Dear Canada: A step back in time

Pomander Ball

Lemons, oranges and apples studded with cloves brought sunny colours and sweet, spicy scents into pioneer homes at Christmastime — and made welcome gifts. Hung with ribbon, they were used to freshen closets or brighten holiday greenery.

Materials:

• An apple, orange, or lemon
• A felt marker
• Whole cloves
• A toothpick
• Scissors
• Narrow ribbon

Directions:

1. Trace around your mug or bowl onto the material.
2. Cut out the circle you have drawn.
3. Sew around the edge of the circle using a running stitch, but don't clip the thread ends — just take out the needle.
4. Trace around the curtain ring onto the cardboard, then cut around it.
5. Stick the card to one side of your curtain ring with glue.
6. Take the material, and pull the thread tight.
7. Stuff the material "bag" with the batting until it is full and round, then pull the thread until the bag is closed.
8. Glue the stuffed ball onto the curtain ring and wait for it to dry. Now stick a pin in it — you're done!

Pioneer Christmas Crafts, text © 1999 by Heather Patterson and Joanna Rice. Photographs by Wally Randall and illustrations by Susan Gardos are copyright © 1999 by Scholastic Canada Ltd.