Fragrant and Lovely Pomanders: The Perfect Winter Centerpiece (For Tu B'Shevat)

These gorgeous pomanders are an amazing winter project! They'll fill your home with the most delicious aroma of orange-scented cloves and you can make them without a huge investment of time. Sit down with the kids, or a friend, and make some together, that's what I did! Even my 4.5 year old had great success with this project, with Mom only filling in a few holes at the end.
As far as displaying your works of art, well traditionally pomanders were hung, which you can certainly choose to do, or why not display them individually atop candlesticks and placed in footed goblets. Or how about making a whole bunch and filling a cupcake stand for a special occasion. Wow!
You'll Need:

• oranges(or any citrus fruit except tangerines and mandarine oranges, their skin is too thin)
• whole cloves (make sure you have enough, at least 2 grocery store spice containers full, you don't want to run out mid project!)
• star anise for a beautiful accent (optional, probably only available in a specialty  spice shop)
• ribbon— either gorgeous metallic for an elegant look, or colorful for a more festive look
• tape — either electric tape or masking tape, in a few widths, or cut tape to desired width

How To:

Step 1:  Place tape on orange to define areas, as shown
Step 2:  Place cloves one next to another, using the tape as a guide. One row of cloves defining every area is really enough, though you can choose to add more if you like, or fill in entire areas. Just remember, it's wiser to spend time making a nice simple collection of pomanders than to invest lots of time in one (in my humble opinion).
Step 3: Remove the tape and place ribbon in its place. Tie with a bow or a knot, whichever suites your style. I used wired ribbon so I was able to shape the ends nicely.
Note: Free form designs such as the spiral make a nice complement to the geometric ribbon covered versions, though I don't really have any great tips for that. I did it by eye as the permanent marker I tried to use didn't adhere to the orange peel. Any ideas?
I hope you'll enjoy this wonderful project and do take pictures of your creations to share in the flickr group I'm setting up. all the best, it's finally pouring buckets here, a huge blessing as we are in desperate need of water for our water supply