🧹 The Broom Room Got Quiet…✨

I had an epiphany the other morning

One I probably should have had twenty years ago, but apparently it was delayed in transit and didn’t arrive until I was fifty-two, mildly aggravated and standing in the Broom Room:

I don’t have to care quite so much about what everybody thinks

What absolute freedom

I’ve spent enough of my life worrying about whether people approve of my choices, my art, my presentation, my methods or the way I tell my own story

And for what?

Somebody will always have an opinion.

Something will be too traditional for one person and not traditional enough for another

⭐ Too strange
⭐ Too polished
⭐ Not polished enough
⭐ Too witchy
⭐ Not witchy enough

Good Lord 🙄 It’s a broom, not a congressional hearing

At some point, you have to shrug and say:

Ehhhh…..fuck it

We’re creating

I recently cleared a whole lot of broom-world noise from my feeds

Almost immediately, I felt like I could breathe again

The Broom Room got quieter

And suddenly, I could hear myself

I could hear the ideas that had been trying to get my attention while I was busy consulting an imaginary approval committee that neither pays my invoices nor sweeps my floors

Turns out, they didn’t need to approve anything

This isn’t about shutting people out or deciding that I have nothing left to learn. I love meeting other artists! I love hearing how people found their craft, watching their hands work and learning the history carried inside the things they make

There is room for all of us

As artist Georgia O’Keeffe said:

“To create one’s own world takes courage”

My work can be rooted in old ways and still carry my fingerprints 🫆I can respect the hands that came before mine without pretending my own hands have nothing new to say

At fifty-two, I think I’m finally entering the chapter where I stop asking for quite so much permission

Maybe an idea will work

Maybe it won’t

Maybe somebody will think it’s odd

That’s okay

Odd has always been rather comfortable around here, I’M odd! lololol

For now, I’m back to creating….and it feels damn good

Custom brooms are flying home📫

New ideas are multiplying💡

There are new brooms, classes, pages, stories and a few wonderfully strange creations beginning to take shape around here!!!

The Broom Room door is wide open, and I’m making space for curiosity, play and whatever peculiar little thing decides to wander in next

And lately?

There may be a few apples around here developing some rather suspicious personalities

Add an amazing silversmith, some old folk stories and my newly rediscovered willingness to follow a wild idea…and something deliciously strange, slightly crazy and absolutely wonderful is beginning to stir

That is all you’re getting out of me

For now 🤓🍎✨

🥈🧹 A Fair Ribbon, a Better Book & Something Stirring in the Workshop 📖✨

Apparently, I can pack quite a lot into eight days 🤓

Since my last blog update there has been a county fair ribbon, a new broom-weaving guide, custom brooms taking shape, a much better printing of The Broommaker’s Grimoire and something rather curious beginning behind the scenes

She Took Second Place! 🥈🧹

Let’s begin with the biggest news…

My broom took second place at the Franklin County Fair!

The fair rules required every part of the entry to be my own work, so I kept her free of purchased charms and embellishments. Every bit of broomcorn was hand-dyed by me, and the broom was constructed and woven entirely in my workshop.

There is something incredibly special about seeing a traditional handmade broom displayed among the other county fair entries…and even more special about bringing home a ribbon for her

I am so proud of this broom and everything she represents: old skills kept alive, hours spent at the foot brake and a craft that continues to teach me something every single time I pick up a bundle of broomcorn

Second place feels pretty wonderful 💜

The Broommaker’s Grimoire Has a New Home 📖

My coloring book, The Broommaker’s Grimoire: 30 Enchanted Brooms to Color, is now available directly through IngramSpark

After seeing the Spark-printed edition in person, the difference was clear…the printing is sharper and the overall quality is simply better. Because I want you to receive the loveliest version of the book, the direct IngramSpark edition will now be the one I promote most often.

It is also available for $19.99, which is two dollars less than the Amazon edition

Inside are 30 detailed coloring pages created from real brooms that were handmade in my Blue Ridge Mountain workshop. Some of those brooms have already flown off to their permanent homes, so the book has become a wonderfully unexpected way of keeping a little record of them.

You can order the better-quality Spark edition directly here:

https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=GyrzdBOK4KnAeYajZJWj9bZPQGAObqjJDeIvdGsy9N3

Amazon will remain available for anyone who prefers shopping there, but the Spark edition is officially my favorite 💜

A Little Help for Beginning Broommakers

I have also created a new printable resource for anyone beginning to explore broom weaving:

The Broom Cap Spell + 10 Simple Patterns

This 3-page, printable guide includes an easy way to understand how reed count affects a pattern, along with ten simple twills to try. It was made to be something you can keep nearby while you work…quick, uncomplicated and easy to reference without digging through pages of instructions!

The instant digital download is available for $9

Teaching broommaking has become such a meaningful extension of the work I already do. I remember how confusing twill patterns appeared in the beginning, and I wanted to create the kind of reference I would have loved having beside my own foot brake!!!!!

