Making a Pomander Ball

Craft: How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

November 30, 2018

How to Make Orange Clove
Pomanders - three variations resting on a bed of evergreen branches Pomanders have been around for centuries, providing people great scents and aromatherapy. During the Great Plague, they were hung around in hopes of purifying the bad air. Today, there are many varieties available. These here are made from citrus fruits and cloves. They are easy to make, all-natural, and work wonders as moth repellents in your closets. Right before I was making this batch, I was feeling a bit blue. The aromas from the citrus and clove immediately perked me up, I kid you not. They make beautiful Christmas ornaments and decorations that last for years. And yes, they do keep smelling good the entire time. I hope you try making these, holiday or not!

Total Time: 45 minutes

Supplies:

oranges, tangerines (scrubbed clean and dried)
ribbon
scissors
marker
toothpick
cloves

Steps:

Place orange on center of ribbon. Wrap your orange in ribbon and knot once.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - place orange in the center of the ribbon and tie a knot

Cross the ribbon to tie it the other way around the orange (like a present), and knot again tightly on the other side.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - wrap the other way around like a present and tie another knot tightly on the other side

Give it another knot.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - tie one more time

Tie a bow and cut the ends so they're equal.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - tie a bow and trim ends

Use your marking pen to make dots where you'd like your cloves to make a design.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - use pen to mark clove locations

Poke those dots with a toothpick.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - poke holes on dots with a toothpick

Fill the holes with cloves.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - push the cloves into the holes

Make your way around the orange. You don't want the cloves too close together because the orange will shrink over time, causing the cloves to shift together.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - leave shrinkage space between the cloves

I like to break the heads off some of the cloves to make star shapes.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - you can break the heads off of some of the cloves to create star shapes

Continue making more designs on other oranges. You can go freehand, too.

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - continue making more designs on other oranges

If you'd like to hang them, tie another ribbon under the bow and hang. Alternatively, you can poke a wire through the entire center of the orange, looping the ends, then string to hang. Let these rest in very dry open spaces to avoid molding over the weeks. You can also dust them with ground cinnamon, which also keeps mold at bay (and smells so yummy).

How to Make Orange Clove Pomanders - let them dry

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2 More Solutions

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Craft: Pomander Ball

Heather

January 13, 2009

These are great gifts and certainly lift your spirit with the clove/orange aroma. When dried, these can be hung or kept in closet/drawer for an amazing fragrance.

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Questions

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Question: Making Pomander Balls In Humid Climate?

joan pecsek
Bronze Request Medal for All Time! 66 Requests

October 4, 2007

Every year for Christmas I try to make old fashioned pomander balls: stud citrus fruits with cloves, roll in cinnamon, then put in a cool dark place for several weeks. But this climate is so hot and humid they always mold before the process is complete. I've tried putting them in a very low heat oven but they scorch and smell awful. Anyone have a solution?

peanut from Virginia

Answers

Holly
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 364 Posts

October 6, 20070 found this helpful

How about if you re-think the process. The item that molds is the orange - so discard it and replace with a styrofoam ball. Cover the styrofoam with something that will permit cloves to penetrate (or pre-make the holes with a straight pin) and secure with a dab of special glue.

For the scent, go to a store (like Ulta or a health food store) and check out their aromatherapy essential oil selection. Right before you present the gift, mist it with the scent. Or soak the scent into the styrofoam (unless it crunbles the foam - must investigate).
The alternative is to buy at great expense some potpourri dried fruit and stick the cloves into these - but this is probably going to cost more $$$ than it's worth.

How about a small crocheted doily wrapped around a styrofoam ball, the ball being first covered in red Saran Wrap. Then do the scenting and give.

Good luck!

susan
Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 472 Feedbacks

October 6, 20070 found this helpful

Maybe use a food dehydrator?

By Pollegra (Guest Post)

October 6, 20070 found this helpful

Try using your micro wave. I have done it and it does work. I microwave the pomeranda in 20 second intervals that way you can control how dy it gets and it doesnot scorch.

By Nick (Guest Post)

October 16, 20070 found this helpful

Maybe putting them in a food dehydrator on the lowest temperature would work. I live in southern California where the climate is dry and relatively warm year round, So I haven't tried this myself.

Good Luck!

sheila

September 27, 20080 found this helpful

We used to use silica to dry them out, like you use to dry out flowers. We'd get it at craft stores, they even have food grade. Anything very dried out won't look as pretty. Also try covering the whole orange with cloves till it dries then remove some the cloves preserve it.

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