December 12
Tudor Christmas Crafts

Here are some history-linked Christmas craft ideas for you to have a go at.

Making an orange pomander

From the middle ages right up to the 1700s, pomanders were carried, held to the nose, suspended on chains or girdles or hung in rooms to ward off bad smells, freshen clothes and make the wearer smell nice. It was also believed that these sweet smelling herbs and spices could ward off infectious diseases and protect the wearer from illness.

Pomanders could be as simple as an orange studded with cloves and rolled in spices - a “poor man's pomander” that Cardinal Wolsey was said to have carried around with him and held to his nose – or a lozenge or aromatic ball of substances like resin, gum, wax or dirt mixed with musk, rose petals, herbs and spices carried around in a small perforated case attached to a girdle or belt.

An orange pomander is easy to make:

Or how about these lovely pomander-inspired Christmas decorations?

This Tudor kissing bough is beautiful:

You can see further instructions at http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/how-to-make-traditional-tudor-christmas-decorations/