The Broommaker
Hi! I’m Alyssa, the owner and maker of Hearth Craft Brooms. I began making brooms in 2018, in order to find the space where magic and practicality begin to weave together, at a time when learning to create joy and peace in the mundane became crucial to my daily survival. With two wild and crazy boys at home, three dogs, and one cat, ritual sweeping became an integral aspect of our home life.
Making sacred and beautifully functional tools for the home has brought me so much purpose and led me to know and work with numerous other artists and craftspeople, collaborating to combine our skills and art forms into unique, magical pieces. Every broom I create is intended to inspire the user to reconsider what a broom can be in the home, and to experience beauty and joy in one of life’s most humble chores.
When I’m not in the Broom Shop (aka the garage) I’m probably playing taxi for my kids, cleaning house, walking in the woods with my dogs, or napping. I really like naps.
The Brooms
Making each broom individually in my home allows me to create truly unique pieces through innovation and experimentation. Many of my original designs are inspired by nature, architecture, and play. This experimental approach has introduced new methods, techniques, and forms to the broom-making industry, integrally influencing and changing the landscape of Broom Craft. Whether created solely for utility, ritual, or simply decor, each broom begins with the same core principles at heart: sustainability, craftsmanship, discovery, and a little bit of Earth Magic.
Brooms have been considered magical tools for ages by nearly all spiritual practices. Full-size besoms are often used to clear entire rooms of stale or negative energies, while smaller whisks can be kept at one’s altar or meditation table for fanning cleansing smoke, clearing small circles, ushering spirits through portals, connecting with ancestors, and simply for sweeping up the dried herbs and ashes often used in ritual and prayer.
The Name
Hearth Craft Brooms is the manifestation of my home philosophy; that the home is sacred, and so is sweeping it. I chose the name to honor the ancient Celtic Goddess Brighid, the Goddess of the Hearth. Traditionally the hearth is the kitchen or fireplace, but symbolically is simply the center or heart of the home. Because the brooms are made in my home to bring magic and intention to yours, the name not only seemed fitting, but meant to be.
As a former professional Graphic Designer and Photographer, I create my own branding, marketing materials, and images. I love to collaborate with other artists, and I believe working with other artists on my brand adds a level of richness I can’t achieve on my own. In special cases I’ll hire other small businesses for things like the occasional photoshoot as well as the broom illustrations you’ll see in my packaging. Those illustrations were made by Caitlyn Holowaty-Barone, and you can find her on instagram @caitlynbaronearts.