Custom Brooms Are Taking Shape

The workshop is also busy with some very special commissions

Thankfully I have a fresh collection of wonderfully crooked hardwoods and fractal-burned handles to choose from, and I cannot wait to see who o

I sometimes love customs…especially the ones with a story already waiting for the broom before I ever make the first stitch

Something Curious Is Gathering…🤫

There is one more thing happening in the workshop, but I’m keeping this one tucked beneath my witch’s hat for a little while longer

I’ve been exploring an old Appalachian folk craft that feels wonderfully at home beside my brooms. It has history, peculiar little faces and considerably more personality than I expected

I’m not quite ready to introduce everyone yet, but let’s simply say…

A curious little gathering is underway 🍎

More soon

September in the Workshop

The next few weeks will be full of custom orders, new brooms and preparations for fall events…

Autumn is always a magical time in the broom shop, but this year feels especially full! There are familiar broommaking traditions continuing, new ways to help beginning makers and a few unexpected characters quietly taking shape behind the scenes

Thank you for continuing to follow along, cheer for my brooms and celebrate these strange, wonderful workshop adventures with me

Apparently, the broomstick still has plenty of places left to fly 💜🧹

New Brooms, a New Book & a Little More Magic in the Workshop 🧹✨📔

There has been a whole lot brewing at Brooke & The Broomstick lately!!!!!

New brooms are taking shape, my apothecary shelves are growing, I’m preparing a special entry for the Franklin County Fair…and somehow, right in the middle of all of it, I became a published author!!! 🤯🧹

The Broommaker’s Grimoire: 30 Enchanted Brooms to Color came to life while I was thinking about fun ways to chronicle the brooms I’ve made after they’ve flown to their homes

That is one of the bittersweet parts of being a broommaker. I spend hours with each broom…gathering her materials, choosing colors, weaving every strand of reed, and adding the charms, bells, flowers, and little treasures that complete her. Then, when she is finished, she flies away to begin a new story with someone else✨

That is exactly what she was made to do, but I still want to remember her

The coloring book became a way for me to keep a little piece of each broom while sharing her with others in an entirely new way. Every illustration is based on a real broom handmade in my shop in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. These are not imaginary broom designs. They are brooms I have built with my own hands using broomcorn, handwoven reed, foraged woodland handles, charms, bells, and gathered treasures.

Now, even after a broom finds her new home, she can live on in these pages…ready for someone else to color, create, and make her their own

The book includes 30 of my original broom designs, from rustic hearth brooms and hand whisks to ornate, witchy, and celestial creations. It is part coloring book, part record of my journey as a broommaker, and hopefully the beginning of many more volumes as new brooms continue flying out into the world

And there will certainly be more brooms to chronicle because the workshop has not slowed down!!!!

Fresh broomcorn, colorful reed, woodland handles, charms, bells, and flowers are already spread across my tables as the next group begins to take shape. New hearth brooms, hand whisks, and a few extra-special pieces will be coming to the shop soon. Each one is still made entirely by hand, one at a time….just me, my foot brake, my hands, and whatever bit of magic the next broom decides she needs

One of those extra-special pieces is being created for the Franklin County Fair!

This broom will not be listed in the shop. I’m making her to showcase my broommaking, weaving, and all the tiny details I’ve learned to bring together over the years. Entering one of my brooms in my own county fair feels incredibly meaningful. My work is rooted here in the Blue Ridge Mountains…in the woodlands that provide so many of my handles and gathered materials, and in the community that has supported this wonderfully strange broommaking adventure!!!

The broom shop is not the only thing growing, either!!!

Herbs and botanicals have always been part of my world. I use them in teas, herbal preparations, mushroom work, simmer pots, broom adornments, and all sorts of little creations around my home and workshop. That love has slowly grown into Brooke’s Apothecary, where I can share some of my favorite herbs along with their practical uses, traditional medicinal uses, and magical folklore.

I recently became a Starwest Botanicals affiliate, which gives me a way to link directly to many of the herbs, teas, spices, essential oils, and botanical goodies I already enjoy using and recommending. If you purchase through one of my Starwest links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you….a lovely little way to support my workshop while adding something special to your own apothecary 💜🌿🫚

When I step back and look at everything happening, it all connects

The brooms lead me into the woods to gather handles and treasures. The woods feed my love of herbs and botanicals. The finished brooms fly to their new homes and become part of the story behind the coloring book. Every new creation gives me another reason to keep learning, experimenting, and dreaming up what comes next!

A new book 📔 New brooms 🧹A growing apothecary 🌿🫚 A county fair entry 🏅

It is all part of the same wonderfully crooked path…and I’m having one hell of a time following wherever it leads 💜🧹

✌️

A Little Apothecary News 💜🌿

I’ve got a little something fun to share from Brooke’s Apothecary…

Brooke & The Broomstick is officially an affiliate with Starwest Botanicals 🌿✨

If you’ve been around here for a bit, you already know that plants, herbs, mushrooms, old remedies, and all things apothecary have always been a big part of my world right alongside broommaking

Starwest carries herbs, spices, teas, extracts, essential oils, and all sorts of beautiful botanical goodies…including many of the herbs I use in the little sachets and botanical touches that sometimes accompany my brooms

I’m also planning to start experimenting more with natural dyes, using plants and botanicals to see what kinds of beautiful colors I can coax into broomcorn. So this partnership feels especially fun as Brooke & The Broomstick keeps growing in that direction!!!

For me, this isn’t some random affiliate link dropped onto the website. It genuinely overlaps with the things I already make, use, love, and want to explore more of!

