My Other Post is a Broomstick… {quick +simple nature craft}{26}
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If you’ve been looking around in the same places that I’ve been looking, you have probably seen my friend Karah’s beautiful pumpkin made from palm fronds (of all things!). Karah blogs at The Space Between, and is lucky enough to live in the Carribean and while it must be pretty fantastic to get to skip winter. . .forever, endless summer must cause one to stretch the bounds of creativity when it comes to “holiday” decor. Karah does an amazing job of using what she finds in nature (and the nature there must be quite different from the nature here). That palm frond pumpkin was just gorgeous. It was . . . inspiring!
So I’ve had this idea for this project in mind for a long time. I’m not sure how many years ago it was that my kids first got obsessed with Harry Potter but that was when I first had the idea to make this broom stick. It was not so much of a Halloween thing as, you know, a literary allusion. Seeing Karah’s pumpkin finally got me to put the materials together and make the idea into a reality! It turned out to be even easier than I thought it would be and once I give you the materials list – I’m sure you won’t even need me to tell you how to put them together. But I’ll tell you anyway.
I used:
one stick about 36″ long. I used a vintage yardstick – but you could use a broom handle OR and actual stick from the yard
the dried stalks of this summer’s tiger lilly flowers – about 2 dozen – or another similar dried plant
some cotton string – i used cotton yarn – but you could use an old shoelace or a piece of ribbon (this part won’t be visible)
scissors, t-pins, and a piece of wide ribbon (i used the burlap webbing you see above)
Here is the photo that I showed in my last post – you can see the broomstick where I’ve displayed it in a Fall vignette.
So, this project is dead simple. IF you have a tiger lilly bed that has finished up for the year, the dried stems are perfect. I have this huge bed of them out front. If you can’t get your hands on any of those – you can definitely use another dried plant material. Just take a walk and see what you find. You’ll want them to be about 2 feet long.
To make the broom handle, I used a vintage yardstick. I was actually on my way out the yard to find a regular stick when it caught my eye. This one happens to be shaped like a rod or a pointer and it works perfectly. You could also use an actual broomstick (if you have one sitting around).
The actual “how to” is very easy. I simply gathered the stems in one hand and cut them evenly with the scissors. Next, I just put them around the stick and tied them with the cotton yarn.
I think it would actually look pretty cool if it were just wrapped with this green and white cotton yarn but I have this burlap webbing that I bought a few months ago and I’m using it for everything these days! I’m in love!
I just cut a piece long enough to go around and secured it with t-pins. Really? I think hot glue would be the way to go – but I don’t know where my glue gun is right now. I know, I know. . . bad crafter! Disorganized crafter! Sue me!
Do you need to see t-pins?
Do you need to see another pretty picture? Yes!
I hope this will do for those of you that asked for the tutorial. If I have left anything out – please feel free to ask me any questions you might need answered. And if you should decide to give it a go – I would LOVE to see your results!
Linking this post to:
WAIT! before you go, leave a comment here and let me know you stopped by!
talk to you soon
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 07:41:24
Oh, that is sweet…
Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:38:38
Thanks!
Oct 22, 2012 @ 08:49:25
I LOVE it!!! So perfect. Thank you so much for the shout out. We should start a nature crafting club.
Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:38:22
Ha! I just sent you an email letting you know I mentioned you – and you have already seen it! Thanks for the inspiration!
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:49:19
Loved the broomstick! Adorable idea! I’ll have to wait until next year….before we throw all the Tiger Lilly stalks away!
Cute idea!
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:25:20
Hi Martha!
Yeah, well, I’m the kind of girl who cleans up my lilly bed in the Spring. . . just in case I have an emergency need for Tiger Lilly Stalks. . . (or maybe I’m just lazy!).
Actually, it’s one of the very first things i do in the spring – I love going out there and raking out that bed. It’s right along the road – and as soon as the snow bank is gone for good I get out there and clean it up!
Thanks for stopping in!
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:40:24
LOL! I’ve never left them through the winter…we always run over them with the lawn mower, or cut them down to ground level and cover them with pine straw. They always come back just fine! Hmm..you have me thinking!
Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:52:11
That is so cute!! I love it!! ~ Lori
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:26:44
Hi Lori!
Thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment! It was so easy to make and it came out even better than I thought it would.
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:13:56
I love how it turned out, and would have never of thought of doing it like this! Thanks for sharing and I’ll be sharing over on my FB this afternoon
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:27:41
Hi Beckie-
I’m glad you like it and thanks so much in advance for the shout out! Have a fantastic day!
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:35:02
That is really cute! I wait until Spring to clean my lily beds, too.
Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:41:27
Yay! I’m not the only lazy one!!
Hi, Sandra!
No, it’s really not lazy. Even if you took down all the flower stalks in the Fall – you would still have to rake out the bed in the Spring to get out the leaves, right?
Glad you liked the project – thanks for stopping by!
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 12:10:09
Love the broom Breida and the tutorial is great!
Oct 22, 2012 @ 12:16:18
Thanks, Jilly Jill!
(do you hate it when i call you that??) i could stop. . .
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 19:45:47
What a great idea. Love your blog, always look forward to reading it. Lea
Oct 22, 2012 @ 20:36:13
Oh, Lea – that makes me so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for reading. And thank you for taking the time to let me know you were here today! I hope you’ll keep coming back!
breida
Oct 22, 2012 @ 22:45:40
What a great use of old daylily stems!!! Mine are usually all pulled out by now….saving the idea for next year!
Oct 23, 2012 @ 00:41:54
Hi Diane – okay go ahed and rub it in how you are sooooo much more on top of things than I am! Go right ahead!
But which one of us is able to make this cool broomstick?? Tell me that!!
breida
Oct 23, 2012 @ 14:46:02
Haha!! If you had your daylilies lining up across the front of your house, yours would be gone by now too!!
We all have those little things that drive us crazy….I can’t wait to pull/cut those stems out after the flowers are spent. We won’t talk about the other things that I can turn a blind eye to. (Is that even a saying? I’m horrible when it comes to phrases…teehee.)
Oct 23, 2012 @ 06:53:05
Very cute idea! Mind if i pilfer it for a craft project at our Halloween party?
Oct 23, 2012 @ 11:57:25
Please! Pilfer away! And it’s not pilfering – I’m hoping you’ll be able to use these ideas – that’s the whole point!! I’d love to see pictures, too!!
Oct 23, 2012 @ 11:59:43
oh, Pauline – by the way – I just noticed that you were talking about the broom stick (i thought you were talking about today’s post – which is crafts for kids to do at a party). The broom stick is pretty delicate. . . It COULD be made stronger – but my directions will only get you a DECORATIVE broomstick. Not a FUNCTIONAL broomstick. . .
happy crafting -
Oct 25, 2012 @ 20:14:26
So pretty, Breida!! Love the broomstick and all the pretty paper bunting.
Thanks so much for linking up last Friday. Hope to see you back tomorrow to link up and see if you were featured or even won the free ad space!
http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/the-humble-brag-link-party-4/
Oct 25, 2012 @ 20:22:40
I’ll be there!
Top 10 Posts of 2012 {the year in review}
Dec 30, 2012 @ 10:35:25
[...] #6 MY OTHER POST IS A BROOMSTICK {a quick and simple nature craft} [...]