Nature with nature… to me, the most beautiful way to decorate for the season. The scent of freshly-cut pine mingling with cinnamon sticks, clove-speckled oranges, a wreath of eucalyptus greeting you at the door.
Today I’m sharing an incredibly easy way to add that natural touch to your holiday decor. This dried citrus garland not only adds a pop of vibrant color to your tree or mantle, but the warm and spicy scent will infuse the air throughout your home, making it all the cozier. These dried orange disks can also easily be turned into ornaments, gift-toppers, or used as air fresheners throughout your space.
Read on for the tutorial:
Dried Orange Garland:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 3 hours
Materials:
Oranges (I used 2 oranges for a 3′ garland)
A sharp knife
Parchment paper or a baking mat
Cookie sheet
Twine
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. While the oven is warming, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the oranges cross-wise. Each slice should be no larger than 1/4-inch thick.
Pat the slices dry with a paper towel and lay flat on the baking sheet. Bake for about 3 hours, or until oranges are dehydrated but not burnt. To ensure the oranges dry flat, flip them over halfway through the baking process.
To make the garland, poke two holes at the top of each orange slice. I used the sharp end of a drafting compass, but a small nail would work well, too. Thread the string through the holes, spacing the oranges evenly from one another.
Keep threading the oranges through until all the slices are hanging from the string. Tie off each end of string in a loop. Hang over your mantle or over a window, or use it as a decoration for your tree when the time comes.
How are you decorating for the holidays? Be sure to share in the comments!
More DIY ideas from the BLDG 25 blog!
This is such a cute idea! Very festive!
http://www.liquidgrain.co.uk
So pretty – and I bet it smells amazing! Would love to see this on a tree.
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
Oh my, I really, really want to put this on my tree. I am afraid my dogs will try to eat it! Maybe hanging from the ceiling above the tree, or right above the hall entryway…
http://lamentinglizzie.blogspot.com
Beautiful! I was just trying to think of a creative DIY garland. Will try this weekend. Thanks!
Beautiful! However, I think I’ll save this for the spring and summer decorations. Perhaps a blood orange would be better to bring in that deep red color!
xoxo Kennedy
Northern Indigo
So excited to try this, nothing better than a garland !!
http://oldromantics.blogspot.co.uk
*GASP* That is so crazy cool! Need to make this for my room! :D
What a cool idea! Would you be able to tell us approximately how long this will last? :)
Featured here https://twineanchorandthyme.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/ta-chanson-preferee-pt-2/ !
Thank you!
Bisous!
Does this work for apples too? Thank you!
Cindy – I’ve never tried it with apples – but it’s worth a shot :)
i tried this for thanksgiving as a decor by the table and it turned out great!!
I’m late to this party, but have a question… does this last from year to year? If I made it now and used it for winter/spring, would it last to be reinvented at Christmastime? I could always do it again, I guess, but just wondering.
I’ll add cranberries in between the oranges to add to the festiveness. A large bore needle with string or twine should work great!