For the latest in our Heritage Crafts series, we speak with Sheffield-based brush and broom maker Rosa Harradine, whose work brings traditional techniques and natural materials into a distinctly contemporary setting. After originally training in music and exploring crafts including spoon carving, pole-lathe bowl turning and basketry, Rosa found her way to brush making — a craft that combines utility, material knowledge and the quiet beauty of everyday objects. Today, she makes each piece by hand using sustainable fibres such as broomcorn, tampico and arenga, while also passing those skills on through workshops around the UK.
You originally trained as a musician before exploring spoon carving, bowl turning and basketry, eventually finding your way to brush and broom making. What was it about this particular craft that captured your imagination and made you realise you'd found the one you wanted to pursue?
I think it was the combination of the practical and the tactile that really drew me in. I did try out lots of other crafts, which I enjoyed, but with brush making, I loved the simplicity of taking a handful of fibres and turning them into something useful. There's something very satisfying about the physical process of brush and broom making, and I became fascinated by how much there was to learn about the different materials and techniques.
I also liked that it was such an ordinary, overlooked object. Everyone uses a brush or broom, but very few people have any idea how they're made. Five years on, I'm still finding things I want to experiment with, which probably tells me I found the right one.
Brush and broom making is a craft most of us encounter every day without ever thinking about the skill or history behind it. How far back does the tradition go, and are there particular historical techniques or regional styles that continue to influence the way you work today?
Brush and broom making has a very long history, and I love that it's a craft which developed around whatever materials were available to people. Different fibres and techniques evolved for different purposes and in different places.
I'm interested in those traditional techniques, but I'm not trying to recreate historical objects. I use things like hand binding and stitching and work with a foot-powered kickwinder, but I'm interested in seeing what those techniques can do when applied to contemporary objects.
A lot of the knowledge is also quite practical and difficult to learn from a book. You need to understand how a particular material feels and behaves, and that knowledge has traditionally been passed from maker to maker. That's something I really value.
Your work uses natural materials including broomcorn, tampico and arenga. What different characteristics do these fibres bring to a brush, and how much of the maker's skill lies in understanding the material and choosing the right fibre for the job?
The fibres are very different, and choosing the right one is a big part of making a good brush. I've done a lot of experimentation and testing to work out which material is best for which job.
Broomcorn (my favourite!) is stiff but has wispy ends, so it's brilliant for sweeping. I use it to make smaller brushes as well as larger brooms. Tampico is softer and more flexible, so works well for things like crumbs on tabletops or dusting. Arenga is coarser and does a great job as a hearth brush.
There's something particularly appealing about taking an object as humble and functional as a broom or brush and making it beautiful enough to display. Is that balance between utility and beauty something you consciously pursue, and do you think we've lost some of our appreciation for beautifully made everyday tools?
Absolutely. I want everything I make to be useful, but I don't see why a useful object shouldn't also be beautiful. A broom is normally something you hide away in a cupboard. I want to change that and make something that you're happy to display hanging on the wall.
I think we've lost some of our appreciation for beautifully made everyday things. So much is now designed to be cheap and disposable. I'm interested in making things that are still everyday tools, but are made carefully enough that you want to keep them and use them for years.
Everything you make is produced by hand, at a time when an inexpensive mass-produced alternative is readily available. Beyond aesthetics, what does the handmade version offer — and what do you hope someone notices when they pick up and use one of your brushes for the first time?
I'm obviously not trying to compete with a £1 mass-produced brush. It's a completely different thing. There's the feel of the natural materials and the careful, considered design. But I think it's also about having a relationship with the things you use. I want my brushes to be used, not treated as precious objects, but I hope that they're enjoyable to use and that people appreciate how they're made.
There's also something satisfying about knowing where an object has come from and that a person has spent time making it. I hope the first reaction when someone picks one up is simply, “Oh, this feels really good,” and then that it works really well too.
You've also begun passing these skills on through your workshops. How important is teaching to the survival of crafts like brush making, and are you encouraged by the number of younger people who seem to be rediscovering traditional skills and making things by hand?
Teaching is really important, particularly with a craft like brush making where there aren't that many professional makers left. I really enjoy sharing my skills and I want to encourage people to be creative and work with their hands.
I'm encouraged by the number of people my age interested in keeping heritage crafts alive. I think there's a real desire to do something tangible and practical, and we recognise that there's a real risk of some crafts dying out unless the knowledge is shared and continues to be used.
Finally, you've already taken a centuries-old craft in a distinctly contemporary direction. Where would you like to take it next — are there materials, historical techniques or types of brush and broom that you're particularly interested in exploring?
I was recently lucky enough to be awarded some funding from the Heritage Crafts Association, which allowed me to buy a 100-year-old stitching machine from America. This is a really exciting development for me, although I have a bit of learning to do to get it in fully working order. It will allow me to sell more of my work to shops and galleries and reach a wider audience.
I'm also interested in moving beyond traditional brushes and brooms into other household objects — dustpans, hooks, trivets and things like that — using the same combination of natural materials, traditional techniques and contemporary design.
A huge thank you to Rosa Harradine for taking the time to share her craft, the materials behind it and her thoughts on why traditional making still matters today. Rosa continues to make each of her brushes and brooms by hand in Sheffield, alongside a programme of workshops designed to pass these skills on to others. You can discover more of her work, upcoming workshops and available pieces on her website, and follow her latest projects on Instagram.
We are grateful to Heather Birnie for all of the superb photography.
Visit Rosa Harradine’s website
Follow Rosa Harradine on Instagram