Hi, friends! I am really trying to give Thanksgiving the respect it deserves. You know, not skipping to Christmas the day after Halloween. It’s hard! I’m not gonna lie!! However, with today’s project, I am showing you how to dry oranges for decoration, which lucky for me, can be used for Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations!
Recently I have been really into using oranges in my holiday decorating. I love the added pop of color it provides, not to mention the wonderful scent!! A few years ago I made orange pomanders by creating pretty designs on oranges with whole cloves. They are beautiful and make any room smell amazing! I’ve also used dried orange slices as Christmas ornaments.
Drying oranges is super easy. The most difficult thing about the whole process is waiting. There is a lot of waiting that goes along with drying oranges. Patience is key.
How To Dry Oranges For Decoration
How do I dry orange slices? Drying oranges for decorating is super easy. You can use a dehydrator or your oven.
First, cut several oranges into thin slices. The thicker the slice, the longer it will take to dry. The key is to cut all the slices approximately the same size. Blot them dry with a paper towel on both sides.
If you are drying your oranges in the oven, set the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Places your orange slices in a single layer on a wire rack. Put them in the oven for 2.5-4 hours. You want the peel to be dry and the flesh to be translucent.
If you are drying your oranges in a food dehydrator you will follow all the same steps, the only difference is the baking time will depend on the user manual of whatever dehydrator you are using.
How long do dried oranges last? If dried properly they can last for a LONG time. Like we are talking YEARS! They will look their best for the first year or so. As they age they turn brown. Brown doesn’t mean they are bad or unusable, it just looks a little different than they did when they were freshly dried. A different vibe, if you will.
How To Decorate With Dried Oranges
There are so many cute ways to utilize dried oranges in decorating. Seriously, SO MANY! My only experience is as a Christmas ornament, but you can add dried oranges to garlands, in wreaths, and in a table centerpiece.
Dried oranges add such a beautiful pop of color into any holiday decorating!
More DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas
Looking for more DIY Christmas inspiration? Check out a few of these posts…
I actually never thought of drying my own orange slices but it seems like it is easy to do and I will put them on a wreath.
I think that will look beautiful!
I wonder if dry oranges smell nice! I bet they do. I can’t wait to do dry oranges with the kids, this is so fun.
Honestly, they don’t have much of a smell. If you want something that smells good, we also make cinnamon/applesauce ornaments and those smell amazing!
I love this idea I always thought they would be quite difficult to dry out. Will be giving this a try when I next have oranges in
This looks like a really simple thing to do. I bet they smell divine! Perfect decoration for Autumn.
These look fab! I remember my mum always doing this around Christmas time when we were little. She used to hang them on the garlands we’d have, running up the stairs banisters.
Aww I love memories like that!
I love drying oranges for homemade decorations plus it makes the house smell like Christmas!
This sounds like a fun project to do over break. I didn’t realize it was so easy! I actually have gotten gifts with dried oranges on the packaging as decoration, and it would be a fun idea to make my own.
Such a great deco idea in time for Christmas, also perfect if you are roasting a joint or turkey and can use the oven heat to also dry the oranges
I didn’t realize they would last so long. What a good idea for putting up decorations.
I never tried this, but I will soon. I smell must be divine!
Let me know what you think!
I’ve always heard of people ‘drying’ flowers and fruits to use for decorating. But I’ve never investigated further, because it sounded hard and intimidating. But this make it sounds surprisingly easy! I may have to try it out now!
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Pingback: itemprop="name">3 Simple Christmas Crafts With Sticks - Our Lively Adventures