The children and I had a nice time at home this morning, watching a Winnie the Pooh Christmas movie and making apple pomanders.
Pomanders have been made and enjoyed for a very long time and most of you have probably made them before, (lucky you), but this was a first for us.
We learned today that pomanders “are a ball of sweet-smelling fruit and spices, originally worn around the neck to protect people from disease and bad smells.” (quoted from the craft book I used, Crafting Fun)
People now traditionally make them at this time of year as a holiday decoration or as gifts to give to friends for Christmas. You can use oranges or apples, not radishes, potatoes, bananas, or onions (Grace’s fun but rejected ideas).
We wrapped ribbon around the apples (you are supposed to use masking tape but we didn’t have any) and then gently pushed whole cloves into the apple. The juice drips out so we dabbed it off now and then with paper towel. After I was done with mine, I continued to follow the directions in the book, and removed my ribbon (masking tape would be better so you can keep your ribbon clean) so I could shake my apple in a mixture of cinnamon and ginger. Then I put the ribbon back around it, attached another ribbon and hung it on the kitchen curtain rod by the table.
We made three and the project is now a happy memory of our day, as I remember making them with the children. It was a crafting experience for our senses; the fun sound of the clove popping into the apple, the feel of the cool apple skin and the little hard cloves, the beauty of browns and reds and greens, and most of all the yummy smells of spice and sweetness as we worked with our hands, sitting side by side by side.
Good to be Home 
What a wonderful family craft to do together. Graces photo’s make it look like they really smell wonderful!
Mmmmmmmmmm I can smell them all the way here!!!
I’ve never made one of those, sounds like these smelled very good :).
I made them with oranges last year. Oh the lovely smell. Will say that the apples might be easier to push the cloves through. The oranges were a bit tough and my fingers were sore. Great memories.
It looks so pretty hanging in the window. =)
What a neat idea!
Oh, I bet it sounds fabulous! I have made it with an orange before, but never an apple… 🙂
Looks nice!
Wondering how long you can keep a pomander–I may be working on a world record. There is one in my socks drawer that is rather–ancient. It is an orange and is THOROUGHLY dry by now, through and through, so I see no need in tossing it out…but I really should roll it in the good-smelling stuff again to give it new life. Thanks for reminding me.P.S. For those who use oranges–use a little nail to make holes and then push the cloves in–much easier!
Makes me want to make one.Mmmmm….Adding it to the already long list of things to do.:)
@AmericanJanet – You made me laugh with your story of the ancient pomander. I’d love to see it. :)I read in the handy dandy craft book that you can also use a ballpoint pen to “pre-drill” holes in the oranges.
We made some of those long ago, what a wonderful memory making craft…I can still bring up the smell and the pokey feeling in the thumb and fingers. Yours looks lovely. I especially like seeing Grace smelling hers! MMMMMM
I’ve never made them, not that I can remember, anyway! I’d love to do both apple and orange. Maybe a lime would be a nice little start!
Mm, that reminds me that I need to get oranges and cloves this weekend! Great tip about pre-poking the holes, my fingers are always SO sore after making orange pomanders.
There is nothing like the smell! I love how the orange smells especially! What a great craft to do with the kids!
Wonderful! I have never made them with apples before!
I thought you might enjoy my story of pomanders. One year, my mom and I made orange/clove pomanders when I was in junior high (1964-1966). Our thumb tips ached for a week from pressing the cloves into the thick, tough orange skin; but it smelled glorious! The cloves had to be really close together and they filled every bit of the orange skin. Then (like you), a ribbon was wrapped around them to add a decorative touch. I still have the 3 pomanders we made in 1960-whatever (I rescued them after my mom died, when I went through her things) The fruit shrunk, but the cloves made a perfect ball. We used velvet ribbon and our colors were: avocado green, harvest gold, and orange poppy – proof of the year those colors were most popular (the 60’s)!!!Point is, I remember (like it was yesterday) sitting with my mom making them. I bet Grace will remember her time with you, too. I also bet apples are a lot easier to pierce than the tough orange skin we chose!P.S. I just checked on them and I can still smell the clove!
@cherylyn_p – Loved the story, Cherylyn! (((hugs)))
Wow, those are pretty! I’ll bet it smells really nice too! : ) Maybe we’ll try it. ; )
oh YUM! I want to make one! Need to get more cloves! 🙂