Orange Pomander Balls
4 Materials
$5
25 Minutes
Easy
Clove studded oranges are a classic holiday craft. People having been making these decorations out of citrus, herbs and spices for centuries. Holiday decorations made from natural materials like fruit, herbs and evergreens are making a huge comeback. Make these amazing smelling orange pomander balls with your kids for a fun winter day activity.
A pomander ball, from French pomme d’ambre, or, apple of amber, is a fancy term for an orange decorated with cloves that make your home smell amazing for the holidays. DIY pomander balls can be hung as ornaments, used in garlands, or arranged as a part of a festive holiday centerpiece
- Oranges (I used small Christmas clementines)
- Toothpicks
- Ribbon or twine
- Clove
- Scissors
Cut an 18″ piece of twine for every orange.Criss cross the twine round your orange and tie in a bow. You may need to use a tack to hold it in place.
Flip the orange over and tie the twine at the top of the orange. Trim the twine if needed and tie the end in a loop so that you can hang it.
Use a or a toothpick to make a hole in your orange, then push in a clove. Then stud cloves all the way round.Carry on pushing in cloves until your whole orange is covered in a pattern you like.Make patterns and once you are satisfied you can display them in a bowl or hang from your tree.
Your finished pomander balls will only stay fresh for about a week in a bowl at room temperature. You can extend their life by refrigerating them at night. After a few days, however, you will probably begin to see brown areas around where the cloves have been placed.
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M T Dietz what memories! Mom made one for my brother's dresser drawer. Any drawer you opened, you could smell cloves. 50 years later, if I close my eyes, I swear I can still smell cloves. It's my favorite spice smell. I have made the oranges and wrapped them in tulle and put a ribbon at the top and given them away to put on nightstands.
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To Doc's Mom...No worries about storing them. Can put them on display or put them in a dresser drawer. Best thing about these is you can make them anytime! Get small apples or clementines to start. If the skin is tough, use a nut pick to make holes.
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