Fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments

I’m so excited to share our handmade orange pomander ornaments as a part of the 10 Days of Kid-Made Christmas series hosted by Mama Miss. Read on for the simple (super-simple really!) how-to!

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.
Orange Pomander Ornaments inspired by The Sweet Smell of Christmas

Ad links included to products we love and used in this craft; read our disclosure policy here.

My favorite childhood Christmas story is The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry, a scratch and sniff book filled with all of the wonderful fragrances we often associate with the holidays. I scratched that book so much, but yet it never lost those magical scents!

Last year my mom started what is shaping up to be a treasured family tradition: a Christmas ornament making party. For this year’s craft, I suggested orange pomander ornaments based on my most-sniffed page of all in our book, which was a big, juicy Christmas orange.

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

Last weekend we gathered at my house to make our scented orange pomander ornaments: Mom, my sister Kathleen, Lilu, AB, and I. The five of us sat around my kitchen table, listening to Christmas carols (and later disco…yes, nothing says Christmas like disco!) laughing, dancing in (and out of) our chairs, and letting our creativity run wild.

I never imagined how beautiful our orange pomander ornaments would be — they were absolutely gorgeous! (And smelled incredible too!)

How to make beautiful and fragrant orange pomander ornaments. A craft easy enough for kids, but absolutely gorgeous on any tree!

This is a wonderful craft to do as a family because it is easy enough for an elementary-aged child to do with little assistance. However, grown-ups can add intricate details and create ornaments that are fit for a magazine-ready tree!

Here’s what you need to make Orange Pomander Ornaments:

 Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

  • Mandarins (we chose this smaller citrus fruit because size-wise it is perfect for small hands)
  • Whole cloves (we used an entire large container)
  • Decorative tinsel cord or tinsel wire (we had a few different types for variety)

All of the supplies needed for this craft set me back less than $20, and we ended up with about 12 of our Orange Pomander Ornaments.

We put a lot of time and care into each one, and we were just enjoying each other’s company — there were plenty of supplies left over. The cloves ran out first because we were very liberal with them!

 Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

How to make Easy Orange Pomanders

STEP ONE: We used a ballpoint pen to poke holes in the mandarin in which to insert the cloves. A pen works well because it is not too sharp, so young kids can handle it without worry. Mandarins are thinner skinned than oranges, so you can actually push the cloves in with your fingers, but Lilu preferred the pen technique.

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration. 

STEP TWO: Create patterns in your mandarin with cloves. We made designs, lines, spirals, and even spelled words. Lilu made one for her Aunt Kathleen where she spelled out “Kathleen” around the mandarin. Impressive!

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

STEP THREE: Tie the string around the mandarin and secure at the top in a knot or bow. You could use a hot glue gun to make sure it stays in place, but we didn’t need to — we actually used the cloves to help secure the string.

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

I love love love how our orange pomander ornaments turned out! I hung quite a few on the tree, but I also kept some on my kitchen counter so I’ll catch a whiff throughout the day. In that brief moment, I am a child again, excited and hopeful for the days of fun, festivities, and togetherness ahead.

It’s amazing how a simple scent can have such a profound effect! Is there a particular fragrance that embodies the holidays for you?

You might also like these holiday DIY projects:

Purchase the Sweet Smell of Christmas on Amazon:

The Sweet Smell of Christmas

Pin these Orange Pomander Ornaments on Pinterest:

Deliciously fragrant Orange Pomander Ornaments are a Christmas tradition and easy enough to make with kids. A beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

You might also like:

mason jar filled with fruit and spices to make homemade Christmas potpourri

Instant Pot Christmas Potpourri

10 Days of a Kid-Made Christmas

Click the image below to visit “home base” and see all of the crafts featured in this series.

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Here are all of the talented bloggers for Day 9:

Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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