Spend the day learning to make a functional, hand-tied floor broom from start to finish from Dan Hawkins of Bodge.

In this 6-hour workshop, you’ll shape your own hardwood handle using draw knives and sandpaper, then build and stitch the sweeping head using soaked sorghum and hemp cord. Along the way, we’ll explore the history of broom-making, traditional construction methods, and the practical details that turn simple plant fiber into a tool built to last.

This is slow, satisfying work. Wood grain. Tension. Fiber. Hands learning what they’re capable of.

By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a completed floor broom — sturdy, beautiful, and made by you.

What We’ll Cover

A brief history of broom-making traditions
Selecting and preparing sorghum fiber
Shaping and finishing a hardwood handle
Attaching and stitching the sweeping head
Clamp and sewn construction techniques
Care, use, and variations in broom size and function

Cost

Registration is $125 and includes:

five hours of instruction
all materials
a farm-to-table lunch
a finished piece to take home.

The full value of this experience is around $225 — we’re proud to offer it at a rate that keeps these traditional skills accessible in our community.

No prior experience necessary. Expect to work with hand tools and natural materials.

Space is limited.

Refund Policy: Tickets are refundable up to two weeks prior to the workshop. After that date, tickets are non-refundable due to materials and food preparation.

We acknowledge the land we now call Clatskanie as the traditional territory of the Siletz, Grande Ronde, Clatsop, and Chinook Tribal nations. We also acknowledge the Tribal governments and their roles today in taking care of these lands.

Floor Broom Workshop

A full day of craft, wood, and working fiber