The Twelve Days of Craft-mas: Day Two

On the second day of Christmas, i made this for my tree…

Orange Pomanders!

Orange Pomanders, or “oranges with the cloves stuck in ‘em” as multiple guests have called them, are an age-old tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages (1). I couldn’t find any sources directly from the Victorian era, but many historians believe these were very common. 

Fig. 1. Necessary tools for Orange Pomanders.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: ~1 to 2 hours

What you’ll Need

• Large oranges

• Whole cloves

• Knitting needle or something sharp (optional)

• Ribbon 

• Pen or marker (optional)

Instructions

Decide how you want your pomander to hang and tie the ribbon around the orange accordingly. 

If you’d like to make designs on your orange, use a marker to draw them out.

Push the cloves into the orange, sharp end first.

If you’d like, you can use a knitting needle or other sharp object to puncture the holes first, but I found that the cloves were sharp enough on their own. 

Once you feel like your pomander is finished, attach a hook to hang it from the tree or hang it by the ribbon. 

Fig. 2. My orange pomander on my tree!

What I enjoyed

One of my biggest troubles around Christmas time is keeping my cats out of the tree. Luckily, cats HATE the smell of citrus (see fig. 3), which makes this the perfect natural cat repellent! Furthermore, I loved the smell of citrus and cloves filling my office and living room.

Fig. 3. My cat rudely running away from the smell of the orange pomander that I so carefully crafted.

What i found difficult

I’m not sure what whole cloves would have been used for in the Victorian era, but modern grocery stores don’t seem to think that they’re worth carrying. I ended up venturing out to the nearest Bulk Barn, which, for me, meant a 45 minute bus ride to St. James on a dark Winnipeg winter afternoon. 

While making the pomander, I found that pushing in the cloves started to hurt my thumbs after a while. If you have one, I would suggest using a thimble for that part of the craft.

Another downside to this project is that oranges, like all fruit, eventually rot, and punching holes into them only speeds up the process. I suggest making your pomanders a week or two before Christmas. I made mine about a week ago and they have already begun to look a bit mushy. 

I loved this craft, and I think it would be even more fun if I’d done it with others. It’s a great activity for sitting at the table with your family and catching up. It’s also something you can get super creative with! 

If you happen to make some pomanders this holiday season, share a picture or two with us on Facebook and Instagram @dalnavertmuseum !

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Sources

1. Lodge, Heather. “Pomander Balls - A Holiday Craft”, Greenwich Historical Society, https://greenwichhistory.org/pomander-balls-a-holiday-craft/ . Accessed 15 December 2023