Trader Joe’s Just Brought Back Its Famous $5 Fall Decor Gem — Get It Before It’s Gone

published Nov 4, 2023
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Raleigh, North Carolina USA-11 16 2022: Trader Joe's is a Specialty Grocery Store Chain Based in California.
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I’m a fall girlie through and through, and like many, the first crisp day of the year gives me an indescribable thrill. And since I do the bulk of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s, I look forward to the rollout of fall items every year. Pumpkin Greek yogurt, apple cider, a melange of squashes — but my favorite fall item at TJ’s isn’t even food. If you follow your nose towards a distinctly spicy aroma, you’ll find the cinnamon brooms

Credit: Caroline Mullen

A cinnamon broom is basically what the name implies — though it’s not used for cleaning like the brooms we keep in our utility closets. It’s a bundle of raw pine twigs usually tied together with twine, then pressed with cinnamon oil. Cinnamon brooms are said to have origins in the Middle Ages and connections to witches who believe that pine cleanses dwellings of harmful energy and cinnamon oil heals and protects. When combined and hung on the back of your door, the cinnamon broom is meant to bring luck and good fortune into your home. 

But for me? I just love the smell. I do indeed hang the cinnamon broom on the back of my front door, that way I get a big welcoming whiff of fall spice when I walk in the door — a much warmer and more welcoming scent than other autumn scents, in my opinion. It’s sort of like a reed diffuser in the way that it starts out with a strong scent and gradually fades, so I usually replace them every two to three weeks during the fall (luckily they’re only $4.99 and I’m at TJ’s once a week to grocery shop). If you find the scent to be too strong at first, try leaving the broom in the plastic packaging for the first week, then open the bag or take it completely out when the scent has dissipated a bit. Trader Joe’s also sells cinnamon whisks, mini versions of the full-sized brooms that add a milder scent to your home and can be easily hung all over your kitchen or dining room. 

Credit: Caroline Mullen

According to the Trader Joe’s megafans online, the store starts selling the cinnamon brooms around September 1, and they likely start to disappear from shelves around the time holiday items hit critical mass, around mid- to late November. If you want to snag this spicy piece of festive decor that fills your home with what I’d call the scent of joy, go now!

Love the Cinnamon Broom, but Not Near a Trader Joe’s? Then You’ll Love…

Fear not, if you end up missing the cinnamon broom season, you can also find them at Michael’s, Joann, or Home Depot, and if you’re not near any of these (bummer!), you can purchase this similar style of scented broom from Amazon. (Aldi sells their own version, too.) You can also refresh your cinnamon broom or make your own with foraged twigs sprayed with cinnamon oil, or put a simmer pot on the stove with cinnamon sticks and any other additions you prefer for a delightfully light autumn scent.