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A homemade dried orange garland adds a touch of charm to your seasonal Christmas decorations and it’s easy to make this DIY dried orange garland yourself, even if you don’t often do craft projects. Once you know how to make a dried citrus garland, you will be able to introduce both seasonal scent and colour into your home.
A garland of orange slices is great for decorating your Christmas tree or you could hang it on the wall, the back of a door or even on the banister. You can even display it during the spring or summer.
If you enjoy Christmas crafting, you might also want to make a salt dough gingerbread man garland, crochet star garland or felt Christmas tree garland.
What You Need to Make an Orange Slice Garland
Navel orange slices and key lime slices are strung up with cotton twine to make a perfect dried orange garland. The only other thing you need for dried orange ornaments is a sharp knife to cut the fruit and a darning needle to thread the dried orange slices together.
How to Make Orange Garlands
The first step in making this dried orange garland decoration is making the dried oranges. Use a sharp knife to cut navel oranges into slices and use a paper towel to pat off the excess moisture. Slice oranges thinly so they take less time to bake and end up easier to thread.
Arrange the orange slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook them for several hours or until stiff. Dry the limes the same way – they will only take one hour though.
To check whether your dried orange and lime are ready, see if the thin slices are still bendy. If you can still bend a slice, give them some more time in the oven.
Once your dried oranges slices and dried lime slices are cool, you can make lovely garlands with your dehydrated fruit by threading the slices on to cotton twine using a yarn needle.
Variations to Consider
You can have as much or as little space between each dried orange slice and dried lime slice as you wish, or even have them overlapping, as you prefer. You can also omit the limes and just used dried orange for your garland.
Personalize your homemade dried orange garland to your heart’s content by adding cinnamon sticks or other whole spices such as star anise, wooden beads, ribbons, fresh herbs, or other cute decorations such as real or faux berries. If you’re in a rush you can even buy dried orange slices instead of making your own.
Blood oranges and lemons can take the place of the navel orange and limes if you prefer, or you can use just one kind of fruit.
How to Display a Dried Orange Garland
Hang one dried orange garland or make several and loosely wrap them around each other for more of a statement piece. They look great anywhere, such as over the fireplace, around the stair banister, on the back of a door, or even on your front door, and they also make nice gifts.
Why not make some other festive holiday decor and mix and match your Christmas display? You could even work on a different project every year and then you will have plenty of special, unique handmade items to decorate your home during the festive season.
How to Store Your Dried Orange Garland
A DIY dried citrus garland should last for a couple of years, as long as you keep it somewhere cool and very dry, preferably wrapped in paper and then in an airtight container. Since this citrusy decoration for Christmas trees is made from fresh fruit, any moisture is going to make it rot.
How to Make a Dried Citrus Holiday Garland
Dried Orange and Lime Garland
Equipment
Supplies
Materials:
- 6 navel oranges
- 8 key limes
- 6 Feet cotton twine
Instructions
- Cut your oranges into thin slices about ⅛” ot ¼” thick
- Lay out the orange slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and dab each round with a paper towel to remove excess juice.
- Cut the limes the same way, and dab with a paper towel to remove excess juice. Place them on a separate baking sheet.
- Dry the oranges in the middle rack of the oven on 250 degrees F for 3 to 4 hours or until they are not bendy and starting to brown slightly on the peel. Flip them every 30 min to make sure they dry evenly.
- Dry the limes for one hour at the same temperature.
- Let the citrus cool completely before stringing them together.
- Use a darning needle and poke through the flesh of the orange (not the rind) to sew the citrus together.
Notes
Now you know how easy it is to make your own dried orange garland for the holiday season, you will want to stock up on oranges and get ready to make this easy holiday decor which adds colour, style and scent to your home.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
