WORKSHOP - 21 SEPT 25 - MAKE YOUR OWN BROOMS - A DAY OF TRADITIONAL BROOM AND BRUSH MAKING AT ARNOS VALE CEMETERY

Gather together this autumn in one of Bristol’s most enchanting green spaces. We will sit together in this peaceful place and create a set of our own brooms and brushes to take home at the end of this full-day workshop!

Where: Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Bristol
Date: Saturday 21 September 2025
Time: 10:30-16:30
Skill Level: Beginners
Age: 18+ (or 16+ with a responsible adult)
Cost: £175
Materials and tools included

Join us at Bristol’s beautiful and historic Arnos Vale Cemetery for a full day of broom craft. In the morning session, we will learn about the tools and materials historically used, where to find, prepare and care for the fibre, and learn the fundamentals of hand-tied broom making. We will make at least one handbroom, one full-length wooden handled broom, and several kitchen brushes, including a whisk to be stitched.

After a lunch break (please bring your own or visit the cafe onsite), we will learn two types of stitching and we will make a traditional Appalachian-style cobwebber broom on a slender wooden handle (from the cemetery woodland itself), weaving our first caps and stitching in the round to finish. 

For the cobwebber broom, students will select their handles and we will discuss treatments and foraging tips. This broom is a fab example of a classic European round broom but with a lightweight head, a longer handle and the ends left untrimmed. Cobwebbers are slightly wild-looking, but hard-working brooms that will stretch into those tough-to-reach places under large appliances and then snag the cobwebs from the far corners of high ceilings and stairwells. Plus, they look just stunning hanging over a hearth or interior doorway. 

Perfect for an autumnal harvest display and spooky celebrations!

Please note: broom making is a surprisingly physical craft and each broom is mainly constructed in one sitting, with one continuous length of twine. Students should be prepared to work with shoes off (socks are fine) and seated in a chair for quite some time - an hour or more at a time. Please wear clothing that can get wet. Broom craft requires strength and good dexterity in both hands and feet. Be prepared to engage your core for extended periods. Broom making can be a real workout! Age restricted to 18+ (knives, razor blades, and lighters in use) and 16+ with an adult.

Please contact Jamie Dun by email at hello@bristolbroomworks.com with any queries.