always on the lookout for good twigs that fell in the yeard, BOTH winter and summer.
They made nice kindling wood, and were a blessing.
Keep up the good work.