“If I can’t sell, I ain’t going,” he said. Most of these 'decorative' brooms are very small in my opinion. But he does impose limits on where he will showcase his skills. “It’s no fun if you don’t get to talk to people,” he said. He doesn’t sell in stores, but he loves to go to the craft shows and festivals, where he sells and demonstrates broom making. Hrupsa has made several hundred brooms over the years, knocking out about three a night during the winter. The decorative brooms can go for $10 to $14, whereas the household variety are $8 or $10, depending on size.

He sells his creations, from decorative fireplace brooms to the sweep-the-porch kind, at craft fairs and shows throughout the state and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Hrupsa said he expects his son, Frank, to carry on the craft when he dies. Yocada Push Broom Brush Stiff Bristles Broom Head Telescopic Heavy-Duty Outdoor Commercial for Cleaning Bathroom Kitchen Patio Garage Deck Concrete Wood Stone Tile Floor 3.8 out of 5 stars 2,893 18.99 18. He took over the craft when his brother, Charlie, died.Ĭharlie Hrupsa had taken over from their father, Bartos. Hrupsa, who still gets a kick out of operating the big combines on his 500-acre grain farm run by his sons, has been making brooms on a steady basis for 10 years. After all, that’s only a dollar a year,” Massey said. She hasn’t bought any brooms from Hrupsa, but now she knows where to get one when she needs it. Mini Straw Broom, Straw Braided Small Broom Little Broom, Natural Whisk Sweeping Hand Handle Broom, Soft Handmade Broom, Household Hand Brooms Cleaning Supplies for Dustpan Indoor-Outdoor 3. “My mom’s didn’t last as long because she didn’t have a lot of carpet,” Massey said. Besides, her mother always used handmade brooms. She said they clean better because they are thicker. Basic Craft Supplies Step 1 to your creative projects, gifts, and decorations is right here. Add to Favorites Rustic Vintage Witches’ Broom Decor // Hanging Contorted Willow Broom. Halloween Charms, Witch Charms, Straw Broom Charms, Craft and Jewelry Supplies, Findings (7.5k) 4.00. She has had a handmade broom for 20 years and won’t use anything else. Check out our craft straw brooms selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our buckets, mops & brooms. “They last a long while if you take care of them,” Hrupsa said.Īnna Massey, 62, will testify to that. The broom should not be allowed to rest on its bristles on the floor because it bends them, decreasing their ability to clean. Upside down? According to broom aficionados, that’s the only way to store them if they are going to last. He lines up the finished products, upside down, along a counter. Hrupsa might paint or varnish the handle and then etch his name into the wood.

Michaels craft straw broom