Pomander Ball

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. Cost of 10 pomanders is about $10.00 (bag of oranges: $4-$5, Cloves: $3-$4, Orris root: $2)

Materials

• bag of oranges (firm)
• whole cloves, about 2 oz. to 3 oranges (89 cents at Christmas Tree Shop, check dollar store too)
• knitting needle (small) or something to puncture peel
• tissue paper or newspaper
• orris root (bulk, in herb shop), 1 tsp. for each orange
• ribbon (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel sticker off orange and wash if you like. This is a good time to pop the stem off if there is one.
2. If you are going to hang it, you will need to mark where the ribbon will go. It will make an "X" at top and bottom, like a gift box ribbon. You have marked the area where the ribbon will go, this is where you will "avoid". Make sure you give yourself extra room for the ribbon, the orange will shrink. "Do not" attach ribbon until dried. I did that once and the ribbon was ruined and needed to be replaced.

 
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3. Take your puncture point (I used a hair pin, but knitting needles are most common.) and start poking through the peel in close spacing.
4. Push cloves into the tiny holes you have made. Cover all areas, going back to fill in any bare spots. For drawer pomanders you can just cover the whole orange (those are my favorite).
5. Lay out a sheet of newspaper or 3 tissue papers, placing the orange (pomander) in the center.
    

6. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of orris root (a preservative) on pomander, using the paper to catch overpour and re-sprinkle until fairly coated.
7. Wrap up pomander in paper: fold top edge over, then sides and roll.
8. Allow to dry for 2-3 weeks. You can use a food dehydrator too.

These are sure to be appreciated and they smell good for a long time. Enjoy!

By Starchild in VT