Crafts and Brooms

Hi there! Nora Woolf here, the Broom Maker at Woolf Den Homestead. Thanks for your interest in my brooms!

As a craftsperson, I have always been attracted to making functional art. Over the years I have carved wooden spoons, made furniture from scrap wood, hooked rugs, and other various crafts. A few years ago I came across an opportunity to learn how to make traditional Appalachian style hand whisks and thought it would be fun to try to make a few holiday gifts. After making a few, I ordered 50 lbs. of broom corn and launched into learning the craft.

I love that I can use natural materials to create useful everyday objects that are beautiful enough to display on the wall of your home, office, shop, camper, etc. I hope you find as much joy in these brooms as I do.

“What materials are used for your brooms?“

On the homestead we focus a lot on where our “stuff” comes from in an effort to reduce our environmental impact. I have taken this ethos into my broom making as well working hard to ensure that the materials used are reducing the commodity chain impact as much as possible.

• Sorghum vulgare, also known as broom corn, came to North America with Benjamin Franklin and has been a staple crop ever since. It’s primary use and focus is to supply broom makers the fiber needed to make their craft. 
• Polished cotton cordage from Maine Thread Company – allows for a finished look while also keep the hand brooms compostable at the end of their life. Woven whisks and hearth/cobweb/full sweeps are all woven with a waxed nylon cord made by the Main Thread Company.
• Leather strap – all of our leather is scrap from our friend at Rhubarb Leather. The leather is from cows that were raised at local farms including Bread and Butter Farm and Shelburne Farms. It feels important to us to use the whole animal and have their story continue to be told. If you prefer to not have a leather handle, just ask! We are happy to substitute it with another fiber.
• Hardwood handles sourced from our homestead during our firewood processing. Cured in our home and finished using a drawknife, spokeshave, and pollisior to create a finished look.

Where can you find Woolf Den Homestead Brooms?

We love meeting people and hearing their stories, so we have decided to only sell our brooms in person on the homestead or at local shops.

If you are interested in purchasing a broom, please don’t hesitate to reach out to learn about our current inventory. A list with photos of all our broom varieties are below. If you are interested in a special order, please send us an email with some information about what you’re looking for and we can work on a specific design for your broom desires!

We are happy to ship you a broom or two – we’ll just have to discuss shipping costs. 

You can find a select variety of Woolf Den Homestead hand whisks and brooms at the following shops:

• Bread and Butter Farm Market, South Burlington, VT
• Old Brick Store, Charlotte, VT
• Shelburne Farms Market, Shelburne, VT
• Farm Craft VT, Shelburne, VT
• Art on Main, Bristol, VT
• Art Hound Gallery, Essex, VT
• Depot Street Gallery, Ludlow, VT
• Momma’s Grocery + Wine, Cambridge, VT
• Seasonally at:
  •  Yate’s Orchard, Monkton, VT
  • Woods Market, Brandon, VT