Let’s Make Orange Pomanders!
I can cook. I mean… I can really cook. I can walk around in a pair of heels without looking like a weirdo…. and I know how to apply lip liner if the occasion requires.
I am not, however, a domestic goddess. Not at all. Nope.
I’m not one of those ladies who has Christmas ornaments in the basement. I don’t have a shelving system dedicated to wrapping paper and corresponding ribbons. I don’t even know what a holiday wreath is. Stockings by the fire? Shut it. Yule logs burning? What are you even talking about? Beautifully decorated Christmas tree? No… I just.. I just… I don’t have that.
It’s cool. I can’t be everything. I don’t even want to be everything. You know what I do want to be…? I want to be like Nigella Lawson covered in caramel… because then Christmas trees don’t really matter at all.
Oh, and just to be safe… I’ll put a mini Santa hat on my cat and call it a day.
My house smells like Orange Pomanders… I gotta go. The caramel is boiling.
If you’re a spazzzzz like me… here’s a little lesson on properly securing the ribbon.
It’s not a Christmas bow, but I love it all the same.
99 Comments Add A Comment
Oh, I love this. I wondered if it would really smell that great, but everyone’s comments assure me! I will definitely try this!
This is about as domestic as I can muster. There’s about 10 boxes of Christmas stuff in my attic which I just cannot summon the energy to take down and spent hours arranging and decorating. Hoping some magic elf comes and does it for me.
Love making these. If you are working with children, using clementines instead of oranges makes it a bit easier for them to manage the cloves. Thanks
Joy, I just made some spiced orange cupcakes with brown sugar icing last night and posted them on my blog today. I thought everyone had forgotten about clove studded oranges (except me, naturally) until I saw your blog. <3
I had no idea these had a real name. I’ve always just called them clove-stuff oranges. But I can definitely dig on pomanders.
I do love me some Nigella Lawson. Ms. Lawson hung out in my friend’s kitchen a few years ago, wanting to interview her family for their Italian recipes. My friend’s father is a career waiter/cook in London, who emigrated to the city after scraping enough money to ship out of southern Italy when he was a teenager. (He met his wife, who is also Italian, when he waited on her. He convinced her that he needed English lessons and then bam! love.) So a few years ago when Nigella was doing a bit on Italian families in London, she somehow heard about my friend’s father and his legendary waiter abilities/love for food. So the whole family got to hang out and cook with Nigella! So, so jealous. (authority has it that she really is the nicest, most intelligent and humble person around.)
How long do you think these will last before the oranges start to go a bit soft and then, eventually, mouldy? I would like to make these, but I do not like mouldy oranges.
the oranges will last at least a week. it just depends on the oranges and on your environment. keep an eye on em.
what a fun craft, and so pretty!
I’m obsessed with pomanders of all kinds (and Nigella, of course), but I haven’t made orange ones yet this year. I did, however, just do a mistletoe pomander tutorial on my blog.
Oh, and I totally relate about not being a complete domestic goddess. I’m not even having a tree this year because I’m moving. :(
I love making these, but mine don’t usually include the cute wrappy ties! Such a good idea!
Have loved your site for years, but this is my first comment! m Also I’m looking forward to your cookbook as a birthday gift to myself next year, yum. Anyway, since you were heading to the kitchen to make or eat caramel after the orange pomanders… do you have a recipe to share for homemade caramel candy? You know the lovely chunks that stick to your teeth but are oh so creamy, golden and good. Thanks
How cute… very festive, Joy. And you said you couldn’t do it.. oh, oh Joy.
Loved the pic of Nigella in your link! Reminds me of Woman on Top. Nothing wrong with being sexy in the kitchen. Food is sexy!
I completely forgot that I made these once when I was 9 or 10 years old…thanks for the reminder! I think we ended up completely covering ours in cloves and sticking them in the oven for a bit…they smelled like Christmas!
