Broom Materials
These (mostly) natural materials make beautiful and durable brooms.

• Broomcorn
  This natural fiber is a type of sorghum grass with a feathery top (related to millet) originally cultivated as animal feed in the Mediterranean but put to early use there as an efficient broom bristle. Broomcorn was brought to the Americas in the 1700s and has become the primary natural broom fiber. The tufted tops are reminiscent of corn tassels, hence the name.

• Craft Broomcorn
  This is the same sorghum plant, however the broomcorn is left attached to the stalk, and the feathery ends are not trimmed. This type of broomcorn is most commonly used for Cobwebbers.

• Hurl
  The trimmed broomcorn, after it is cut off of the stalks, that makes up the body and bristle of the broom. 

• Wood Handle
  Our handles are made from Pacific Northwest hardwood that is kiln-dried to prevent mold and ensure they are free of pests.

• Twine
  We use nylon twine to ensure durability.

Traditional Broom Names
These are names of traditional styles of brooms, widely referred to, recognized, and taught by Broom-Makers.

• Sweeper / Witches’ Cottage Sweeper
  A full size broom with a wooden handle and sculpturally built shoulders made out of soaked broomcorn. To finish, more broomcorn is layered over the structure and stitched together to flatten the bristle. The flat stitching style was an innovation by the Shakers in 1798. This is generally the most widely recognized contemporary style of house broom.

• Besom
  A full size broom with the broomcorn stitched into a round shape around a wooden handle. It may also have a cap made of woven broomcorn stalks. This is considered to be the oldest form of broom, dating back thousands of years. It originated as a bundle of sticks tied to a handle. The modern version is much more refined and durable. This is also the style of broom most often associated with witches and magic.

• Porch Broom
  A more compact version of the Besom with a shorter wooden handle.

• Hearth Broom
  A shorter handled broom with the broomcorn tension bound to the wooden handle in a circular pattern and then stitched flat. This broom is sometimes constructed with shoulders, and is then referred to as a Mini-Sweeper.

• Cobwebber
  A long slender broom featuring untrimmed natural craft broomcorn with the stalks still attached to the hurl, and woven into a cap on to the wooden handle. Originally from Appalachia and made for cleaning the high ceilings and eaves of mountain cabins.

• Kid's Flyer
  This broom is built for speed, long enough to ride on, but smaller than a full sized broom. The narrow shape is tension wound in a round shape onto a wooden handle, giving it a sleek look that is ready to jump into the sky.

• Whisk
  A small handbroom with several shape option depending on the tension winding, braiding, and stitching. The handles on whisks are usually made of the same broomcorn that creates the bristle, bound into cylinder.

• Round Whisk
  This basic whisk design is made with a round bundle of broomcorn bound at the top with twine, and sometimes finished with a woven stalk handle.

• Simple Whisk
  Turkey Wing - This whisk is tension wound while adding one section of broomcorn at a time on the same side, creating an asymmetrical shape with the twine winding up one side of the broom in to the handle.
  Hawk Tail - Similar to the Turkey Wing, but sections are added to each side as you wind the tension up the center of the broom, creating a symmetrical finish.

• Woven Whisk
  This is a standard Simple Whisk that is finished by weaving stalks around the handle to create a detailed finished grip.

• Stitched Whisk
  This broom starts as a Round Whisk and is then stitched flat and trimmed, giving it its classic triangular shape. The handle of this broom can be solid twine wrapped, or given a woven stalk grip.

• Mirrored Whisk
  This hand broom is made in a similar way to the Turkey Wing Whisk, but two brooms are joined together at the handle to create a mirrored symmetrical silhouette.

• Rooster Tail Whisk
  This whisk is created one section at a time, much like the Turkey Wing. However, for each section of bristle you point down, you also weave a section up to become the handle, creating a braided effect. 

Original Broom Designs
Each of these brooms was invented by me, or provides a new twist on a classic style.

• Hourglass Besom
  This Besom is constructed with shoulders to create a curvy corseted silhouette. 

• Curvy Besom
  Similar to the original Besom, but the broomcorn is twisted into a round and bulbous shape giving it an extra voluptuous and twisty shape. 

• Raven's Tail Whisk
  This is a diamond pointed whisk that has sections of broomcorn woven up the center creating a braided effect that begins in the bristle and climbs up the handle.

• Crow's Tail Whisk
  This broom is similar to the Ravens Tail with the braided portion starting in the center of the bristle and moving up the handle, however the bristle is trimmed into a softer round shape.

• Ornate Braided Rooster Tail
  Made in the same fashion as the original Rooster Tail Whisk, but with the braiding continuing up the handle, and extra woven and sculptural elements created out of the broomcorn on the shaft of the handle.

• Cathedral Whisk
  This is a stitched whisk with an overlay of intricately woven broomcorn decorating the top part of the whisk, and allowing lacy glimpses of the under layer of bristle. The weave is reminiscent of the peaked domes and stained glass windows of old cathedrals. 

• Gemini Whisk
  This is another style of mirrored whisk made from two Rooster Tails joined at the handle with the braiding bordering the outer edges of the broom, reaching from the tips all the way up to the handle.

Tools
These are essential tools used in handmade broom-making.

• Stitching Needle
  An extra strong stainless steel needle, approximately six inches long, to be able to push through the bristle. I commonly use upholstery needles, but there are few styles with different tips.

• Stitching Clamp
  Two trimmed strips of wood held together at each end with a long bolt and wing-nut to make it adjustable. The body of the broom is clamped between the two pieces of wood in order to hold it flat for stitching and trimming.

• Broad Knife
  Flat, wide blade with a rounded tip, a leather hilt, and a wooden handle. This knife is used for trimming and shaping the broomcorn.

• Floral Stem Chopper
  A sturdy, table-mounted cutter with a long, weighted arm and sharp blade, built to slice cleanly through dense materials. I use it to trim broom bristle ends, creating a clean, even finish.

Jargon
A few other terms you might find throughout the descriptions.

• Solid Wrap
  This is a type of tension winding a broom without leaving space between rotations, creating a solid, sleek handle and a color blocked look.

• Cathedral Weaving
  A technique I invented that involves weaving an outer layer of broomcorn into an intricate cathedral pattern over the body of the broom.

• Broom-broidery
  My original technique of stitching the broom bristle with twine to form decorative, pictorial patterns.

We sell our brooms almost entirely through our website. Usually, our restock/collection drop dates are posted a week or two in advance here on our website, on instagram, and in the newsletter.

Once you know the restock date, keep an eye on your email and Instagram for previews of what will be available. See something you love? Set an alarm for 10 minutes before the scheduled drop time; this will give you time to transition from what you’re probably in the middle of, to opening the website and navigating to the shop page. At the scheduled time, refresh the page. You may need to refresh a few times for all the items to populate.

To make this process even easier and faster, create an account to save your purchase and order info, and log in to your account before the restock time. Doing this will allow you to express checkout with your saved payment preferences.

Checking out is always faster with Apple/Google Wallet, Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, or Paypal.

As items sometimes sell out very quickly, it is recommended to purchase each item individually - lest you get cart-napped!

To ensure your brooms stay looking fresh even after years of sweeping, practice intentional broom-care.

• Protecting Your Broom from damage and early signs of wear
  - Handmade brooms should always be hung up, never propped on the bristle. If you can’t hang it up, propping on the handle with the bristle pointed up (or laying flat if its a whisk) is best. This helps to keep the bristle from bending and becoming distorted.
  - Prolonged direct or bright indirect sunlight will cause broomcorn to become overly-dry, brittle, and faded. When choosing a spot to hang your broom in your home, try to think out of the broom closet - your broom is art that serves a function; you want to choose a spot where you can easily access it, and easily admire it, while protecting from prolonged bright sunlight.
  - As you sweep, try to remember to flip the broom over and sweep with the other side of the bristle every now and then. This helps to keep the broom flexible and to wear the bristle evenly over time.

