Holiday recycling crafts

I went to a fall wedding and came home with almost a dozen small canning jars full of home made peach preserves. It was a great gift to the guests, and I have been having preserves on my biscuits many mornings since. But when I empty a jar, I never want to throw it out. It might be useful for something...

I saved the wire edged ribbon that had decorated the jars. The harvest colors work through the holidays and through the year. With the empty jar, the ring and the ribbon, I found that I had the makings for a pomander.

Pomanders can be made from fruit dried with cloves pushed into the skin and hung from string or ribbons. I like an enclosed pomander with potpourri. That way you can make any scent, and there is less chance of it rotting instead of drying.

I took a look at what I had to put into my pomander. The kitchen is usually a great place for that. I chose three things - whole cloves, patchouli root and peppermint.
Note - do not eat patchouli. I have it because I make my own tinctures and perfumes.

I put my dry ingredients into the jar, folded the ribbon in half and put it accrost the mouth of the jar. The wire edge helps to keep it taut and the potpourri in the jar. The ring goes on and holds the ribbon in place. With the ribbon looped, you can hang it off of almost anything. If the ribbon is smaller, I just fold it until it does cover the mouth of the jar.

I have one in my kitchen above the sink.

The one I just made has gone into the front hall closet.

The other pomanders I make this way will be scattered through the house in closets and a few will be saved to go to people for stocking stuffers for the holidays.

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