Traditional fruit-based pomanders are easy to make and look very attractive piled into a wooden bowl or other container as a centerpiece for your Holiday table. There are many fruits to choose from as a base. My favorite is an orange or lemon.

Start by choosing a fruit that is fresh and has no bad spots or blemishes. Pierce the fruit from one end to the other with a wooden skewer. The skewer will remain in place to provide a hole to thread some ribbon for hanging when your project is completed.

Using a darning needle or small knitting need or large nail, poke a hole in the fruit and insert a clove with the pointed end in and the head of the clove resting on the skin of the fruit. Continue adding cloves until the entire surface of the orange is covered with cloves. The cloves should be spaced about 1/8" apart to allow the fruit to shrink as it dries. To vary the look of the fruit, you could also make designs with the cloves. When working with designs, I like to use a sharpie pen to draw the designs or lines that I will be following before beginning to add the cloves.

If desired, after your clove studded fruit is finished you can roll it in a spicy mixture to coat the fruit and add that unmistakably Christmas fragrance to your room. I mix one Tablespoon powdered orris root and one tablespoon of the following mixed spices: powdered cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Gently roll the fruit in this mixture to coat it with the spices. Place the fruit in a paper bag in a warm dry place for about three weeks, then discard the wooden skewer and place the fruit in a bowl of greens during the holidays. After the holidays thread the fruit with a piece of ribbon for hanging and place in your clothes closet. The fragrance of cloves will repel moths.