Sweeps. Takes.
Create your own artisan broom and bring it home
By Chelsea Yarnell
For the TODAY
A witch’s preferred mode of transportation, or something used for cleaning. The broom is rooted in our daily rituals as well as mythical tales.
Despite being an arguably mundane tool, Alyssa Blackwell of Hearth Craft Brooms has turned broom-making into an art form.
“I feel like broom-making and sweeping are so cross-cultural,” she said. “It's just a very human object in a very human era.”
Learn from the expert and take home your own set of brooms at Blackwell’s two day workshop, this Saturday and Sunday July 27 and 28, hosted by Mud & Craft at the North Coast Recreation District in Nehalem. The weekend workshop series consists of three classes for three different broom styles: whisks, or hand-held brooms; standard size porch and hearth brooms and “cobwebbers,” an extra long handled broom.
Blackwell herself learned her craft at a workshop back in 2018. After mastering some basic skills, she began selling finished products, custom broom-making kits and hosting in-person workshops. Her work has amassed more than 100,000 followers on social media.
“The people that follow me are a range,” she said. “There are people who are more spiritual, who keep an altar and they like having brooms for spiritual purposes or witchy things. There's also a lot of people who are into homesteading, natural fibers, sustainability and zero-waste lifestyle. And then there are people who follow me who are just interested in collecting art or who just have an appreciation for handmade things.”
During her in-person workshops, Blackwell guides attendees through the intricate process of weaving for broom-making.
“We go over tools and materials and then participants can break off and choose their broomcorn colors, twine colors and handles,” she said. “After I've done my demo, I go around and am hands-on and offer help. Afterwards, it's usually a group effort to clean up because everybody has a new broom to sweep with, so that's fun.”
Blackwood primarily uses broomcorn, commonly known as sorghum, for the broom’s bristles and “found” branches for the handles.
“I use wood that has been collected from forestry restoration and cleanup crews in my wider area in Oregon,” she said. “Everything is then kiln dried and cured.”
Mud & Craft is the host of the Nehalem workshops.
“I've always wanted to do one of Alyssa's workshops, so bringing her to the coast felt like a good fit,” owner Tara Spires-Bell said. “I know locals and tourists would love to participate as well. These brooms are special because they weave together magic, practicality and creativity. In Alyssa's meticulously crafted brooms, I see not just functional tools, but vessels of heart and self-expression. Each broom tells a story, woven with threads of sustainability, craftsmanship and a touch of Earth magic. There’s nothing quite like creating beautiful, functional tools with your own hands.”
Be aware these workshops require a certain amount of physical strength and ability, and will be utilizing sharp tools such as knives, scissors and needles as well as lighters. All materials and tools are provided in the cost of the class. At the conclusion, crafters will take home their handmade broom to use for cleaning…or out for a moonlit flight.
“I think that these types of handmade items have a way of reminding people to slow down and appreciate the sort of humanness of taking care of your environment,” Blackwell said. “It's so much nicer when the tool that you're using is something that you feel really connected to or that you really enjoy using. It's comfortable; it's almost like a friend you know.”
The workshops can be taken as a complete set or individually with the cost ranging from $90 to $130 each. The North Coast Recreation District Community Center is located at 36155 9th Street in Nehalem. For more information and registration, go to hearthcraftbrooms.com/workshops.
Workshop schedule:
July 27 – Noon to 2:30 pm - Whisks
July 27 – 3 to 6 pm - Porch and Hearth Brooms
July 28 – 2 to 5 pm - Cobwebbers