Spending time wisely making orange pomanders

I was introduced to a wonderful Christmas tradition by a new, and hopefully lifelong, friend the other night -- the orange pomander. I had never heard of these lovely natural ornaments  before (don't laugh if this is something that you've known about for ages!), and was so enchanted by their beauty and their marvelous scent.

Today, after days of having sick kids, I decided that we needed to do something fun. So, I went and got what we needed to make some pomanders as little gifts for loved ones and neighbors. I hope everyone appreciates them as much as I did when I first saw them (of course, mine pale in comparison to the sample I was shown by my friend who has been making them for years -- I'm sure I'll improve with time! For instance, bigger ribbon!)

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. (Rom 12:9-10) An excellent quote to add on a note card for gift giving!

I can tell you, that no matter how they look, the time spent making them with the kids was precious. It took us about 20 min. to push all the cloves into a medium sized orange, then we rolled them in spices and I wrapped the ribbon around. Now, they need to dry -- but, I figure they can dry as they dangle in the recipient's kitchen!

Thanks, Monica, for making this "not so creative" individual feel like she could do something really special!

Here's how to make one: