The holidays are my absolute favorite time of the year! November 1st, the Halloween decorations come down and Christmas goes up! I love to decorate with nature as much as possible, and there's something so nostalgic about a dried orange garland. Same goes for cranberries and popcorn strung together (which stay tuned because I want to do another tutorial for those)!
This year, I decided to try and make my own orange garland, and it came out BEAUTIFULLY! I have no idea why I waited this long to make one. It's so simple, here's all you need:
The Supplies
- 2-3 navel or blood oranges (depending on how long you want your garland to be)
- twine of your choice
- scissors
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- baking sheet
- silicone baking mat
Step by Step
1. Preheat your oven to 250°F.
2. Cut your oranges into about ¼" slices, you can cut them as thin as ⅛" but keep in mind the real thin ones may burn quickly. The thicker you cut them the longer it will take them to dry out.
3. In a single layer, lay your orange slices on the silicone lined baking sheet.
4. Put the oranges in the oven for an hour and fifteen minutes.
5. Turn the oranges over and place back in the oven for another hour and fifteen minutes, or until they are starting to brown and dried out.
6. Remove your oranges from the oven, and let them cool.
7. With sharp scissors cut two small holes about ¼" from the rind and 1.5"-2" apart.
8. String the orange slices on your twine and voilà! You just made your very own orange garland!
Pro Tip::I like to use my scraps to make stove top potpourri! (Stay tuned for a blog post about how you can make your home smell warm and inviting with your own stove top potpourri!)
I love that this tutorial gives you the creative freedom to make it your own! Not to mention this whole garland cost less than $5 to make! I call that a win. I can't wait to see your creations! Make sure to tag me on instagram so I can follow along!
