Dried Orange Slices for Christmas Decorations & More

Learn how to make dried oranges for all of your Christmas decorations this year like dried orange slices garland, wreath adornments, and more!

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Dried Orange Slices Christmas Decorations

When it comes to decorating for the seasons, I am a sucker for all things handmade and anything natural. Its usually inexpensive and more beautiful to snip a few branches to bring inside from your fall trees, or to make an evergreen wreath with clippings that you’ve found.

I think having a good mix of handmade and natural elements is the best way to go for seasonal and holiday decorating.

Making dried orange slices is a great way to add all natural and handmade decor to your home any time of year, not just for Christmas!

hi there, after you’ve dried your orange slices head over here to make some cutie-pie ornaments with them: DIY Dried Orange Ornaments

Since Christmas is just around the corner though, these dried orange slices would make for a beautiful Christmas garland, wreath adornments, and more. I’m planning on making both of those in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned if you’d like tutorials for them!

Learn how to make your own dried orange slices below, as well as a few tips on what to do with them!

You can follow me on Instagram HERE to see how I add these dried oranges all around our home for the holidays.

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How to Dry Orange Slices

To make dried orange slices all you will need is oranges, a knife, cooling racks, and your oven!

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
Cut your oranges into slices, about 1 cm thick.
Use a paper towel or tea towel to dab the flesh of the oranges to get as much of the liquid soaked up as possible.
Place your oranges either directly on the racks in your oven, or on a cooling rack placed in the oven.
Dry your orange slices in the oven for up to 4 hours or until they are completely dry, flipping every thirty minutes or so and checking to see if they’re done.
Once finished, leave out on your cooling rack to dry and set overnight.

*Note: they are easy to burn! If they start cooking too quickly and they are burning rather than drying (they’ll turn brown), drop your temperature by 5-10 degrees and check them more often.

What to Do With Dried Orange Slices

Add your dried orange slices to a piece of twine for a pretty Christmas garland.
Cut out small pieces of twine or ribbon and tie them through each dried orange slice, then hang on your Christmas tree as a handmade ornament.
Attach a dried orange slice and a small evergreen branch or a cinnamon stick to your handmade Christmas presents with a DIY name tag.
Combine dried orange slices with dried herbs, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a jar as a homemade potpourri gift.
Attach a few dried oranges to your handmade wreath as a beautiful and natural adornment.
Hang your dried orange slices all around your home for decorations.

How Long Do Dried Orange Slices Last?

Your dried orange slices should last for as long as you like, especially since this is a tutorial for using them as decorations and not for eating. Even if you were to dry and store dried oranges to be eaten they can last up to two years!

The key is to make sure you’ve dried your slices completely to prevent any mold. If you are planning on storing them away for the next season, store them between pieces of newspaper to collect any moisture.

Bring out your dried orange slices for decorations year after year. If they happen to go bad or get moldy from improper drying, the tutorial is simple enough to make them again!