Join us for an all day Broom Making Workshop at Pratt House—Bring home your very own functional folk art!
Join artisan broom-maker Brenda Vynalek for a hands-on workshop teaching and exploring the heritage craft of hand-tied brooms. You will begin by making a small dusting broom made with Tampico fibers and traditional Appalachian wrapping techniques. We will then move onto designing and making a hand-broom using broomcorn and twine exploring additional wrapping techniques. After a lunch break (food included) we will learn about full size besoms and sweepers. You will be able to finish your broom as a Shaker sweeper or round besom. Some may even try their hand at weaving the top! All supplies, wrappings, decorations, charms and more are included. Hear some broom lore and history along the way.
Workshop Details:
Date: Sunday, November 1 from 9:00-3:00ish
Location: Pratt House, 19 West Ave. Essex, CT
If weather prohibits us being outside, the event will move to Hills Academy: 22 Prospect Street in Essex.
What you make: 3 brooms of progressing sizes
What’s included: Lunch (please email us if major dietary restrictions) and all of the supplies and equipment needed to make and decorate your three brooms.
Cost: $165 per person
Beginners are welcomed in this class, and due to all the options available to explore it is also great for intermediate makers as well. Average hand and arm strength is needed for this long day of broom making.
Your registration supports Essex Historical Society’s mission to share our town’s history through educational programs and community events. No prior experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to work with your hands.
Brenda Vynalek is a local Connecticut artisan, instructor, and the creative force behind Brenda Vynalek of Blue Hills and Missing Manes. Dedicated to preserving traditional American handcrafts, Brenda specializes in hand-bound broomcorn brooms—from practical whisk brooms to full sweepers—as well as custom horse hair keepsakes, twined basketry, and weavings. Her engaging, hands-on workshops guide students step-by-step through traditional material processing, tension wrapping, and weaving techniques to create beautiful, functional folk art.