Back in colonial times a common chore for children was to sweep the floors each day.  This was a very important job in the Tavern, with all the guests coming and going, tracking in dirt and leaves every time the Tavern door opened.

To do all that sweeping, families usually made their own brooms.  They used a type of sorghum called broomcorn for the stalks and colorful twine or yarn to hold the bristles together.  Sometimes they even weaved a lovely pattern into the handle of their broom with the top of the broomcorn stalks.

To make a truly decorative, long lasting broom like the one above requires some skill and special equipment, but if you want to make a simple functional broom you can use around your own house or yard, follow these steps:

1. Find some straw
2. Find a strong, somewhat straight tree limb for your handle
3. Clean the straw by bundling it in one hand and slapping it against the palm of your other hand to remove any loose dirt or debris.
4. Divide the straw into bundles about 1-1/2 inches thick.  You will probably need at least 10 bundles.
5. Tie off each bundle with some twine
6. Lay the bundles side by side and tie each of them together with more twine
7. Sharpen the end of your handle stick (you may need some parental help with this)
8. Stick the pointy end of the stick into the center of your mega bundle of straw
9. Secure the handle to your bundle using even more twine
10. You can weave colorful yarn among the bundles and on the neck of the broom (where your twine holds the handle to the straw bundle).
11. For a more finished look, use heavy scissors to cut the bottom ends of the straw