What does that mean?

Mostly, it means that when I share something I genuinely use, love, or think is worth checking out, I may now be able to link directly to it through Starwest Botanicals

If you purchase through one of those links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you💜

No random pushing of products. No turning the Broom Room into a shopping channel. 😂

Just another little branch growing off this strange and wonderful tree

If you’d like to wander through their herbs and botanicals, you can visit Starwest Botanicals through my affiliate link here:

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=87941&awinaffid=3037825

Thanks, as always, for supporting this little handmade corner of the Blue Ridge

— Brooke 🧹🌿💜

🧹💜 Back From Alaska, Back to Brooming…and Something New Is Coming!! ✨

Well…apparently I blinked and two weeks disappeared 😂

The last couple of weeks have been a little bit of everything…Alaska, family time, a brand new granddaughter, coming home to a pile of broom ideas, packing orders, new releases, mushroom wandering, and somehow deciding I should also start building something completely new

Because apparently I don’t know how to sit still 🤓

I spent the end of July and beginning of August in Alaska soaking up time with my kids and my new granddaughter!! It was one of those trips where life felt very full, very fast, and very precious all at once

Then I came home and jumped right back into the broom room

I packed orders, finished up new pieces, photographed the latest batch, and released a fresh group of brooms to the website on August 8th. There were fractal handles, rich colors, new twill work, and a few pieces that stretched me creatively in the best way

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized something:

🧵 I Really, Really Love Teaching the Weaving Part!!!

I’ve talked about broommaking plenty, but the part I find myself completely obsessed with is the plaiting, weaving, and twill work around the broom cap

And lately, I’ve received so many messages asking HOW I do it

How do you get the pattern to travel?
Why does one weave spiral and another stack?
How many reeds do you use?
How in the world do you keep track of where you are? 😂

That’s really what pushed me to finally start building something I’ve been thinking about for a while:

VIRTUAL BROOM PLAITING CLASSES! 🧹✨

And we’re starting simple

I promise, it is not nearly as bad as you might think 😂

There is a little math involved, yes…but we are going to break it down in plain English and take it one piece at a time. For a girl who struggled with math throughout school, if I can figure this out, you can absolutely knock it out too!

The first classes will focus on the basics…understanding your reeds, preparing them, how odd and even reed counts change your pattern, and how to create a simple traveling twill without making your brain hurt

Basically, I want to teach it the way I wish someone had explained it to me:

plain English, lots of close up demonstrations, and absolutely no pretending that weaving math isn’t confusing at first!!! 😂

I’ve already started planning the lessons, printables, filming setup, and patterns, and I’m genuinely excited to see where this goes!!

No giant launch announcement yet

No date yet

Just a little heads-up that something new is growing behind the scenes 👀🧹

💜 And Yes…I’m Still Making Brooms!!

Very much so

I have customs in the works, fall events coming up, new ideas scattered all over my cutting board, and approximately 47 different things I want to try at once

So basically…business as usual 😂

Thank you for continuing to follow along, cheer me on, buy my work, ask questions, and occasionally encourage whatever strange broom-related rabbit hole I’ve wandered into that week

There’s a lot coming this fall!!!!

And I have a feeling this next chapter of Brooke & The Broomstick might be a really fun one!!!!💜🧹✨

🌞 Chasing the Sunshine

The sun finally came back out today, and I didn't realize how much I'd missed it

The workshop door is open

There's broomcorn drying

Custom orders are finding their way to the finish line 💫

A few new brooms are quietly being tucked away for upcoming autumn events

And somewhere in the middle of it all...I caught myself smiling

I think sometimes we don't realize how much noise we've been carrying until we finally set it down

Lately, I've been spending less time scrolling and more time making

More time outside

More time listening to the wind move through the trees 🍃

More time with broomcorn in my hands

It turns out that's exactly where I needed to be

Something else has surprised me, too

When I started this website, I never imagined I'd become someone who blogs

Honestly, I wasn't even sure what I'd write about

But it's become one of my favorite parts of this journey

These little entries have become snapshots in time. A way to slow down, look around, and remember what this season of life felt like. They've helped me sort through my thoughts, celebrate the good days, learn from the hard ones, and understand myself a little better along the way

It's funny how writing things down has a way of showing you where you've been...and sometimes where you're headed

Standing outside this afternoon, I took one of those deep breaths that fills every corner of your lungs. The kind that smells like warm woods and sunshine after a stretch of cloudy days

For the first time in a while, it felt like the wind was blowing in my direction again

Not because everything suddenly changed...

But because I remembered to look up

There are still brooms to weave

Stories to tell

New ideas waiting to be tried

Autumn festivals on the horizon

And so many good people I've yet to meet

Maybe that's what hope feels like

Not fireworks

Just a quiet confidence that you're exactly where you're supposed to be

✨There's an old mountain saying that a good breeze doesn't just cool the air…it carries away what no longer serves you and brings the promise of what's next ✨

Whether that's folklore or simply a reminder to trust the seasons, I like the thought of it

So today, I'm choosing to believe the breeze knows where it's going

I'll keep weaving

I'll keep writing

I'll keep noticing

And I'll keep being grateful that I get to spend my days making beautiful things with my own two hands

Here's to sunshine, fresh air, hopeful hearts, and the next chapter...whatever it may bring

🧹🌞💜

~ Brooke

🌾⚡🧹 When Creating Becomes Competing

Lately, I've found myself thinking less about craftsmanship and more about the strange little world that exists around it

If you've spent any time on social media, you've probably seen it too

"I was the original"

"Someone copied me"

"They stole my idea"

"Here's why my work is different"

Over and over and OVER again

The longer I create, the more I realize something...

