For me, festive fragrances play a huge role in turning a home into a cosy Christmas grotto. So much activity happens during December that creates incredible aromas: Gingerbread in the oven, wood on the fire, Christmas tree pine needles, that sugary smell that emerges from a newly opened tin of Quality Streets...
But until celebrations crank up a notch, a quick way to introduce some Christmas anticipation into your home without the sugary overkill is via festive fruits. A great transitional fragrance from autumn to winter, they are all over my Pinterest feed at the moment, in all scents and sizes.
Here are my favourites:
Cloved Oranges
Difficulty rating: Medium
Cloved oranges (traditionally known as pomanders) smell incredible. Not only that, but pop them in a bowl and you've got one good looking centre piece on your hands.
Scroll down for my top tips...
TOP TIPS
- I'll be honest, while they look easy, they're not! Cutting the zest deep enough to make an indent while trying to maintain a decent pattern is tricky.
- Use a skewer to pierce the hole for your clove first as it'll make it easier to sit the clove in the pith.
- Be VERY careful. These cloved oranges were created with a knife but I would have used the corner of a citrus zester if I had one. I definitely wouldn't recommend using a knife - way too dangerous, especially when you're working with a waxy round object.
- For extra fragrance, roll your oranges in ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and (more!) cloves.
Dried Fruit
Difficulty rating: Easy
In the days before glass baubles and snow globes, people used dried fruit to decorate their homes and add a festive fragrance. Mama B recently purchased a food dehydrator to create her own fruit decorations and here's the result:
It's incredible what you can do with them. Every year, my local shopping centre hosts a festive fruit stall. You can purchase wreaths...
Or a full-blown REINDEER!
Whether you make your own or purchase a wreath or two, definitely try this Pinterest trend out and let me know what you think.
And for those who want to completely embrace the trend, I urge you to try Pret's orange spiced hot chocolate. It's like drinking Christmas (and isn't as pricey as Starbucks):
Why not go all-out and make a fruit-filled Mary Berry Christmas cake? - Baking it will unleash the most incredible Christmas aroma to your home.