How to Dry Orange Slices for Christmas Decorations
One of my favourite ways to decorate for Christmas is to add some dried orange slices to our home at Christmas. You can buy them in many of the home and craft stores but they are so easy to make yourself and they last and last I’m still using some on the stair garland that I dried about 5 years ago and have stored in an air tight box each year. If you want to make some too here’s my guide to making your own dried orange slices for Christmas decoration.
How to Dry Fruit for Christmas Decorations
Watch the tutorial video on how to make these fruit ornaments and then carry on to get all the materials instructions and at the bottom, you can print them all out for easy referral.
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I remember doing this as a child, it’s age-old and there are many ways to do it – but this is our preferred method and the kids can even help to create them – strung up, made into a wreath, ornaments and even in a bowl of homemade potpourri they last a while and are really festive.
If you don’t want to wait hours for them to dry we have perfected our orange slices dried in the microwave method and shared it now! It’s so easy in just over an hour you can have homemade dried orange slices ready to craft with.
You can also dry oranges whole with slits at home find out How to Dry Whole Oranges.
Materials and Equipment for Making Orange Slices Christmas Ornaments
- Oranges, lemons, limes or even grapefruits will work
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- Oven
- Baking sheet or tray
- Parchment paper or Greaseproof paper
- Optional Cloves for decoration and scent
Instructions on Drying citrus fruit for Christmas Garlands, Wreaths and decorations
Cut up the fruit in thin slices with a sharp knife.
Place the citrus slices in a single layer onto baking trays which have been lined with a sheet of baking paper/greaseproof paper.
To add to the Christmas smell add in some cloves which believe me will make your house smell amazing as they dry in the oven.
With all complete put into the oven at 75C (lowest setting on my oven) and bake. After 2-hours turn over the slices, then another 2-hours repeating until they are dry.
Depending on your oven they make take longer and also based on the size of the slices that you cut.
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Ideas for using Dried Fruit Slices For Handmade Christmas Decorations.
Once dried get ready to create some amazing natural decorations in the home. Here are just a couple of suggestions of how you could use them.
- Fill up a bowl with the dried citrus fruit, add in some cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise and pine cones to create some festive potpourri for the home.
- Use a decorative glass vase and fill with the dried slices and why not add in some fake Lemons and Limes and Oranges (these won’t go mouldy when left all over the festive season).
- With a needle pierce the top of the dried slice and thread with some twine and cinnamon sticks and cranberries to create Christmas Tree decorations, don’t forget to knot it so that they don’t fall off and create a loop at the top to hang on the tree..
- Possibly my favourite way is to decorate the bannister with an artificial or even greenery from your garden, add in the dried fruit, and some cinnamon sticks tie these in with some florist wire which hides and you can even add in extra parts of holly. At the end of the festive season remove the dried fruit and use it as potpourri for the winter and store the garland for next winter.
How Long Does Dehydrated Fruit Last for Decor?
Depending on how much moisture is in the air these dried fruit decorations can last from year to year!
The ones that I dry and use for the wreath on our front door are replaced every year as I find with the rain in the UK that they don’t last. However, if kept in storage within an air tight box or out in the home they last a few years before the colour deteriorates and I replace them with a new set.
More Natural Christmas Décor for your Home
Dried Apple and Orange Slice Christmas Decorations to Make with Kids
How to Dry Orange Slices for Christmas Decorations
Equipment Needed
- Oven
- Chopping Board
- Knife
Materials Needed
- Oranges you can use lemons and limes as well
- Cloves optional for added decoration to the orange slides when drying
Instructions
- Chop the orange into slices about 1/2cm thick.
- Place on a lined baking tray.
- Into an oven at 100C.
- After 2 hours turn the orange slices.
- Leave for a further 2 hours in the oven.
- Check and turn.
- If they are still very flexible you may need to return them for another hour or two this will vary with your oven and the thickness of the orange slices.
- Remove and let cool before using for decorations.
Thank you for this great idea and detailed explanation.
Do you think it is a good idea to spray the dried fruit slices with hairspray to preserve them for longer?
Thank you in advance for your reply,
Marina
I never have but have seen people covering them in mod podge. Mine are now a couple of years old and still going well.
How close to Christmas do you make yours?
I am still using the ones I made last year in a Port Pouri they can be kept and reused once dry so when you are ready and have the time you can make them.
Are these okay to eat? I’ve purchased dried oranges somewhere — maybe Trader Joe’s — and they were delicious, but I think they had added sugar.
They are 100% natural so you could, but they are bitter dried apple slices like we made our apple star ornaments with are delicious though and don’t need any extra sugar.
Tried these!!! They are HEAVENLY! I’ve hung them up against my windows at work and at home – they look like stained glass and smell syrupy sweet!Thank you so much for sharing!
Ohhhh fantastic – I love ours – I’ve combined them with whole oranges and a garland to drape down the stairs this year and they look fabulous and make the house smell amazing.
I ONLTY HAVE A DAUTH AND IS THAT DRY FRUT CAN BE OK TO MAKE DECORETION AT LANTINS CONTRYES THAT DOESNT SNOW AND IS SUMER TIME ALL TIME I ASK FOR THE HUMIDITY ? i am from south mexico