How To Make A Dried Orange Garland

Hanging garlands of dried orange slices for the Winter Solstice is a Scandinavian tradition. Oranges symbolize sunshine, light, and prosperity, which is why they are so prominent in Christmas celebrations. You can string them along the fireplace, banisters, in the tree. Anywhere, really. My first attempt was a success, so I wanted to share this simple How-To.

Materials:

• 4 to 5 navel oranges (we used up 4 1/2 oranges)

• Cinnamon sticks

• 2 cookie sheets

• Parchment/Wax Paper

• A cutting board

• A sharp knife

• Twine

• Toothpicks

Instructions:

• Pre-heat the oven at 250 degrees F

• Slice oranges 1/8 to a 1/4 inch thick

• Places slices on cookie parchment-covered cookie sheets

• We ended up using 4 and a half oranges to fill two cookie sheets

• Dab slices with paper towel to absorb moisture

• Bake them for roughly 3 to 4 hours (if you compare recipes on Google, you’ll see conflicting instructions on oven temperature and cook times. I guess it all depends on your oven and the thickness of your oranges. We had ours in for 3 and a half hours and they turned out perfect.)

• I recommend going to check on them every once and a while once you’ve hit the 2 hour mark. We took them out and flipped them all like chicken nuggies. We noticed the ones in the back were drying quicker, so we rotated the sheet.

• Once your oranges are dried and out of the oven, let them cool.

• Measure your space to know how long your garland will need to be

• String oranges through the flesh as opposed to the rind

• Use toothpicks to make two tiny holes big enough to fir the twine through. I saw two holes, so that you weave the twine so that the orange remains face forward instead of profile

• Every 3 slices, tie a cinnamon stick to the garland. In hindsight, I would have liked to have added rosemary or little pine branches

With the leftover slices, we made individual ornaments. They are perfect for the tree or to endcap your greeting card garland or even to add to an existing wreath.

And that’s all there is to it! If you’re looking for a fun, relatively simple holiday craft with a minimalist aesthetic, give this one a try!