The algorithm loves a good argument 💯

It loves outrage

It loves people picking sides

But I don't think that's what most of us started making things for

I certainly did not

I've also started noticing something else

Marketing has its buzzwords, and social media has developed a few of its own:

✨ Engagement bait -Content designed to provoke comments and reactions because engagement boosts reach

✨ Rage bait -Saying something likely to spark anger because arguments spread faster than agreement

✨ Outrage marketing - Turning controversy into a strategy

✨ Manufactured drama -Keeping conflict alive because conflict attracts attention

Whether it's intentional or simply the way some creators have learned to navigate social media, one thing is hard to ignore:

The algorithm often rewards controversy more than craftsmanship 💯

And that's a little heartbreaking

Because I didn't start making brooms to win arguments

I started making them because I fell in love with the rhythm of it ✨ The smell of broomcorn ✨ The quiet moments in my workshop ✨ The excitement of watching colors ery few truly new ideas in this world

Artists inspire artcome together in ways I hadn't imagined ✨ The history tucked into an old Appalachian craft that has been passed from one pair of hands to the next for generations

None of that has anything to do with proving I'm the loudest voice in the room

There are vists

Craftspeople learn from teachers

Traditions evolve

Every generation adds a stitch, a color, a tool, a different perspective

That's how folk art has survived for centuries!!!

One thing that genuinely made me smile recently was purchasing fractal-burned broom handles

They're beautiful, fascinating, and every single one turns out a little differently

Did I invent fractal burning?

Of course not

I'm not an electrician

I didn't build the equipment

I found talented artisans whose work I genuinely admire, purchased their handles, and incorporated them into my own handmade brooms…with their knowledge and support!

To me, that's exactly how craftsmanship has always worked

Woodworkers buy forged tools from blacksmiths

Potters collaborate with painters

Basket makers learn from weavers

Artists build on the work of other artists while adding their own voice

I'm proud to support other makers, just as I'm grateful for the people who have shared knowledge, encouragement, and inspiration with me along the way

What is original is the heart you bring to your work

No one else has lived your life

No one else has your stories

Your memories

Your mistakes

Your joys

Your reasons for creating

That's the part no one can copy

I've found myself stepping back from the noise lately

Unfollowing accounts that leave me feeling more anxious than inspired / stir up more drama than anything

Choosing to spend more time outside

Dyeing broomcorn

Listening to birds in the morning

Planning new ideas

Writing

Learning

Simply making

Because every minute I spend worrying about what someone else is doing is a minute I'm not creating something that only I can make

I don't want my little corner of the internet to become a courtroom

I want it to be a workshop

A place where people can slow down

Where craftsmanship matters more than controversy

Where curiosity is welcomed

Where it's okay to admire someone else's work without feeling threatened by it

Where giving credit is seen as a strength, not a weakness

Where collaboration is celebrated

Where beautiful work speaks louder than manufactured drama

At the end of the day, I'd rather be remembered for the things I made than the arguments I won

So I'll keep weaving

I'll keep experimenting

I'll keep collaborating

I'll keep supporting fellow makers

And I'll keep finding inspiration in old mountains, quiet mornings, wildflowers, folklore, and the people who invite one of my brooms into their homes

The algorithm can have the outrage

I'll take the workshop

The rest?

It can sweep itself away

🧹💜

✌️ Brooke

🌾🧹 Summer Work & Strawberry Moons 🍓

It's been over a week since I've written here

Truth is...I just haven't felt it

Lately I've caught myself looking sideways more than forward 💜 so much comparing / competing instead of creating 💜It's easy to lose sight of your own path when there's so much noise, so I've been trying to step back and find that little flicker again

Summer has been busy in the best ways!!! I've been dyeing broomcorn and reed, gathering handles, and working on new pieces, including a Strawberry Moon hearth broom that reminded me why I fell in love with this craft in the first place 🍓

For now, I'm keeping my hands busy with dye pots and twine, my head in the clouds, and my heart on the hopeful shelf 💫🧙‍♀️🌞🌻

Here's to finding the flicker again 💜🧹The Strawberry Moon gets its name from the short strawberry harvest season 🍓It's never really been about the color of the moon…It's a reminder to slow down, notice what's ripe, and appreciate the season you're in before it slips away. PERFECT for the season I’m in!

If you'll be around Rocky Mount, Virginia for Music Fest his September, come say hello! I'll be there with a booth full of brooms, and I'd love to meet you!!!

I'm always hoping to make more connections close to home

🧭💜 When the Wind Changes Direction 💜🧭

The last few days have been a little quieter in the broom room 🧹✨

Not quieter in my mind, mind you 😏 Just quieter with words

I've been thinking a lot about direction lately. About how easy it is to spend years waiting for someone else to be excited about the things that light your soul on fire ✨Waiting for approval ✨Waiting for understanding ✨Waiting for someone to see what you see

The truth is, some people never will

And maybe that's okay💜

One of the gifts that comes with getting older is realizing that not everyone is meant to walk the same path you do.

