If you're looking for an inexpensive DIY project for this week or this weekend- I have the perfect crafting project for you... dried orange garland. It is super simple to make, using only a few things. It looks absolutely gorgeous when paired with greenery & it also looks great to accent table settings, centerpieces, wreaths & more. Not to mention, it makes your house smell amazing as you are drying them out in the oven too!
Things you'll need:
- 3-4 oranges, depending upon how much garland you would like to make- I used 3 oranges to create these two garlands
- jute twine or anything other ribbon you would like to use
- scissors
- needle or something to create a little hole in the oranges to thread the twine through
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cutting board
- knife
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
- Slice the oranges to about 1/2" thickness- you can honestly cut them however thick or thin you would like, I like to keep them a little thinner- so they dry out quicker & so they don't look too chunky on the garland & weigh it down.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper & line the oranges on top & then pop in the oven.
- I kept them in the oven for 2 hours & then turned them & allowed them to dry out in the oven for another 2 hours.
- I like making sure the edges get a little brown, not burnt- but have a little bit of brown shade to them. As the orange slices get done, I take them out & then one that need a little longer, I continue to keep in the oven for 15 minute increments until they are done to my liking & I keep flipping them until they are just the perfect shade of brown on the edges. I had to do this several times.
- Let them cool completely.
- Cut the twine to your desired length, I like to leave a little extra hanging to use to tie loops or just to keep to accent any greenery.
- Poke a hole in any spot on the orange & lace your twine through, keep doing this until all of the oranges you'd like to use are on the twine.
- Viola! It's time to hang & decorate using your new orange garland.
When it comes time to store it away, wrap it in paper towels & store in a gallon Ziploc bag. This should last you about two years, when stored properly.
(Photo above is after the first 2 hours- right before I turned them for the first time.)
I love the simplicity of this garland- & not only is it great for Christmas décor but it is great for Thanksgiving & honestly, year round too! I just love how it looks paired with greenery- it adds such a classic & elegant touch to your décor.
It even looks great in the kitchen mixed with greenery. I wanted to make sure that all of our Christmas décor flowed beautifully this year to create a truly timeless & classic Christmas feel.
The only thing I added to decorated this peg rail shelf was greenery & the orange garland. Again, a simply way to spruce up your everyday décor without having to go extravagant with the decorating.
Timeless Christmas & winter looks for your home are, in my humble opinion, one of the easiest ways to decorate- since a lot of these styles use elements from nature... in true Scandinavian Christmas décor fashion.
Orange slices also don't have to be used in just garland. Simply by using them as accent décor is another way to use these dried oranges.
As always, I hope this blog post brought a little inspo to your heart for your home this holiday season. Happy decorating friend!
1 comment
Absolutely love!