I am on a quest to make as many decorations from scratch these last few years. I love the look of Homemade Dried Orange Slice Garland. It looks so simple and adds a cozy, warmth to your living space. The dried orange slice garland only requires a few items and a little bit of time.
What you need to make homemade orange slice garland:
- Naval Oranges
- Twine or Yarn
- Dehydrator
- OPTIONAL: Small pine cones, twigs, cinnamon sticks or fresh greenery
Getting started:
The first thing you want to do is decide how many and how long you want your garland. This will determine how many oranges you want to purchase and slice up. For this project, I knew that I wanted to make a small Dried Orange Slice Garland for my little red hutch in our living room and another larger one for the mantle above the stove. I chose to cut up two large naval oranges.
After deciding how many oranges I needed, it was time to slice them up. I made sure to keep each slice the same thickness. This way, they would each dry evenly and be done at the same time.
Once they were all sliced up, I got out my dehydrator trays and placed the oranges on the empty trays. As you place your orange slices on the trays, you can place them close together, just make sure they are not touching. You want to ensure that they dry evenly.
I set the temperature on the dehydrator to 135 degrees and every couple of hours I would check on them and flip them as needed. It took about 12 hours for the orange slices to completely dry.
Time to construct your Dried Orange Slice Garland
Take your desired length of twine and lay it down on your table. Carefully cut a small slit on the top of your orange slice, just under the rind. You want the hole to be just big enough to push the twine through.
Take you twine and push it through the hole. Tie a knot so when you hang the garland, the orange slices stay put where you want them. Take another slice and repeat the process until you are satisfied with the number of orange slices and the length of your garland. After each slice you add, make sure to tie it off before moving on.
adding the extras:
We are keeping to the all natural Christmas as we add decor each year. So I ventured outside and clipped off a branch of an evergreen tree to add to my Dried Orange Slice Garland. You can use a variety of additions. Some examples you could use as additions could include cinnamon sticks, twigs, small pinecones, evergreen branches. Any of these would pair well with the deep orange color of the slices.
Once inside, I took my clippers and clipped off 5 small pieces from the branch I brought inside. I slipped a piece of twine under the knot at the top of the orange slice and tied the small branch to the garland.
Time to hang up
Once you have your additions attached and you are satisfied, it is time to hang up. I used a couple of clear tacks, but command hooks would work well and not damage your furniture or walls.
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