Some people love wide safe highways. I seem to prefer winding mountain roads with no map, no plan and questionable cell service⛰️📵

The older I get, the more I find myself pulled toward things that feel real

A morning walk ☀️

A good conversation ☕

A dragonfly hovering over the grass 🪽

The smell of fresh broomcorn🌾

A project that keeps me awake because I'm excited about what it might become✨

Those things matter

This week I finished a broom with shades of navy, green, purple, and natural broomcorn. As I worked, it reminded me of the dragonflies that dart through the fields here during summer 🪽💜🌿

If you've ever watched one closely, they never seem concerned with where everyone else is going. They simply move where the wind and their wings carry them

There's probably a lesson in that

Dragonflies have long been symbols of transformation, adaptability, and seeing beyond illusion 💫 They remind us that life changes, we change. Sometimes the hardest part isn't the change itself. It's finally accepting what we've known all along ✨🪽

So that's where I've been these last few days

Working🧹

Thinking 🌙

Creating 🎨

Trying to spend less time asking for permission to take up space in my own life 💜

Every season leaves its fingerprints on the things we make 🍂🌱❄️☀️

Maybe that's why handmade objects speak to us the way they do. They're never just materials woven together, they’re pieces of a moment in someone's life

Right now, my moment looks a lot like sunsets watching fireflies, morning coffee, long conversations with myself, and learning to trust my own compass again 🧭⛰️🪽

And that feels like a pretty good place to start

Thank you for being here, for following along…and for finding beauty in this old craft right alongside me

It means more than you know 💜🧹✨

Until next time, keep an eye out for the dragonflies and fireflies!!! They always seem to know where they're going, even when the rest of us are still figuring it out 🪽💫🌙

🌹Roses, Turkey Wings, and the Art of Taking Your Time

I've been sitting on the bronze rose accents on this broom for quite a while

Every now and then I'd come across them while digging through supplies and think, "not yet"

Today, while getting ready to make this Turkey Wing broom, they finally found their place 🌹

That's one of the things I love most about making things by hand. Not everything arrives on a schedule, sometimes materials sit quietly on my shelf for months or even years, waiting for the right project to come along

The roses reminded me of something I've noticed over and over again with this craft

The best things tend to take their time 🕰️

Maybe people do too

For a long time, I thought growth was supposed to look like a straight path. Pick a direction, keep moving, arrive where you're supposed to be.

Life hasn't worked that way for me, at all

Sometimes we spend years, even decades, surrounded by people and places that don't water our souls ✨ The weeds grow thick ✨ So thick, in fact, that after a while you forget what was planted there in the first place ✨

It took me nearly forty years to step back, look around, and begin hacking my way out

Slowly

One branch at a time

One choice at a time

One season at a time

Maybe that's another reason I love making things by hand

The roses waited

The brooms waited

And in some ways, so did I

Not everything blooms on our schedule 🪻 Some things take exactly as long as they need to take

And sometimes all we have to do is be patient enough to let it happen 🌹

Blessed Be

Brooke

Old Treasures, New Friends & A Rooster in Progress 🐓💫🌱

This weekend was one of full of those moments that reminded me how connected creativity can be 💫

What started as a visit with a new friend turned into inspiration for half a dozen projects

I spent part of the afternoon with Cherri, a local artist whose silver jewelry absolutely stopped me in my tracks. The kind of work that makes you lean in closer, wondering how someone can create something so intricate with their own two hands. Every piece a tiny work of art 🖼️

As if that wasn't enough inspiration, her husband works with wood and introduced me to several handles created using electricity! The lightning-like patterns running through the wood are called Lichtenberg figures, and they are every bit as fascinating as they sound ⚡Nature and science teaming up to create something beautiful! I came home with a few of those handles and already have ideas swirling about what they might become

Being in Cherri’s shop made me take a good look at my own broom room

So I spent the rest of the afternoon doing something I've been putting off for far too long...organizing 🧼

Bundles of broomcorn found homes

Twine found shelves

Projects stopped hiding in boxes

And somewhere in the middle of all that sorting, I rediscovered a small stash of Tears of Job 🌱💫

I grew these years ago and tucked them away, fully intending to use them in a future project

If you're not familiar with Tears of Job, they've been used for centuries as beads, prayer strands, and protective charms. Folklore says they carry blessings, protection, perseverance, and strength through difficult seasons. Looking at them again today felt a little like finding a message from an earlier version of myself 🧙‍♀️

Maybe that's why I love handmade things so much

They hold stories 💫✨

Sometimes stories from generations ago 💫

Sometimes stories from years ago ✨

And sometimes stories from a Saturday afternoon spent sorting shelves

I also came across another little treasure while organizing…my very first Rooster Tail!!!

