Easy DIY Dried Orange Garland

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Today I really want to show you this incredibly easy and stunningly beautiful dried orange garland. 

Nature can sometimes provide us with all we need for the prettiest decor.  And not only that – but nature will make your home smell so good and feel so cozy.  Perfect for the upcoming holiday seasons.

Put it up in early Fall and you won’t have to take this down until after Christmas. You can use this orange slice garland for each season.  Once it’s dried, it will pretty much last you for a long time. And if you like this, you will also love these dried orange ornaments!

Just a little FYI: I personally use this as indoor decor only.  We live with so many crows around us that I’m sure it would get destroyed in a heartbeat if I used it outside. 

Although – it would look really pretty on the front door.  I say go for it if you are up for the challenge. 🙂

One of my favorite ways to decorate for the seasons is to incorporate natural elements.  My decorating style is definitely more simple and minimal.  So if you are in the same boat, this project will be perfect for you. 

This citrus garland is inexpensive to make and it has this very organic look to it. I love how it gives your rooms and decor this bright pop of orange wherever you need it. 

In this post, I’ll also give you some ideas for decorating with your new garland. There are TONS of ways to use them! If you’re hungry, you can even make Citrus Chips. LOL!

On to the tutorial.

Things You’ll Need

• Oranges – I used 2 and I ended up with a good amount of slices.  I also used 1 lemon. Try Grapefruit, too!
• Cotton rope or twine
• Baking sheet and parchment paper
• Toothpick or knife (something to poke a hole in the citrus afterward so you can thread the rope through it.)

How to Make a Dried Orange Garland

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
2. Slice your citrus.  I sliced mine about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
3. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the citrus slices for 3-4 hours, flipping them halfway through.  (It took me closer to 4 hours.)
5. I stored mine in a Ziploc bag until I was ready to use them.  They dried out even more but stayed nice and flat.
6. The orange slices will darken as you dry them out, but they will develop this rich, vibrant orange color which is stunning!
7. To make the garland, poke a little hole in each slice with a knife or toothpick.  Thread your rope or twine through them.  You can also use a needle and thread to make the garland.

That’s literally all there is to it.  Repeat as necessary. 

I have a feeling I am going to be making a lot of orange garlands this fall. 🙂

Now, let’s talk about how to use these beauties!

How to decorate with dried citrus garlands

I had so much fun figuring out all these ways you can use dried citrus and these beautiful orange garlands.

Holiday Garland

One way is just to use it as a garland.  Nestle it through your mantel greens for the holidays.  Or string it from your mantel for a rustic look.  I’ve even seen these strung on doorways, too.  It looks so pretty.

You can also hang this garland from your stair banister for a festive look.

Centerpiece

Lay it out among your table centerpiece for a nice look and a fresh scent.

Christmas Ornaments

You can use these as ornaments too.  I really want to try to make orange slice ornaments this year.  I would use a thinner, shorter rope (like baker’s twine) and string them throughout the tree for a pretty pop of color and a more natural look.

Gift Topper

You will look like a professional gift wrapper (if that’s a thing) with these beautiful orange slices glowing from your presents.  Take some kraft paper, the twine and attach a few orange slices and maybe a sprig of rosemary. 

I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to get that gift!

Holiday Vase/Bowl Filler

You can also use just the dried citrus slices as a vase filler surrounding your candles.  Or, mix it with cinnamon sticks or pinecones and set them in a pretty bowl as a potpourri.  Smells good too!

Dried Orange Wreath

One of my favorite ways is to make a dried orange wreath. You can either hot glue the slices on one by one, or use the garland to string it along a DIY hoop wreath lined with greens.  It’s so pretty!

I love this color combination of orange and green.

I recently made a DIY hoop wreath for Summer. Using a hoop is a great way to keep your wreaths modern looking and they also make for a quick project.

So, with this last wreath, I took off the summer flowers but kept the faux eucalyptus on there.

Then, I simply wrapped the garland around the eucalyptus hoop wreath.  You can tweak it a bit afterward to have the oranges and leaves placed just where you want them.

I kind of like that you can still see the rope throughout.  Natural twine would be really pretty here, too.

It’s really easy to do and you could make a bunch of these dried orange hoop wreaths in different sizes and put them together for a pretty holiday vignette.

For the cost of a bunch of oranges – you can decorate your whole house for the fall and holidays!

Oh, I can’t wait! I love this so much!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, but the whole holiday season from Fall through New Years is just magical for me.

Perhaps I’ll do another post soon on a DIY orange wreath.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial.

xo Karen