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Fragrant Pomanders Are a Dead Simple Holiday Decoration

A bowl of pomanders arranged with some fragrant herbs.
Southern Living

When it comes to holiday decorating, it’s tough to beat the simplicity and fragrance of the humble pomander. Watch this video to see just how easy they are.

Pomanders, for the unfamiliar, are fragrant balls of herbs and spices used in the middle ages to ward off disease. This was back when germ theory was non-existent and people believed you could fall sick from foul vapors and such in the air. While the days of hoping to avoid the plague by huffing a bag of cinnamon and cloves is long behind us, pomanders live on as a holiday tradition in the form of citrus fruit studded with cloves. Courtesy of Southern Living, here’s how to make them:

Make some now, and you’ll enjoy the sweet and spicy scent of the pomanders well into the New Year. It takes ages for the oranges to dehydrate, especially if your home is particularly cool this time of year—so expect to get weeks of enjoyment out of the project.

Jason Fitzpatrick Jason Fitzpatrick
Jason Fitzpatrick is the Editor in Chief of LifeSavvy. He has over a decade of experience in publishing and has authored thousands of articles at LifeSavvy, Review Geek, How-To Geek, and Lifehacker. Read Full Bio »
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