Looking at it now makes me smile

I can see every lesson I hadn't learned yet ✨ Every technique that still needed practice ✨Every improvement that would come later

But I can also see where this journey began!!! Every rooster I've made since traces its roots back to this first one 💫🧙‍♀️

Which feels especially fitting because, as promised, I'm putting the finishing touches on a brand-new Rooster Tail that will soon be flying off to celebrate reaching 500 followers here on the new Facebook page🥂

When I started making brooms, I never imagined so many people would follow along for the adventure 💜

Thank you for cheering me on, encouraging new ideas, and supporting this little broom room in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rooster to finish 🐓💜🧹

Until next time,

Blessed Be

Brooke 🧙‍♀️

Listening to the Wind 🧹✨

As I write this, I'm sitting on my back porch in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains

The evening is starting to get cool, the trees are moving just enough to whisper, the night birds are singing and I'm doing what I often do when I'm trying to figure out what's next…looking for signs and listening to what the wind has to say 💫

Beside me is this newly finished rooster tail 🐓

One of those brooms that seemed to know what it wanted to become from the very beginning

The colors came together beautifully, the weave settled into place, and somewhere along the way it became a reminder of something I've been thinking about a lot lately:

Growth ✨

Not just growing a business ✨

Growing as a maker ✨

Growing as a person 💯

Growing into ideas that have been quietly waiting in the corners of my imagination 💫

When I first started making brooms, I couldn't have imagined where this path would lead. What began as curiosity turned into a craft, then a business, and eventually a community filled with some of the most creative, generous, and fascinating people I've ever met

Some have become customers 🫶

Some have become friends 💜

Some have become fellow makers whose work inspires me to keep learning 🤩

And every one of them has added something meaningful to this journey 💫

Lately I've found myself thinking less about "releases" and more about creating in the moment

Instead of waiting until I have a collection ready, I think I'm going to try something a little different

✨ I'm going to list brooms as I make them

✨ One at a time

✨ As they arrive

✨ As they tell me they're ready

There will still be special moments, of course!!

In fact, I’m planning to create ONE broom each month that is absolutely dedicated to the moon herself…a broom that reflects the season, the energy of that particular moon, and whatever inspiration happens to arrive on the wind💫

Everything else?

We'll see where the path leads 🚪

And that's the part that excites me 🧙‍♀️

Because there are new ideas taking shape in the broom room

New projects

New materials

New names

New possibilities

Some of them are still too small and fragile to talk about just yet, but I can feel them beginning to take root 🌱

It's the same feeling I get when I find the perfect handle hidden among the trees

You don't know exactly what it will become

You just know it's the beginning of something

And maybe that's where I am right now

At the beginning of something

A new chapter

A new direction

A few risks…absolutely

A lot of excitement….please

And a deep sense of gratitude for everyone who has come along for the ride….indubitably

For now, I'll keep listening to the wind 💫

I'll keep gathering sticks

I'll keep tying broomcorn

And I'll keep following the ideas that refuse to leave me alone

I can't wait to see where they lead 💜🧹🧙‍♀️

Sunday in the Blue Ridge: Brooms, Fairy Stones & New Beginnings 💜✨

This weekend felt like a deep breath ✨

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who welcomed one of my brooms into their home during this latest offering! Every time a broom finds its keeper, I'm reminded that something made with my own two hands will become part of someone else's story 💫 That never stops feeling special!

Over the next few days, I'll be carefully wrapping and packing each broom before sending them off to their new homes. There's always a little bittersweet feeling when they leave the broom room, but it's a good kind of bittersweet 🧹💜

After all the excitement, Michael and I spent the weekend doing something a little different: relaxing!

We tackled some yard work, enjoyed the beautiful weather, and made a trip to Fairy Stone State Park, one of Virginia's hidden treasures.

And yes...I found fairy stones!!! ✨

For those who aren't familiar with them, fairy stones are naturally formed crystal crosses, most commonly found in certain areas of Virginia. Local folklore says they were created from the tears of fairies who wept when they heard of Christ's crucifixion. Their tears hardened into stone and formed tiny crosses that could be found by lucky wanderers

Another legend says the stones are gifts from the fae themselves—small tokens of protection, luck, and safe travels left for those who take the time to wander the woods and pay attention

Whatever story you choose to believe, there is something magical about finding one resting among tree roots and fallen leaves

I brought several little pieces home with me, and I think some of them may find their way into future broom packages as small gifts from the mountains 💫

The trip wasn't just successful because of the fairy stones, either

I also came home with a couple of absolutely wonderful broom handles that seemed determined to follow me back down the trail!! As any broom maker knows, sometimes the best handles are found when you're not looking for them

And then, this evening, I tried something completely new

I made my very first corn husk doll

I've admired them for years as part of Appalachian and folk-art traditions, but had never made one myself. After a little experimenting, a little dye, and a little patience, a tiny dark-clad witch emerged from the pile of husks

I have a feeling she won't be the last

In fact, I suspect there may be more corn husk witches gathering in the broom room before long 🌙🧙‍♀️

For now, I'm heading into the week feeling grateful…for the support of this wonderful community, for mountain adventures, for new ideas, and for the simple joy of making things with my hands 💫

Thank you for being here and for following along on this strange and wonderful journey!

Until next time,

🖤 Brooke

🌙 A Little Weaving Tip From the Broom Room

I don’t know if anyone actually reads these little broom room rambles…but I’m going to share them anyway 😂💜

Thinking on one of the things that completely changed weaving for me was realizing this:

🧹 If you start with 3 reeds…you’ll end with an odd number

And for continuous spiral/twill weaving? That makes ALL the difference

That little tip finally made so many patterns click for me, and I actually picked that up from none other than Jill Choate after watching hour after hour of her phenomenal broom-making videos on YouTube!!! 💜

When your reed count stays odd, the pattern naturally shifts itself as you weave around the broom instead of stacking directly on top of the previous row and that’s what creates those flowing beautiful patterns

It gives movement instead of repetition

Twilling in process

If the count lands even, the pattern often locks into place instead of traveling around the handle

It sounds tiny, but understanding that one little detail suddenly changed the way my hands understood weaving…I hope that little tip helps someone else the way it did me!

And since this newest whisk carries a little raven charm…here’s your random folklore tidbit of the day:

🖤 Ravens have long been tied to witches, prophecy, and old magic because of how startlingly intelligent they are. In Appalachian and European folklore alike, they were often seen as messengers between worlds…carrying secrets, warnings, or wisdom from places humans couldn’t quite reach

Honestly…that feels pretty fitting for us broom makers too✨

Sometimes the difference between frustration and flow is just…a twist of the wrist 😉🧹💙

🌙 Blue Moon Brooms & Five Days of Rain

Well…after what felt like an eternity battling Meta gremlins, I FINALLY have a Facebook profile picture again!!!😂🖤

It’s honestly been such a strange week between the page chaos, endless refreshing, support tickets, and trying to keep up with everything behind the scenes. But through all of it, the broom room stayed busy

The dye pots kept running
The broomcorn kept drying
And somehow these new Blue Moon brooms slowly came to life one at a time 🌚

I’ve finished several pieces this week, and I’m hoping to complete a couple more before the Blue Moon arrives. The rooster tails especially have completely stolen my heart lately…wild, dramatic, and full of movement like wind through tall grass before a storm

And speaking of storms…it has rained here for FIVE straight days with another five in the forecast. Normally I’d complain, but honestly? We’ve needed it badly. Everything outside feels softer, greener, and alive again. The mountains seem to breathe differently after a good soaking rain 🌧️

There’s an old bit of folklore that says unusual moons and rainy seasons make for powerful crafting seasons…good for making things that hold intention and last a long while!! I’m thinking maybe it’s because all those creative women were couped up together with nothing but time to make magic ✨

There’s definitely something to that 🖤

For now, I’m just thankful…
for the rain,
for the fire,
for the work,
and for all of you following along from your little corners of the world while I make brooms here in the Blue Ridge Mountains

✨ The Blue Moon broom offering will be:
🕯️ May 30th
🌙 8PM EST

💜🧙‍♀️🧹

Blue Moon Work Is Underway 🌙

Well…Facebook still appears to have my profile picture trapped somewhere in the void. 😂🫠

At this point I’ve accepted that there’s apparently a tiny team of Meta gremlins “investigating the issue” while I sit over here refreshing my page like a feral Appalachian raccoon with WiFi

BUT — I’m still here behind the scenes!!!

The dye pots are running 🏺
Broomcorn is drying 🌾
And a few Blue Moon brooms are slowly taking shape in the broom room 🌙✨

🌕 A Blue Moon isn’t actually blue…it gets its name because it’s the second full moon in a single calendar month, a rare little celestial extra that only happens every few years. In folklore, Blue Moons are tied to heightened intuition, endings, transformation, and magic that refuses to stay ordinary ✨

Mountain folk used to believe unusual moons carried restless energy 💫
good for making ✨
good for wishing ✨
good for starting something that might outlive you 🌳

So while Facebook figures out whether or not I’m apparently allowed to have a face…I’ll just be over here weaving moonlight into broomcorn 🖤

More Blue Moon sneak peeks coming soon

Blessed Be ✨🧙‍♀️🌚

Apparently Facebook Ate My Face 🫣🙈

Well…if you’ve wandered onto my Facebook page lately and noticed that my profile picture has mysteriously vanished into the void…no, you’re not imagining things 😂

Overall vibe: small business exhaustion + witchy chaos + dark cottagecore humor + “I guess I live like this now” 🧹✨🤷‍♀️

Somewhere deep within the tangled forest of Meta, my face apparently got sacrificed to the algorithm gods

I’ve cleared caches ✨
I’ve logged in and out ✨
I’ve poked every setting I can find ✨
I’ve muttered Appalachian witch words at my laptop ✨

And still…nothing

At this point I’m honestly just assuming my profile picture will randomly reappear one day like a ghost returning to its haunted Victorian portrait frame✨

The funny thing about running a handmade business is that people usually see the pretty side of it
💫the finished brooms
💫the moody photos
💫the glowing broomcorn by candlelight
💫the polished website

What they don’t always see is the absolute chaos quietly happening behind the scenes

This past weekend alone was vendor events, yard work, laundry piles, website tweaking, trying to remember passwords I definitely should’ve written down somewhere, and me periodically checking Facebook like:
“Do I have a face again yet?”

And nope

Still faceless 😶

But honestly? The work keeps moving anyway

💜There’s broomcorn drying by the fire tonight
💜A black and chocolate broom waiting to be capped
💜Blue Moon brooms slowly taking shape in the broom room.
💜New ideas scribbled onto random scraps of paper beside coffee cups and twine clippings

And somewhere between all the chaos, the business keeps growing roots

So if you happen to see a mysterious faceless broom page floating around Facebook for a little while longer…yep, that’s still me!!

