A cinnamon broom is nothing more than a handful of cinnamon sticks bundled together with twine or ribbon, but it has turned into one of the most dependable pieces of fall decor on the internet. Every September, the how-to resurfaces on TikTok’s discover feed, and every September, homeowners who swore they wouldn’t bother end up standing in a craft aisle buying cinnamon sticks by the pound. Part of the appeal is the price: even the mass-market version Trader Joe’s sells each fall for around $5 costs less than a single scented candle and lasts considerably longer. Part of it is that it requires zero decorating skill.
What a Cinnamon Broom Actually Is
Despite the name, you’re not sweeping anything with it. A cinnamon broom is a bundle of whole cinnamon sticks, usually 8 to 12 of them, fanned out and cinched at one end with ribbon, raffia, or wire, so the finished shape loosely resembles a witch’s broom. Some versions add a wooden dowel or an actual small broom handle underneath the sticks for structure, but the sticks themselves are doing all the scenting work. Hang it on a door, prop it in an entryway urn, or lay it across a mantel, and the wood slowly releases cinnamon oil into the air as the temperature shifts with the weather outside.
Why It Keeps Coming Back Every September
The trend isn’t new. It has cycled through home decor circles for years, but it reliably spikes as soon as the calendar flips to fall, and this year is no exception on TikTok’s trend pages. Part of the draw is that it photographs well against a front door for the same reason a wreath does, but it also solves a problem wreaths don’t: scent. A dried floral wreath looks seasonal. A cinnamon broom makes the whole entryway smell like it.
How to Make One in Under 15 Minutes
You need cinnamon sticks (buy them in bulk online or at a craft store; grocery store spice-aisle sticks are too short and too few), ribbon or raffia, and something to bind the top. Group the sticks so the ends are roughly even, wrap floral wire tightly around the top inch, then cover the wire with ribbon tied into a bow or a hanging loop. Fan the sticks slightly at the bottom for a fuller look. That’s the entire process. No glue gun is required, though a drop of hot glue under the ribbon keeps it from slipping over weeks of door-opening and closing.
The Fire-Safety Detail the Tutorials Skip
Cinnamon sticks themselves aren’t a fire hazard sitting on a door, but they are dry, aromatic wood, and wood that’s been drying for months burns easily if it ends up near an actual flame. The National Fire Protection Association’s guidance on keeping combustible decorations away from open flames and heat sources applies just as much to a cinnamon broom as it does to dried leaves or paper decor: keep it clear of candles, fire pits, outdoor heaters, and anything with an exposed bulb that runs hot, like some older porch fixtures. A door-mounted bundle nowhere near a flame source is essentially risk-free; one propped next to a lit jack-o’-lantern candle in October is a different story.
How Long the Scent Actually Holds
A fresh cinnamon broom smells strongest in its first two to three weeks, then fades as the essential oils in the bark dry out. You can revive it by rubbing a few drops of cinnamon essential oil directly onto the sticks, or by lightly misting them with water, which temporarily reactivates the scent compounds. Most people get six to eight weeks of noticeable fragrance before the bundle becomes purely decorative, which roughly matches the stretch from early September through Halloween.
Store-Bought vs. DIY
Buying pre-made runs anywhere from $5 for a small grocery-store version to $20-plus for a full, styled bundle from a home goods retailer. Making your own costs more upfront if you’re buying cinnamon sticks in bulk for the first time, but a $10 bag makes several bundles, which means the second and third ones are essentially free. For anyone doing porch decor for multiple doors, a mudroom, and a home office, the DIY math wins quickly.
The reason this trend refuses to die isn’t mystery or nostalgia — it’s that a five-dollar bundle of sticks does something almost no other fall decor does cheaply, which is make an entire room smell like the season, no outlet or open flame required.