Brooms and Whisks

Since I was a young woman, I have always created art from things found in nature, and natural fibres, like broomcorn, grasses, leaves, vines and branches, they were my canvas. I began making brooms casually about 19/20 years ago but took a break about 8 years ago to focus on building up my tea business. 

I had in my basement about 20 lbs of broomcorn, sticks and some other dried flora that was just sitting there taking up space. So, in the autumn of 2020 I came across an incredibly talented broomsquire (broom maker) on Instagram. In January 2021 during a lockdown period due to the Covid pandemic, I took an online course from that maker, Alyssa Blackwell of hearthcraftbrooms.com to relearn how to craft Turkey Wing and Hawks Tail hand whisks. Well, that was it. Thanks to her, I found my passion for broom-crafting again.

I feel that there is a natural connection between tea and brooms as they both are crafted from plant material. But it’s not just that fact. Tea and brooms have another similarity, tea like brooms has been used for centuries for cleaning! I also feel that there is a mystical connection as well: 

Drinking tea can be a spiritual process, it aids in staying alert during meditation, the making of tea also can be a meditative process and the beauty of watching the agony of the leaves (tea leaves as they unfurl) can be magical as well. You can make your tea with a specific purpose or intent, perhaps to soothe a sad heart, or to invigorate ones brain for inspiration. Tea can also help our bodies be ‘cleaner’ due to its natural antioxidant qualities. Tea has long been used in household cleaning as well, to polish wood, to clean glass and mirrors, to deodorize, many other uses as well, it’s a long list!

Brooms and whisks, while traditionally a cleaning tool, they also can be used spiritually. A whisk, for example can be used to waft smoke from a fumitory bundle around a room. Sweeping with a broom can be very meditative has many connections to spirituality. Brooms have been used to sweep energy around and out of sacred spaces. There are many superstitions (which essentially are ways of foretelling the future and/or folk magic) attached to brooms as well. One of my favourite superstitions is one about moving into a new home; if moving to a new home, leave the old broom behind or better, break it or burn it. Make sure to have a new broom for your new home. The old broom carries all the ‘dirt’ or bad luck, from the old home. So, start fresh with a new one so you get off to the best start!’

I create functional yet attractive brooms and whisks for my business. I also do custom orders. Feel free to send me an email if you would like to have something made. I use simple tools, no machines, aside of a hand drill, are used in the crafting of my brooms and whisks, so they take time. I use natural and dyed broomcorn (all small batch dyed by me) and I also enjoy adding embellishments to my creations, such as crystals, beads, herbs and flowers to enhance the beauty and the energy of the piece.
For information on custom broom orders, email me!