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Pomander Tealight Candle Holder
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Make Your Own Pomander Candles

Active Time1 hour
Keyword: crafts, Holiday
Yield: 3 Candles
Cost: $20.00

Equipment

  • Paring knife with a short blade
  • Exacto knife
  • Spoon
  • Bamboo Skewers

Materials

  • 3 oranges thick-skinned
  • 1/4 cup whole cloves (or more or less, depending on your preference)
  • 3 tealight candles beeswax is best plus more to refill as desired

Instructions

  • Hold a tealight up against the top of the first orange, and use the Exacto knife to cut the outline of the tealight into the orange. Then use your paring knife to carve the section deeper into the orange.
  • Next, use your spoon to scrape out the section you have carved so that the tealight can fit all the way in so that the lip of the tealight is just slightly above the edge in the orange. Remove the tealight.
  • Now you can begin creating your pattern. To do so, take a bamboo skewer and use the tip to puncher the skin of the orange, you only need to push the skewer in enough so that the clove will fit. You can choose to create shapes such as stars and hearts or you can make patterns.
  • Once your pattern is complete or once you have completed a section, you can begin to push the cloves into the holes you created with the skewer. Continue until you have completed your design and all holes have been filled with a clove. Place the tealight back into the space you carved out and that's it! Now you can move on to the next orange.
  • Place your pomanders on a small plate, or a bunch of them on a tray. Light, and enjoy.

Notes

You can also make pomanders that are not candleholders, simply skip the steps for carving the candle space and create your design over the full orange. 
Some additional options (https://www.almanac.com/content/how-make-pomander-balls)
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, ¼ 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!
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