Dec 14

Dec 14 How to Make Dried Orange Garland

Leaving fruit in stockings is a tradition that dates back to the Great Depression. Families didn’t have a lot of money for gifts, so they would splurge on these sweet fruits for their loved ones. I can remember I always had an orange at the bottom of my stocking as a child growing up. The smell of oranges always remind me of my parents and of Christmas. This tradition is probably why dried orange garlands are used at the holidays to decorate trees and other areas of our homes.

With my Christmas decor this year, I decided to go for natural and simple look with earth tones such as tans, golds, greens and whites. While my husband and I were dining at a Mexican restaurant recently he ordered a cocktail that came out in this beautiful, antique-looking low ball glass with a dried orange slice as a garnish. It was so pretty and I knew that is what I needed as a finishing touch for my Christmas tree!

What You’ll Need

6 oranges
a couple of baking sheets with racks
needle
cording, thread or fishing line

Here’s How To Do It

1. Slice oranges

Thinly slice the oranges about 1/4” thick. (You can also use lemons!)

2. Arrange slices on baking sheet

To have them dry out faster, you can also blot them with paper towels to absorb more moisture.

4. Allow slices to dry in oven

The oranges will take at least 6 hours to completely dry out and make sure to flip the slices over about halfway through. You may also want to leave the oven door propped open with a kitchen towel to help with drying time.

5. Remove from oven

I found it was best to let the slices continue to dry on the counter for the next 24 hours or so. At that point, store them in a zip top bag until you are ready to use them. (The lemons turned this beautiful wine color!)

Making the Orange Garland

To make the garland all you need is a needle and some type of thread or string. You can also use fishing line to make them appear as if floating. I used this cording and these needles, both from Michaels.

I cut my cording in roughly 3-yard strands. I knotted one end and began threading the slices onto the string. To do this, simply thread your needle and then loop the thread through the center of the slice. I spaced them about two to three inches apart until I got to the end of the cording. I then just tied a knot in that end. I was able to make about four 3-yard garlands with roughly 20-24 slices on each garland. I then loosely draped the garland around the Christmas tree.