Still weaving. Still dyeing broomcorn. Still quietly building this little Appalachian magic business one broom at a time 🧹

And hopefully someday soon…Facebook will remember I actually have a profile picture 😂

Many Blessings!!!

💜

Vintage Days & Community Roots 💜✨

Today was one of those rare, full-circle kind of days

Vintage Days turned out to be so much more than simply setting up brooms and meeting customers. It felt like one of those gentle reminders that when you create from the heart, the right people somehow always find their way to you

We met so many wonderful souls throughout the day…artists, neighbors, fellow makers, and kind strangers who somehow didn’t feel like strangers for very long

One of my favorite parts of the day was realizing just how many creative, talented, and genuinely good people are right here in our own little corner of Franklin County, VA. From artists and shop owners to fellow handmade souls, it truly felt like community in the best kind of way 💫

A huge thank you to Amy for creating such a warm and welcoming event, and to Sherry and Becky for being the best extra sets of arms and encouragement all day long. By the end of it, it felt less like a vending event and more like sitting among friends!

Vintage Days Rocky Mount VA 2026

And somewhere between all the conversations, old treasures, broomcorn, laughter, and beautiful handmade things…we officially confirmed that Brooke & The Broomstick will also be part of:
✨ Rocky Mount Fest this September 19th
✨ Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas in Dec

Though I didn’t sell every broom today, I’m honestly just so thankful we got to be part of it all

Because at the end of the day, this is what it’s really about:
Growing roots 🫚
Meeting good people 💖
Becoming part of the community around us 🌎

And today, I feel like those roots grew a little deeper💫🧹💜

🍃🪵✨ Woodland Wednesday ✨🪵🍃

🍃🪵✨ Woodland Wednesday ✨🪵🍃

The dye pots have been bubbling and working overtime over here…🧪

Mossy greens, shadowy emeralds, deep indigos, moody purples, and little color shifts that only happen when I slow down and work in small batches

Appalachian Folk Craft

I’ve finally settled into a dye process that’s been giving me rich, layered colors I really love lately

I use:
🧪 Rit Dye 
🧪 Rit Dyemore 
🧪 Jacquard Acid Dyes 
🧪 Citric acid 
🧪 A light spray of Palmolive 
🧪 And usually a tiny squirt of lemon juice 🍋 because somehow it just feels correct 😅

Sometimes I use the dyes separately…sometimes I layer and combine them depending on the tones I’m after

I’ve learned I personally prefer working in smaller dye batches. It gives me more control over saturation, gradients, and those tiny color shifts that make each broom feel alive ✨ Every bundle gets a little more attention instead of getting lost in a giant vat

This week’s woodland favorite is 🌿 Poplar Root 🌿

In Appalachian folklore, poplar root is sometimes called “witch wood” because it grows between worlds…buried beneath the earth while still feeding the living tree above. We had a terrible ice storm here last year causing 2 large trees to tumble in the back so for now I have LOTS of poplar to work with

Witch wood is considered a liminal wood…tied to thresholds, transformation, hidden things, and deep-rooted protection

The longer I work with it, the more I understand why people believed there was something special about it 💫

Weird Woods

And somewhere in the middle of all the woodland greens…a Blue Moon is beginning to take shape too 🌕💙

Blue Moon Clay Face

New brooms are slowly forming over here, just the way I like it….slow and steady 🧹✨

💚 Which color combination are you most drawn to lately?

🌙 Poplar Root, Spring Leaves & a Little Hope ✨🪵

Witch Wood and Wild Handles

Somewhere between Mother’s Day, broom handles, and the sound of wind moving through fresh green leaves…spring has fully settled into these Blue Ridge woods 🌿✨

Today is Mother’s Day and it’s always held a little tenderness for me 💫 A little gratitude, a little ache, a little hope all braided together. I know I’m not alone in that. Some of us celebrate with full hearts, some with complicated ones, and some are still learning how to hold both love and hope at the same time 💫

Today I spent part of the afternoon outside working on new broom handles…red maple, crepe myrtle, and poplar root…what I lovingly call “witch wood” around here. There’s something sacred about removing bark away and slowly uncovering the character underneath. Twists, scars, curves, old knots…every piece tells on itself eventually 🔮

The woods are turning wildly green now!!! The kind of green that almost glows after rain, and the sound of wind moving through the trees has become one of my favorite things about living here. It’s steady ✨ Comforting ✨Like the mountains reminding me to slow down and listen for a minute and I always do

The warmer weather also means the dye pots are bubbling again 💙💜🖤

Ready for second dip in the dye bath

I’ve been steadily filling the broom room back up with freshly dyed broomcorn…deep indigos, smoky violets, blackened blues, strange little blends that happen somewhere between intention and accident. Opening those bundles after they dry still feels like opening gifts every single time 🎁

The broom room is messy lately!!! Covered in wood dust, dye stains, half-finished ideas, and pieces waiting to become something beautiful!!!

Honestly…I think that’s a pretty good reflection of life too 💫

I’d love to know what spring looks like where you are!!! 🌿

What’s blooming around you lately?