Colonial Crafternoon

Potpourri & Pomanders

Learn the art of making potpourri and pomanders, crafts that were popular during Colonial America.

Pomanders and potpourri enjoyed wide use during the colonial era.  Pomanders are balls of perfumed materials made of ingredients like ambergris, musk or spices.  Oranges and cloves are often used to create pomanders.  People carried them, in the belief, that they warded off disease and unpleasant smells.  The word pomander derives from the French pomme d'ambre or apple amber.  Potpourri is a mixture of dried plant materials that provide a pleasant scent.  Potpourri is derived from the word pot-pourri, which is the French name for a Spanish stew with many ingredients called, olla podrida.  It is sometimes used as an alternative for the word medley.

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