Make DIY Dried Orange Garland: The Quick Way
Make your home smell amazing with this quick and easy dried orange garland tutorial
What is better than decor that is super simple, practically free, and makes your home smell amazing?
Probably a few things but I know the list isn’t long!
This year I made my own real garland using leftover stems from our tree and also a little outside foraging.
It turned out beautiful but it still needed a little something extra…
So I decided to add a dried citrus garland using oranges I already had on hand (last week our toddler liked them, this week he doesn’t even like to look at them…).
I used two different drying methods to make the process super quick and easy!
Dried Orange Garland
Supplies:
- Oranges or other citrus fruit
- Ribbon/twine/string
- Large sewing needle or finishing nail
How to make dried citrus garland
The first step is to wash and dry your oranges, nobody likes a dirty citrus garland 😉
Next cut the orange into very thin slices, using a serrated knife preferably.
Once the slices are cut, blot both sides with a paper towel to remove some of the juice.
Dry Oranges for Garland
There are a couple of methods for drying oranges for garland and I used two different types for this project so I could compare them.
TIP: dry even the “ugly” and end pieces because they can be used to make spices or even put in there super cute DIY fire starters!
The first is the air fryer method which I detailed in this post.
The second is on the pellet grill, normally people use an oven but ours has not arrived yet…
Both were much quicker than an oven though, the pellet grill being the quickest!
With both drying methods I laid the slices on Saran wrap and baked at 180 degrees flipping the slices every 30 minutes.
How to Tell If Orange Slices are Dry
Drying methods will vary times wise so its best to feel for dryness instead of going with a standard amount of time.
You will know the oranges are dry if the white middle is hard and the surrounding orange feels only slightly sticky.
If you let the oranges cook too long they will burn, so be careful of that.
Once they are dried place them on a baking sheet to cool.
Making the Dried Orange Garland
Now it’s time to make the actual garland!
Start by threading your ribbon or string into a large needle or if you don’t have one of those you can use a finishing nail (ya gotta work with what ya got y’all).
Push the needle into the center of the orange slice being sure to space them as evenly apart as you can.
You can space them as far or as close together as you want, I spaced mine about two inches-ish apart.
A lot of people tie knots in their string to hold the oranges in place, this method takes too long and never quite works out for me…
Instead after I have the oranges on the string I used a hot glue gun and a dab of glue to secure the string.
Citrus Garland Reveal
That’s it, talk about the easiest DIY decor project ever!
This is one of my favorite Christmas time projects because it looks so classic and also smells amazing.
For some reason I have been really pulled to do more handmade decorating this Christmas, like our clay ornaments.
It makes our home feel full of character and extra cozy.
Plus I love when Eli pops in to offer his assistance, it’s short lived because you know toddlers are busy, but it still makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Decorating our home this year has felt very memorable and projects like these I hope to turn into traditions that Eli will remember forever.
I hope this Christmas feels that way for y’all too, remember to slow down and enjoy the moment during all the hustle and bustle this year!
You Might Also Like:
How To Dry Orange Slices for Decoration
Vintage Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas
Free Christmas Centerpiece For The Table
How to Make Homemade Fire Starters: That Smell Amazing
