Do I need prior experience to join?

No prior experience is required; the instructor guides students step-by-step and provides all tools and materials.

What will I take home?

You leave with two completed hand brooms—a hawk-tail and a turkey-wing—and the skills to make more.

How long is the workshop?

The scheduled duration is approximately seven hours; expect a full-day session with breaks.

Are tools and materials included?

Yes. All tools, broomcorn, handles, and twine are provided as part of the workshop.

Is there an age minimum?

Minimum age is not specified in the listing; contact the organizer via the referral link to confirm family or youth participation policies.

How do I book and confirm availability?

Book through the provided referral link to view current dates, availability, and reservation policies.

Make Your Own Shaker Hand Brooms: Hands-On Workshop at Canterbury Shaker Village

Make Your Own Shaker Hand Brooms is a hands-on crafts workshop held in the historic Shaker broom shop at Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire. For seven hours you move from raw broomcorn to finished hawk-tail and turkey-wing brooms under the guidance of Dick Bennett, a museum interpreter and longtime Shaker craft demonstrator who began his work at the village in 2004. The setting is a working historic shop: wooden workbenches scarred by decades of hand tools, racks of broomcorn, and a small display of completed hand brooms that show how simple materials become precise tools.

What makes this workshop special is its focus on a regional craft that merges practicality and refined handwork. Participants learn two traditional Shaker patterns—the compact, fan-shaped hawk-tail and the broader turkey-wing—using the same techniques Shaker households used to keep floors clean and to sell to visitors and neighbors. The primary materials include broomcorn, hemp twine, and wooden handles; the primary features of the scene are the shop’s long bench, the stitching frames, and the row of pegs where brooms dry. The tactile grain of broomcorn and the smooth, worn wood of the benches form a modest but distinct natural and material palette that feels of this place.

The class is welcoming to beginners; guests are provided with all tools and materials and leave with two finished brooms to take home. Bring a notebook, wear comfortable closed-toe shoes, and expect to be on your feet and working with hand tools for most of the day. The instructor’s approach emphasizes repeatable technique, so even a first-timer produces usable, attractive brooms.

Beyond the craft itself, the workshop connects visitors to the Shaker presence at Canterbury: a communal tradition of simple, high-quality objects made to last. Dick Bennett’s work as an interpreter links technique to story, offering context about how broommaking fit into daily life and local economy. For travelers interested in slow, tactile learning away from typical tourist tracks, this class offers a rare opportunity to practice a living tradition and walk out with a handmade object.

Located in Canterbury, New Hampshire (latitude 43.358819, longitude -71.490714), the workshop suits people seeking an indoor, gear-light cultural experience within a rural New England setting. It’s a short, satisfying retreat for makers, gift-seekers, and anyone curious about how modest materials combine with steady hands to produce useful beauty.

The pace encourages conversation—swap stories over a thermos or the satisfaction of a tied stitch—and the finished brooms make meaningful souvenirs or housewarming gifts that will last. Booking through the provided referral link guarantees current scheduling information; classes sometimes fill early on fall weekends. Whether you arrive solo or with a friend, expect a day defined by focus and tangible results.

About Canterbury Shaker Village

Canterbury Shaker Village is a historic Shaker community and living history museum located in Canterbury, New Hampshire. The Village offers guided tours, special exhibitions, community readings, concerts, hands-on workshops, and seasonal events that interpret Shaker life, craft, and communal practices.

Educational programs highlight primary sources and personal narratives, including special tours inspired by Nicolas Briggs’s memoir Forty Years a Shaker and guided walks led by the Village’s education staff such as Director of Education Kyle Sandler. Visitors can attend readings in the 1792 Meeting House, music on the green, antique and vintage car shows set among fall foliage, and exhibition openings that honor the Shakers’ legacy.

Workshops and demonstrations teach traditional Shaker skills; examples include a cherry oval box workshop led by instructor Dick Bennett and farm-to-table dinners paired with historic tours at community gatherings like Simply Shaker. Members and preview events bring curators and historians together to contextualize artifacts, as seen in the Keeping Faith exhibition talks with curators Renée Fox, Kyle Sandler, and Shirley Wajda.

Canterbury Shaker Village maintains credibility through documented artifacts, named curators and educators, and a range of public programs that connect visitors directly to Shaker material culture. The Village’s calendar of events and combination of tours, exhibitions, and hands-on learning provide reliable opportunities for visitors to explore early American religious life and Shaker craftsmanship. Public programs often include live music, community readings, vintage car exhibitions, curator talks, and light refreshments during exhibition openings to deepen visitor engagement with Shaker history and authentic material culture.