Clove and Orange pomanders are perfect for Christmas. They add a fabulously festive touch and scent to your home and for me are the smell of Christmas. I used to make these with my mum over advent when I was younger as we never put the tree up until after my birthday on 20th December, so they are so evocative of that time for me.
I find making clove and orange pomanders so therapeutic. It is a perfect winters evening craft with the added benefit that your home will smell amazing.
Clove and Orange Pomanders perfect for Christmas
In medieval times pomanders were used to perfume the air, ward off illness and bring strength and good fortune. Now they are perfect as Christmas decorations.
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The more cloves you add the mThe more cloves you add the more likely they are to dry and you should be able to keep them for months or even years. Lots of people put a skewer through their orange pomander and hang them to ensure that they dry, I just make sure they have plenty of air and I rotate them, but then I just want them for the Christmas Season. You can hand your pomander balls on your Christmas tree to display them too. I use mine as home decor on a small cake plate.
When you remove the orange peel down to the pitch you release the scent and essential oils which is what smells so amazing mixed with the spices from the cloves. I have come to associate orange clove scent with the lead up to Christmas and is one of my favorite scents.
Clove and Orange Pomanders perfect for Christmas
Ingredients
- 5 Oranges Firm
- Cloves
- Ribbon
Instructions
Take your firm orange design out your pattern.
Using a cocktail stick make a whole to push the clove in. This is much easier on your fingers and prevents the clove snapping.
To help get your lines straight (if that is important to you) then use an elastic band around the fruit and using the outer edge of the band as a guide. Push in the cloves where you have made the holes.
Wrap ribbon around the fruit like a parcel – dividing it into quarters – and tie in a bow. If you ribbon keeps slipping then add a dab of glue (you are not going to eat the pomander so it doesn't matter)
I loved the look of pomanders with the rind removed and a lino cutting tool is a safe and easy way to do this. I have a simple inexpensive one that I have used with the boys. If you want a specific patter than draw on the rind with a sharpie (don't worry you are going to carve away the skin so no one will see it).
Be creative and arrange the cloves in diamonds, circles, or other patterns. As the orange dries, it will release a delicate, spicy fragrance
The areas that you have removed the rind from gets whiter as the whole orange dries. You could also use a glue gun to attach whole cloves.
I also love adding tealights to my pomanders and star anise.
You do this by drawing around the bottom of your tealight on the orange and cutting the circle on the skin, then scooping out the fruit.
Then you push the tealight in. This needs to be done before you decorate your orange.
When it comes to adding the star anise, you need to use a glue gun.
If you have any oranges left then why not follow our instructions to dry citrus for Christmas Decorations?
You can use other citrus fruits such as lemons and limes to make pomanders too and you don’t need to just use large oranges, small oranges make a great tree decoration.
You could also add a candle to your orange clove pomander and turn it into a Christingle which I have fond memories of making when I was a kid.
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