• Cleaning Your Bristle
  You’ll find that natural-bristle brooms don’t hold onto nearly as much gunk as a plastic grocery-store broom, and is much easier to keep clean-looking. After all, if you’re going to hang it up in your living room, you probably don’t want it to be full of yuck.
  - To keep your bristle looking clean, you can use any sort of wide-tooth comb to rake through the bristle if needed.
  - You can also “floof” the bristle against a step or rail outside to loosen and release the debris. Don’t worry, broomcorn is very durable!
  - Should your bristle become dirt-stained, a swish and brief soak in hot soapy water and thorough rinse is just fine. Just make sure the bristle is able to fully dry out relatively quickly; leaving a bristle damp will cause the broomcorn to mold.
  - To disinfect, a spritz of vinegar-water or vodka or witch hazel is effective to kill germs and stem the growth of mold and mildew.
  witchy tip: infuse your spray with intentional herbs to suit your purpose (protection, cleansing, opening, etc) to make a ritual bristle spray. I love to use these on my altar whisks and on my daily sweepers.

• Maintaining Your Broom to prolong its years
  - A monthly bristle spray or brief soak does wonders for keeping the bristle clean and flexible, preventing the broomcorn from becoming brittle and breaking off.
  - Don’t allow your broom to remain damp for longer than necessary - broomcorn is a natural fiber and mildew grows quickly.
  
  

Our brooms are primarily made from Broomcorn, a type of Sorghum. Broomcorn is incredibly effective, durable, and attractive; with proper care, your broom should last years or even decades.

We dye broomcorn here in the shop, and we also purchase dyed broomcorn from other broommakers.

For handles, we use only kiln-dried sticks from forestry restoration, clean-up, and trail maintenance efforts in the Pacific Northwest. That means we use a variety of both Native and Invasive species, with little to no negative environmental impact.

DOMESTIC SHIPPING

Broom orders are shipped within 2-3 weeks of purchase via USPS unless otherwise arranged.
Kits for Live workshops are shipped the week prior to the workshop date. Example: If you place your order in November for a workshop that takes place in March, your kit will not ship until March, etc.
Kits for Recorded Workshops are usually shipped within two weeks. (Unless ordered with a live workshop, then both ship the week before the live workshop.)
We package orders on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Packages are dropped at the post office on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Orders placed after 4pm pst on Wednesday will not ship out until the following week.
Please contact me if you need any special accommodations. An additional fee may be added for expedited orders.
After your item ships, you will receive a confirmation and tracking number. All packages are insured.

CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Purchase 4-6 weeks prior to the class date to ensure your kit arrives in time.
Please check with your local postal organization to determine if the package size will get through.
Know your Time Zone and consider the workshop’s time of day. All workshops are scheduled on Pacific Time. Click Here to Convert Time Zones
Please check your country’s Customs and Imports Regulations to ensure that materials such as processed natural fibers and cured hardwoods are accepted.
For questions or concerns, contact me.
Any duties/customs/VAT fees are the customer’s responsibility
Please provide a phone number in the notes at checkout .Most international carriers require a recipient phone number before I can ship the package.

Items are not eligible for return after delivery unless discussed and agreed upon between the customer and myself. Reasons for possible return of items include damage upon arrival, poor quality of construction, or if the customer received an incorrect item. We do our best to provide detailed photos and descriptions of each item, and small imperfections are a natural part of handmade items.

Should your item come apart within a year of purchase, I am happy to remake that item for you at no expense. Should your item come apart after a year, I am happy to discuss repair possibilities. For questions about returns, please email alyssa@hearthcraftbrooms.com

If you are returning an item valued over $75, please consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We can’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

New orders are eligible for refund and cancellation within 24 hours of purchase. After 24 hours, if you wish to cancel your order and receive a refund, a 20% restocking fee will be deducted from the total refund amount. Orders are not eligible for refund after shipping, see above return policies.