Holiday Herbs for Fragrance & Decor
drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection." Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past.
Olfactory-triggered nostalgia fills the air at Christmas time. In particular, the aroma of coriander, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and cinnamon open the floodgates to memories of Christmases past.
Decorations like pomanders add beauty to your home during the festive season. Making them is a fun project for the whole family. Children get enthusiastically involved in the hands-on creative activity. Make a Holiday Pomander
To make a holiday pomander you will need the following: · 4-6 firm, thin-skinned oranges (lemons and/or limes will also work) · ½ cup (125ml) of ground cinnamon · ¼ cup (60ml) of ground cloves · Approximately 100 grams of whole cloves · 1 Tbsp. (15ml) of ground allspice · 1 Tbsp. (15ml) of ground nutmeg · 1 Tbsp. (15ml) of orrisroot. The cloves should completely cover the oranges if you're planning to display the pomanders in a bowl. If you want to hang them from the Christmas tree or mantelpiece, leave a half-inch vertical groove around the fruit to accommodate the ribbon. The cloves can be directly inserted into the oranges, but to avoid bruising the fruit, first piece the skin with a skewer.
The cloves should be close, but not crowded or touching. The fruit will shrink to about 75 per cent of its original size during the curing process. Also, the skin may split if the cloves are too close. Don't leave a half-studded orange to finish the next day as rot may start to set in.
Mix the curing spices, the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and orrisroot in a small bowl. Orrisroot is the ground, dried root of the orris iris. It's commonly used to "fix" or set the fragrance of the other ingredients in pot-pourris and perfumery and has a barely perceptible fragrance of violets. It's readily available in any craft or floral supply store.
Place half the mixture in a large bowl and lay the studded pomanders on top. Pour the rest of the spice mix over the pomanders so that they are completely covered. Add more spice mixture if necessary. Place the pomanders in a dry, dark closet and turn them daily. Depending on the fruit and its size, the curing process will take three to four weeks. When the pomanders are firm, they are cured.
The pomanders are fragrant, spirit-lifting and beautiful, they will also repel moths when hung in your closet or placed in drawers. They will last forever. When their scent wanes, just add a little essential oil of your choice. Fun and Fragrant Garlands
Garlands are another simple holiday decoration for fragrance and fun. Take pieces of kitchen twine and suspend bunches of fresh, dried herbs and slices of dried fruit such as apples, oranges and lemons. Dried fruit slices can be purchased from your local craft store, but if you prefer to do it yourself, use a dehydrator or slice the fruit thinly, then place them on a rack in a 95 degree C (200F) oven for about six hours.
For the first two or three hours it's best to prop open the oven door just a crack with a wooden spoon to allow the moisture to escape. When drying apples, first dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a quarter cup of lemon juice. Dip the apple slices in this solution and they will retain their natural color after drying.
Suggested herbs for your garland or swag would be sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks, but you can use whatever is available. Add small bunches of holly and mistletoe for extra decoration. Herbal Table Napkins
Herbal table napkin holders make a fragrant and appealing table decoration. Fasten a small herbal bouquet of parsley, rosemary, sage or thyme with an elastic band and tie the bouquet directly to the napkin ring with a ribbon in a bow. The choice of herbs will be determined by what's still thriving in your garden or what's available in the stores. The herbs must be fresh. Dried herbs will just make a mess on your table.
Make this Christmas especially festive and fragrant while involving your children or grandchildren in these creative projects.
Related Tags: christmas decorations, aromatherapy, crafting christmas decorations, holiday pomanders and garlands
Bruce Burnett is a chartered herbalist who has also won four Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards for travel journalism. Read more of Bruce Burnett's writing on his websites:
1. http://www.globalramble.com/
2. http://www.bruceburnett.ca/
3. http://www.herbalcuisine.com/
Recent articles in this category:
- Home Wall Art: Get Value For Your Money
If you have a beautiful home, it is only natural that you may want to decorate it so as to make it m - Bejeweled by Mens Ring Tiffany
Tiffany & Co. is one of the largest jewelry companies in the USA that has expanded the market in mos - Inexpensive Ideas in Making Wedding Centerpieces
One practical way to cut down the wedding expenses is to consider do-it-yourself ideas. There are se - Preserve Moments With Picture Frames
Of course we don't want our memories to suffer the brink of oblivion that is why we always try hard - For Home Decor, Try Wall Art Prints
In order to make a smaller room look and feel bigger, many home interior decorators will use large w - How to Choose the Right Gift For Your Bridal Party
Your wedding day will likely be shared with friends and family members who mean the world to you. A - Beautiful Baby Shower Napkins
There are many thoughtful and creative things that you can make for your soon-to-be bride friend. Sh - Learn How To Decorate Your Living Space With Abstract Wall Art
Abstract wall art can offer you different ways to decorate or redecorate and express yourself. A lot - Adding Class to Your Home With Wall Art Painting
Since mankind's dawn the wall art painting has been a desired form of decorations. Early cave dwelli - Use Fine Art Oil Painting To Decorate Your Living Space
There are many good things towards buying fine art oil paintings for your home. For example: If one
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Homemade Baby Gifts and Instructions Ideas
A baby shower is a wonderful event that is filled with joy and happiness. Getting a perfect and un - Enter Photo Competitions
A great morale booster is to win or even place in a highly regarded competition. Many professional p - Why I Love Melt And Pour Soap Making
I love making soap using the melt and pour soap making method. In my experience it's the easiest way - How To Do Metal Detecting In Dry Sand?
In general, larger searchcoils will give better depth with larger targets and better ground coverage - How to Face Paint: 5 Things You Must Know Before Getting Started
Learning how to face paint can be easy and lots of fun once you know how. It's a great way to have f - Tips For Metal Detecting
A pulsing current is applied to the coil, which then induces a magnetic field shown in blue. When th - Christmas Soap Making
Since Christmas is almost here, what could be a better gift than Christmas themed hand made soap to - Why Choose a Wine Gift Basket?
A wine gift basket is probably one of the most beautiful gifts that a person is likely to receive. - Create A Metal Detecting Book
Are you purchasing a detector to use occasionally at a lake or beach? Or do you now find yourself wi - Simple Face Painting Designs: Where Can I Find Them?
If you're looking for simple face painting designs, you're not alone. Trying to find simple face pai