I have seen these around but have never made them! Thank you so much, it’s on my list for this rainy Sunday! I just got back from vacation to the first package from you! It’s AWESOME!! What a great idea! Thank you.
I fully plan on “inhaling the holiday.” Thanks!
LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE them…..
Such a fun and wonderful craft for holidays….
Beautiful!!!!
I have never heard of this before, but thought they looked so gorgeous that I made my own 2day! Now our house smells sweet & summery – perfect for an australian Christmas. I hung mine on the tree!
You totally just taught me something new about the holidays. I’m thrilled to recreate your magic…. U got nice designs going on with the cloves an string-I can’t tell you aren’t a lil Martha-y! I love the props you choose, the set up of your shots, and the pics when you doodle and write on paper, the words in your posts, all they beauty that comes out of your work is creative. Creative produces crafty successfully… Pretty Pomanders!
I can honestly say I have no idea what these are, but they sure do look cute. haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wncEeJZqzM
We made these for Christmas every year as kids, but they never looked this beautiful! Now that I’m a bit more dexterous, I might have to revive the tradition and make some of these pretty ones.
Pomanders are the original room fresheners. Before there was Glade or Febreze, there were pomanders. I think I will be making these this year; they look like great little gifts. Thanks, Joy!
love it!
If only I liked the smell of oranges!! These are gorgeous!
Uh…, I’m a guy,& I kinda wish you’d seriously consider that all mention of you being covered in caramel be carefully left on the wide shoulder of the internet superhighway.
I get your essay & recipes &c in my e-mail; if I have a mental image of Joy the baker having been caramel -coated, my hands tremble too much to write anything…take it easy on us! Just cause it seems we get excited, hyperventilate, growl, grovel and/or drool(however slightly) when we contemplate this sorta thing don’t necessarily mean we ain’t hooman!
Is it just me or are those some seriously perfect oranges? You don’t just pick those up at the supermarket. Awesome idea!
In Norway we stick 24 cloves in it on December 1st, and pull out one every day until Christms eve : )
However, after making and looking after my own for the first time, I’m starting to suspect that my mum used to secretly change out the oranges when we were little.
You know….I was surprised because I have never heard of this. It seems great!!!! Wondering if something similar could be done with pinecones….I like cloves so much!
Bold and beautiful with the natural scents of the holidays….the perfect offense to eliminating my roommate’s incessant spritzing of holiday air fresheners…”Oh Jessica, check out my new Pine After My Heart fragrance”- BAM! Pomander to the face!! Can’t wait to try these Joy they look stunning.
Joy,
I wanted to thank you for the gift in the mail! It was very sweet, and I think it will be a perfect gift for one of my cousins. She is just finishing up high school, so a planner like that will be great for her! Thanks again!
I picked up my holiday decor at Trader Joe’s last weekend for $3.99 – a mini potted Christmas tree that is currently the centerpiece on my dining table. Oh yeah, it’s like Martha Stewart central up in here!
Oh , it smells soo good! Like fireplaces in winter nights.
I made these, and they looked and smelled so festive. Thanks for the great idea!!
Ha! I read this article in the stylist last week, it was quite a sight to see a whole tube car filled with people reading this article with Nigellas caramel drenched face on the cover. Not your usual morning commute! I think everyone went to work a bit happier that day.
Years and years ago I made a ribbon-wrapped orange pomander much like these, but I studded the entire thing with cloves! (Except where the ribbon was.) That sucker dried out really well and shrank to about 2/3 of its original size. My sisters’ half studded oranges turned moldy after a week or two. Mine smelled amazing up until I lost it in a move a few years later. We bought a huge bulk container of cloves for the project.
nice lantern! oh, how i love pomanders!
I’m laughing out loud in my cubicle! Love the “Shut it!” part!!
This is so adorable! I will have to remember for next year! xx
adahliavolk.com
Any ideas for springtime? I sort of want to do this all year round.