Stunning Dried Orange Garland

It is so, so nearly Christmas and I am so, so excited! I love it when it’s this close to Christmas and everything feels and looks so festive and exciting… you can almost feel the season in the air!

We’ve had our decorations up for a couple weeks now, but it’s never too late to add a little something extra- which is why I wanted to share with you this festive garland idea! Dried oranges are so pretty and seasonal, and will add a festive, finishing touch to your home!

Let’s get right into it!

This dried orange garland is so, so easy to make (even if it is a little time consuming) and is gorgeously vibrant and aromatic. All you need is a few big oranges and some brown twine. I tend to buy my oranges lose from the grocery store, so I can pick nice looking ones and not waste and packaging.

The key to drying oranges is to be patient… and to read the recipe carefully, haha. The first time I dried oranges I put the oven up wayyy to high (200 Celsius!!) and my slices burned within the first half hour! Typical me! Anyway, you need your oven preheated to about 90 Celsius or 200 Fahrenheit. Your oranges need to be cut into slices about 1cm thick and placed on a wire baking rack on top of a baking tray.

Once you put your oranges in the oven, you need to flip every half hour for the next 4-5 hours until done. After this time, your orange slices should be darker in colour and leathery in texture, with no juice in them. This is how you will know they are done and are ready to come out of the oven.

You could leave your oranges out overnight if you’re not in a rush to hang them, but otherwise, once these beauties are out of the oven and have cooled for a little while, you’re ready to turn them into a gorgeous garland!
To do this, you need to pierce the sides of each orange circle with a knife, making two holes big enough to thread the twine through.

Once each slice has two holes on either side of the circle, you’re ready to thread the garland! This step is simple once you’ve got your head around it- the majority of the twine needs to be on the back of the garland so that the only bit showing on the front is between two orange slices.

Weave the twine in and out of the holes until you’ve threaded all your oranges onto your garland and have a string full of lovely, dried orange slices. I think this garland looks nicest if you don’t leave any gaps between each orange slice, but it doesn’t really matter if you do.

If you have any dried orange pieces left over, you could always loop an individual piece of twine through a singular hole at the top of the orange and hand as Christmas tree decorations.

Otherwise, you’re ready to hang your beautiful garland. They look nice above fireplaces and along mantles, or in big entryways from one room to another, but will add a lovely splash of colour and a gorgeous festive touch wherever you decide to display them!

I hope this Christmassy post has given you so last minute festive inspiration!