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Monday, December 5, 2011

Pomanders and much more...



Pomanders are pretty and  fill the home with fragrances of Christmas.






Pierce oranges with knitting needles first, then insert cloves.  Makes for quick and easy work.





Look what pretty dried roses. They will keep you happy all winter long.





 Roses are the easiest flowers to dry.  To ensure that they keep their vibrant colors place roses in a little water (only the stems not the rose heads) the night before.  The next day is when they go into a container. Slowly pour sand over the flowers until they are fully covered.  Place in dry and warm place for a week.  Pour sand off slowly. 





Our friends Christine and Steven drying Hollyhocks for the first time using sand from the Home Improvement store.  It is less expensive than the white silica type and actually gives better results. 




Can you tell which Hollyhocks have been dried?  It's those in the top left corner. Make sure that the sand is also dry or flowers will turn brown.





Dried Hollyhocks look fragile, they are actually quite sturdy.  You can glue them into Christmas wreaths.  But remember that they must be kept inside.




Pansies dry quickly and easily in sand.  However, these pansies, along with all the other little flowers, have been pressed in old books.  No need for a fancy flower press.





Think of all the special Christmas decorations you can make yourself. 






For a little extra inspiration you might want to order (Amazon) this very special book by Barbara Milo Ohrbach entitled "The Scented Room".  It contains easy-to-follow instructions.  Ms. Ohrbach has written several other fine books but this one remains my favorite.






You will find easy instructions and recipes for Floral Water, Wet and Dry Potpourri, Lavender Bottles, Scented Pillows, Pomanders, Wreaths and much more.  My personal favorites are the sachets made from antique floral ribbons. 

Happy creating, my dear Blogging Friends

Gina






28 comments:

  1. The flowers are soooo beautiful...I did not know that you could just use sand...a great craft!!! Have a beautiful week!!!

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  2. Love drying flowers and I am sure these lovlies shall turn out beautifully. The little handmade sachet pouches in the bottom image, are really sweet~

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  3. Gina, this looks amazing...your pics are just wonderful! I am inspired to make a pomander. The blooms are de lovely!

    Veronica
    Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds

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  4. Thanks for the tutorial, I have dried flowers before but not with your beautiful results. I did not use sand so that must be the trick. I can't wait to try again. Have a great week!

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  5. Gina,

    You are so talented. Your pomanders are just beautiful and just like little works of art!

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  6. Hi Thoughtfully, You might have to share the sand with a friend, they come in very large sacks.

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  7. Hi Mary, Have you tried drying flowers in ordinary builder's sand? Thank you for your visit.

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  8. Hi Veronica, Thank you for visiting. Hope you make a few Pomanders...they could become one of your new traditions.

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  9. Hi Leslie, I used to dry 200 roses a week. The main reason flowers don't turn out well is because either the sand or the flowers were not completely dry.

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  10. Hi Trish, Clementines are the easiest of the citrus fruit varieties to use for Pomanders. Give them a try. They are a great family project.

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  11. Beautiful, colorful photos Gina. I remember this store, Cherchez, and visited it in NYC several times so so long ago. Time for me to make more pomanders as mine ended up moldy on the bottom!
    Catherine

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  12. Hi Catherine, Her books, all of them, are very beautiful. Seeing her shop in person must have been a wonderful experience.
    You can cure pomanders by covering them with a spice mixture of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, orrisroot.

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  13. I am loving all the vivid colors of your blog! The flowers are gorgeous, we also dry starfish that way too.

    Sylvia

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  14. Hi Sylvia, thank you for your visit and sweet compliment. How interesting that you can dry starfish in sand. Thanks for thetip.

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  15. Wonderful post. Love the pomanders and thank you for the short lesson on drying flowers. I must look for the book!

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  16. The flowers dried beautifully, what a great tip to use sand. It would be so nice to do this and have beautiful flowers year round. Visiting from Seasonal Sunday.

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  17. Dear Snap, The book is still available at Amazon, even inexpensive used copies. Mine has been well used and shows lots of wear.

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  18. Yes, Karen! I am so proud of you! Another little tip: it is always a good idea to let flowers stand in a little water overnight and let the moisture evaporate from the flower heads. You must also dry your sand (in the sun, permitting, or in the oven) after you have used it for a while. Have fun. Gina

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  19. I would never have guessed you could dry hollyhocks. Everything you show today is rich with color and texture.

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  20. Hi Lulu, So glad you stopped by. Hollyhocks are some of the easiest flowers to dry. Anything that looks like a daisy is much more difficult. Hope you give drying flowers a try.

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  21. Wow! I haven't thought of that book in years. It was one of my favorites. Love to see all of your flowers drying. Thanks for bringing this post to Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  22. Dear Tablescaper, Milo Ohrbach has written so many wonderful books. So glad that you have also discovered her.

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  23. Great advice on drying flowers! I'm definitely trying this soon. Thank you!

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  24. Hello Bella, thank you for stopping by. The main thing to remember, when drying any kind of flowers, is to make sure that the flower heads have not been sprayed with water. You can leave the flower STEMS in wATER (because you are going to cut them off anyway) Have the flower heads dry and you will be rewarded with brilliant colors.

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  25. Hello! What exact kind of sand did you use from Home Depot? Thanks!

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    1. Hello Tina, I think it's called 35 grit builders sand. Any fine grained sand will do. You will be successful if your sand is very dry and the flower heads have had a chance to let the moisture evaporate.

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  26. Hi, thank you for such an informative post! Gorgeous pics! Would you be able to tell me how long the colors stayed vibrant, and how long they looked as beautiful as they did in your pics? A year? Or just a couple months?

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    1. Hello Mashal, It depends on where you place the dried flowers. If they are in bright light or even strong sun, they will only last about 6 to 8 months. If in a dark protected place they can last a couple of years.
      Happy New Year

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