Aromatic Christmas Ornaments

Oranges have been a traditional Christmas gift for centuries. Its origin stems from the rareness of these citrus fruits. Many years ago, it was very expensive to purchase oranges, and Christmas time was when they were "in season", so they could be purchased as elaborate and expensive gifts. As well, many children would put oranges, carrots and hay in their shoes for a gift for Santa's reindeer.

The Orange Christmas Ornament, is one of my favourite Christmas Traditions. I have previously mentioned how much I love Aromatherapy, and this gift has a fragrance that will fill your home with a wonderful warm aroma for about 2 weeks. It is also incredibly easy to make. 

Aromatherapy:

Orange Oil : Orange is delightfully bright, cheery, and a strong antidepressant! It is also refreshing and relaxing. Which makes it a perfect scent for the holidays!! 

Clove Buds : First, clove has a very valuable first aid benefit. It actually numbs the nerves, making it an emergency treatment for toothaches. It's scent is said to be an aphrodisiac in small quantities. It is also stimulating to the mind and memory, helpful in cases of fatigue and depression. It is also used for various pulmonary afflictions such as asthma, sinus infections and bronchitis. 

Pairing these two scents together will make a wonderful, uplifting scent for the Holiday Season.

What You Will Need :

- Oranges

- Bowl of clove buds ( best purchased in bulk from Bulk Barn )

- Ribbon

- Toothpicks

- Small ornaments for decoration

Step 1: Wrap the ribbon around the oranges in an "X" or cross pattern and trace out where your ribbon will be going to hold up the orange. This gives us a template for where we will be putting our cloves.

Step 2 : Use a toothpick and poke holes in the spaces where there will not be ribbon. I always do straight lines from top to bottom. It is MUCH easier to use the toothpick first instead of trying to push the cloves right in. Your fingers will get very sore if you don't use the toothpick! Once your holes are made, insert clove buds.

Step 3 : Repeat for all 4 sections

Step 4 : Wrap your ribbon around the orange, so that you can tie it at the top. I used two different styles of ribbon, so that the thicker style could be tied in a bow, and the thin style used to hang the orange.

Step 5 : Tie a small ornament onto the top of the orange for a decoration. I used small Christmas bells, purchased from Dollarama. 

Step 6 : Hang or give your ornament as a gift!!

These are an easy home-made gift done on a budget that everyone will love! They DO spoil, so they should not be kept longer than 2 weeks. Merry Christmas!!