Dried Orange Garland

DIY Dried Orange Garland

How to make a simple dried orange garland for Christmas

I am so excited to finally do this project. I wanted to do it last year before the holidays but life got crazy and I never got around to it.

And then I got the urge to make this garland in the summer but what was I going to do with orange garland in the summer?

I guess technically you can use this garland in the summer months…after all it is just oranges.

This is such an easy project you can do with your kids and your house will smell pretty dang good while making it too.

I, however, did this project without my kids because that is how I like to roll…and my kids are angry elves

Items You’ll Need for Your DIY Dried Orange Garland

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-Oranges (obviously). I used about 5-6 oranges but you can use as many oranges or as little as you like.

-Twine or fishing wire

-Toothpick or paper clip (or a needle if you are one of those crafting type of people)

How To Make Dried Orange Garland

Like I said, this is such an easy DIY project. The oranges will take some time in the oven so make sure you have a few hours to wait for them to come out of the oven.

You can also use an air fryer to speed things up if you do not want to wait for your oven.

I cut my oranges into (somewhat even) slices and placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

I plopped the oranges in the oven at 200 degrees for three hours. I checked them every 30 minutes and flipped the orange slices as needed.

But since I like to forget I have things in the oven, it was probably closer to an hour when I remembered to flip them.

Once the oranges look like they are nice and dry (and somewhat shriveled) you can remove them from the oven. I let my oranges sit out on the counter overnight to dry some more…and because I forgot about them again.

Once your oranges are cool or once you are ready to make your garland grab your string and something sharp.

I tied a knot around a toothpick with some twine/yarn and pushed it through the orange as such.

It was as easy as that.

The hardest part was waiting three hours for the oranges to cook…and not forgetting they were in the oven.

I strung my orange garland on my mantel with the other 6 strands of garland I have up there. I am not sure if this where it is staying but I was anxious to see what it looked like.

My kids were not a fan of my orange garland. Who needs internet trolls when you live with three honest kids?!?!

PS…those gold reindeer on my mantel are Pottery Barn dupes I found at Big Lots. They are out of stock online but check your local store. I almost passed out when I saw them in store.

I’m a sucker for a heavily decorated Christmas mantel with lots of garland and bells…and now apparently orange garland

(You can see more about my garland here…The best faux Christmas garland for 2022)

I do have 6 strands of faux garland on my mantel and somehow it hasn’t fallen off my mantel yet.

If you look closely enough you might still see the craft wire I used to attach the garland to my mantel. I still need to finish cutting the wire

I can’t say the craft wire was a huge help but it did help some. I have no tutorial of what I did to get the garland up there. It was all trial and error until it looked somewhat presentable to me.

So, you’re welcome. Blogger of the year award goes to me for sure.

Does Dried Orange Garland Smell

Your home will smell pretty dang amazing when you are making your garland. The garland will smell slightly woodsy once cooked and dried but you will not have the fresh orange smell, unfortunately.

How Long Does Dried Orange Garland Last

Dried orange garland can last years if you really want it to. It will definitely last all season.

If I know myself, I will likely toss my garland and start fresh next year but you certainly can reuse your garland every year.

How To Store Dried Orange Garland

Orange garland will stay fresh in an airtight container for years. I would put a paper towel in with my garland to absorb any moisture but that is just me. I might be giving you bad information.

What else can you do with Dried Oranges

There are so many things you can do with dried oranges during the holidays. They make great ornaments, you can add them to your wreaths, you can use them in potpourri. I used a few oranges as decorations on my stockings.