How to Make a Cheerful Orange Slice Garland

Add a little rustic beauty to your mantel or tree this holiday season by making an orange slice garland with your dehydrator.  Use this same method with any other citrus for different pops of color!

I am the type of person who will always pick real flowers or house plants over a realistic fake one.  I’m guessing if you clicked on this post you are very similar to me.  

This is why decorating my mantel with dried fruit is much more appealing than a just any old thing I picked up at a craft store.   

I absolutely love the cheery bright feeling this brings during the cold weather we experience in the holiday season. This is great creative project to do with kids as well!

I used a dehydrator for this tutorial but experimented with an oven for part of the oranges. Stay tuned for updates in the future when I have tips for good results. The photo below shows the outcome I had between the oven vs. dehydrator.

Orange Slice Garland Making Tips

• Try to make the slices as evenly as possible so they dry at a similar rate.  Ideally 1/8-1/4 inch slices will be best.  Also know it’s impossible to make them the same size.  Just do your best  🙂

• A mandolin is a good tool to achieve even slices, but not necessary (I don’t have one).  A good sharp knife is all you need.

• The time it takes to dehydrate oranges will vary depending on slice size and your your individual dehydrator.  I would set aside an entire day to ensure your slices are ready for the next step.  

• Pat the slices with a paper towel or cloth to remove excess moisture.  This will help shorted the time to dehydrate.

FAQ

What does orange garland symbolize?

Many Christmas/holiday traditions today come from European origins. Since oranges had been considered a luxury fruit since they were brought to Europe and later to the United States it likely has roots from there. 

Most citrus varieties are picked late fall and through the winter and for a very long time, was not available year round as it is today.

A Christmas Orange was a common gift during this time so an orange garland was likely a way to preserve and hold on to this rare and precious gift.

How long does orange garland last?

Since the garland is dry is can in theory last years.  Store with care to ensure you can use it for multiple years. 

Does orange garland attract bugs?

During the last two years I have decorated with orange garland I have never had a problem with pests of any kind.  If you plan to store your garland I would make sure it is in a rodent proof container.

How many oranges does it take to make an orange garland?

This depends on how thinly you slices your oranges, how long you plan to make your garland and how much you space the slices.  

For the project in this post, it took approximately a 5lb bag of navel oranges, and a 3lb bag of cuties to make a an 18 foot long garland.

Does orange garland smell good?

While they are dehydrating, they smell great!  After they are dry they no longer give off an orange scent.

Can I use an oven?

Yes! I tend to prefer a dehydrator because it seems to preserve the color a little better and there is no need to keep a close eye on it like an oven would require. I would not feel comfortable leaving an oven on overnight for example.

My blog does not currently have directions for an oven but I know this is often done that way.

Materials you will need

Oranges – Any other citrus will work for this.

Twine – Or any other strong string i.e. bakers twine

Needle – size depends on thread or twine you are using. My twine was quite large and I didn’t have an embroidery needle so I DIY’d a needle with a paperclip!

Dehydrator – Any dehydrator will work. I currently use a very inexpensive Open Country Dehydrator and Jerky Maker

Decorative ends (Optional) – i.e. wooden bead, juniper sprig, pine bough, etc 

How to make an Orange Slice Garland

Step 1: Slice the oranges

Place them in the dehydrator ensuring you are not stacking them. Pat the excess moisture as you go. Patting them is not necessary but will help them dry faster.

Step 2: Turn the dehydrator on

Turn to 135 degrees Ferenheight and allow to dehydrate for at least 12 hrs.  They may be done before the 12 hrs are up but allow this time just in case. Check periodically for progress. You may be able to remove some of the smaller pieces.

Step 3: When completely dry, lay out the sequence of slices you would like to go in.

This is important especially with different color citrus and the variation of size in slices. I like to add the smaller ones on opposite ends.

Step 4: Measure out your twine

Give as least 1ft-1.5ft extra at the end so you have plenty of twine to move with.

Step 5: Thread oranges

You can thread any way that you would like but my preference is the following – Start from front and thread back to the front (see photo below).

Be sure to push the slices to the very end.  You will be happy you did this after a few feet 🙂

Step 6: Tie off the ends

When finished, either simply tie off or if using a decorate touch, add that before tying off.  

Step 7: Hang for a festive look to any location!

Variations

Feel free to experiment with spacing of slices and creative sequences.

Use other natural items other than citrus.

Common decorative add ons are pine boughs, cranberry, and and even popcorn! Keep in mind the popcorn may not be good to store for next year.

Large wooden beads throughout would also be pretty.