The bleak winter season makes me crave all things cozy and inviting, including fragrances. While I enjoy filling my home with festive scents, I don’t love the toxic ingredients found within air fresheners and candles. It’s so easy to light Christmas candles and achieve that comfortable vibe, but did you know that synthetic fragrances are simply not good for your health?
These fragrances are in so many of the popular home products found at the grocery store. That’s just one reason why I’ve created my own recipes like Old Fashioned Christmas Pot Pourri, Apple Pie Pot Pourri Recipe, All Purpose Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Linen Spray, All Natural Febreeze, Laundry Detergent, and much more. Each of these products is chemical-free, scented with essential oils, made from basic ingredients (that you probably already own!), and completely safe for you and your family to utilize and breathe in.
Pomanders have been used for centuries as a way to naturally purify the air and cover up bad odors. They’re extremely simple to make, just stick an orange or another type of citrus with cloves and set in the desired space. The room will soon fill with a fresh and inviting aroma!
This post is all about orange pomander balls…how to make them and ways to use them around the home or as gifts. Continue reading if you want all of those details! This is a very inexpensive, simple, and non-toxic way to fill your space with a cozy and refreshing scent for the holidays. I’ve even listed a few more Christmas DIYs at the very end of this post. Enjoy!
Making Pomanders
- Take firm oranges and stud them with whole cloves.
- For a stronger aroma, cover the entire orange with cloves, and then roll it in a mixture of spices (such as 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1/4 cup powdered orris root). Leave the orange in the mix for a week, turning once a day.
- To hang your pomander, run a long wire through the orange; make a knot at the bottom and a loop at the top for hanging. Or, you can tie red ribbon around your pomander for a festive look!
Keep in Mind:
- You can also use a toothpick to make pre-made holes; this is helpful for children because the cloves can hurt their little hands.
- Be creative and arrange the cloves in diamonds, circles, or other patterns. As the orange dries, it will release a delicate, spicy fragrance.
Using Pomanders
- Arrange the cloves in special shapes and patterns (Christmas tree, star, snowflake, lines, circles, and so on).
- Add one to a centerpiece for your next holiday meal.
- Give to friends, teachers, and neighbors in a paper bag with a red ribbon!
- Use small oranges (or other small citrus) to create a fragrant ornament for the Christmas tree.
- Once dried, hang pomanders in your closet or add to your drawers like a sachet.
If you make this recipe and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you served it!
Why Avoid Synthetic Fragrances
Fragrance can also be labeled as ‘parfume’ and is considered a Trade Secret Ingredient. This means companies are not obligated to disclose exactly which ingredients make up the fragrance in their products. There are over 3,000 possible chemicals companies can chose from and hide under the term ‘fragrance’. These chemicals can cause health issues such as headaches, skin irritation, inability to focus, sinus and lung irritation, and may even be linked to more serious illnesses such as asthma, cancer, autism, birth defects, and allergic reactions.
The basic point is this. We, as consumers, are not told exactly what ‘fragrance’ means in a product. That is something I am not comfortable with, so I chose to rid my home (as much as I can) of those types of products and find replacements that are more natural. It gives me peace of mind to know what is in the products I place in my home, on my babies, and in my own body.
Living a toxic-free lifestyle is something we strive for, but please don’t simply take my word for it. I encourage you to do your own research and I believe you’ll find that my claims are not made up. In the end it is up to you to choose what things you fill your home with.
More Christmas Things
- Creating a Dried Orange Garland for Christmas
- Simple and Primitive Christmas Decorations
- Old Fashioned Christmas Pot Pourri
- Thriving Despite Winter Blues
- Joy in Winter
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