Make a Hand Broom
Workshop with Bristol Broomworks
Saturday 9 August 2025
10.30am - 1pm
OR
2pm - 4.30pm
£55.00
Venue: MAKE Southwest, Workshop Space (first floor)
Suitable for: Adults
Level: Beginners
Make your own classic Appalachian style hens wing hand broom with Jamie Dun of Bristol Broomworks!
Choose one of two session time options on the same day. Students will learn the pre-industrial era fundamentals of handcrafted broom making.
We will cover tools, materials and basic broom tying methods as well as a bit of broom history and lore.
Hand brooms are great for smaller spaces - cars, campervans, kitchens, potting sheds and art studios etc. This broom is ideal anywhere one uses a dustan and brush.
Students will take home the brooms they make that day. Each broom is tied with one continuous length of twine whilst seated in a chair and tied off all in one go!
Please note:
Students should be 18+ and should be comfortable using knives, sharp scissors, PVC cutters and lighters.
Students should have excellent use of both hands and feet, core strength and ability to sit for long periods, whilst pulling hard and consistently for extended periods of time!
Tickets:
There are two timeslots available to choose from for this workshop:
10.30am - 1.00pm
2pm - 4.30pm
About Jamie Dun
Hello! I am Jamie Dun, a self-taught broom maker based in Bristol, UK. I work in a barn studio on a flower farm bordering an ancient wood near Pensford in Somerset.
I was born in Montana, where the plains meet the Rocky Mountains and thanks to my Welsh husband, have made the UK my home for many years.
There are artists and musicians on both sides of my family, and my professional creative background was in fashion and visual merchandising and design.
I started making my own brooms in 2023 when I couldn't find high-quality, handmade brooms here in the UK. I started experimenting by making smaller hand brooms in the tiny kitchen of our two bed flat for friends and family, and it has taken off, so to speak!
Each broom is handcrafted one at a time using pre-industrial heritage craft methods (no electricity and no machinery). I am inspired by Appalachian, Shaker, and European styles and incorporate influences including animism, folklore, mythology, gothic, pagan, and traditional themes.
Broom making is a slow and solitary craft - a tactile craft that fosters a connection to the earth, a connection to the past and now, thanks to you, a connection to the future.
On the Day
Tea, coffee, and biscuits are provided for all workshop attendees.
Our Café is now open should you wish to purchase other refreshments throughout the workshop. All participants receive a 10% discount voucher for food and drink purchased on the day.
On arrival please make your way to the side gate of the Riverside Mill, through the courtyard and up the stone stairs on the side of the building. Please let us know if you require the lift.
Please be aware that you cannot use the Co-op car park for all day parking. The Methodist Church car park and Station Road car park usually have plenty of spaces
To view our cancellation policy for workshops please visit: Cancellation Policy — MAKE Southwest.