Broom making is a traditional craft practiced by only a handful of people in South Carolina. Peter Werner learned to make brooms at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, North Carolina, where the traditional arts of Appalachia are preserved and passed on to a new generation of folk artists. Peter combines broom making with his passion for rivers, where he collects sticks and driftwood to use as broom handles. Of his work, Peter says, "I think the uniqueness of each of the wooden-handled brooms that I make makes a statement of where I've been in my life."
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Cutting the Broom. The final step in creating a broom is to straighten out the sweeping end with a pair of scissors, a step Peter calls "giving the broom a haircut."
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Starting. In the first step of the broom making process, Peter prepares the base of the wood handle for weaving. The first layer of broomcorn is attached by wrapping the material with strong cord.
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Adding Layers. The broom form begins to take shape after applying "hips" of broomcorn to the base of the handle. Hips add surface area to the sweeping end of the broom, while adding a foundation for...
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The unique geology of the "Fall Line " forms rocky, whitewater rapids typical of the Blue Ridge on the Saluda River near Columbia, South Carolina. Much of the land along this section of river is...
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Securing Weaving. In this step, Peter secures the finished weaving with a simple knot. The rough, unwoven parts of the broom straw base are cut off using a bread knife.
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Flattening. Brooms come in round and flat shapes. For our camera, Peter chose to create a flat , sweeping end that is more typical of a modern broom. Peter flattens the broom by jumping on it. A vice...
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Weaving. After Peter has securely attached the broom straw to the handle, he begins to weave the base of the straw into a uniform shape and pattern around the handle.
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One theory suggests that the traditional American broom has its origins in Benjamin Franklin's beaver skin hat. In the late 1700s, Franklin received a whiskbroom from France, purchased by a friend who...
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A Natural State: Piedmont, Peter Werner, Sewing
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Peter is a physical education professor at the University of South Carolina, where he teaches canoeing and kayaking as a healthy pursuit and a fun way to enjoy nature. In this video, we take a trip to...