Orange slice garlands are easy and inexpensive and bring timeless charm to your Christmas decor. Personally, I love slipping into a festive sweater, cranking up some Josh Groban, and decking out my home for the holidays. Making my home feel magical this time of year is something I’m passionate about! Being able to DIY some decor is just the cherry on top.
Materials
- Dehydrator
- Oranges
- Mandoline or knife
- Jute twine
- Needle
Step One: Slice and Dry Oranges
First things first—slice up your oranges. The first time I did this, I used a knife and cutting board, but I quickly learned a mandoline works better. It’s faster, and your slices come out evenly.
If you’re drying orange slices for decor, trust me—use a dehydrator! You can use an oven, but most ovens only go down to around 170°F, which is a bit too hot and can leave your slices brown. A dehydrator keeps them vibrant and bright orange.
Before bed, I loaded up my dehydrator with slices (it holds a lot, I could’ve doubled the amount!), set it to 135°F for 8 hours, and went to sleep. By morning, they were almost done. I gave them another two hours, and they were perfect.
You can see in the picture below that my slices were uneven in thickness, which is why I recommend the mandoline. Depending on how thick your slices are, it can take 8 to 16 hours to dry them completely.
Look at these beautiful, bright orange slices! They’re ready to be strung together into a gorgeous orange slice garland.
Step Two: Stringing the Orange Slice Garland
Now that your orange slices are dry, you’ll need some twine, a thick needle, and scissors.
First, unroll your twine to the length of the garland you want (add extra for draping). Thread the needle, poke a hole near the edge of your first orange slice (inside the peel), and slide it down the twine. Double-knot the twine around the edge to start your orange slice garland!
Next, weave the needle through the other end of the slice so it lays flat. Keep going—thread the needle in and out of each slice, spacing them how you like. I leave about an inch between each, but you can cluster them closer if you prefer.
You can space the slices however you want! I like leaving about an inch between each one (like the pic on the left), but if you want them clustered close together, go for it! It’s totally up to your personal preference.
When you reach the end of the orange slice garland, leave a few extra inches of twine to tie it off. Just loop the needle around the peel, tie a double knot, and voilà—you’ve got yourself a finished orange slice garland!
Step Three: Decorate With Your Orange Slice Garlands
The orange slice garlands I made were the perfect addition to my realistic looking pine and eucalyptus garlands. I draped them over my stair banister and hung them over the window in our homeschool area.
Didn’t they add the perfect touch of magic to my Christmas decor around the kitchen sink? It was so pretty, I almost didn’t mind doing the dishes!
Last Christmas, these orange slice garlands were everywhere in my house—I couldn’t get enough of them! I loved how they turned out.
Love the look of dried orange slices but not into the whole garland thing? No problem! I used dried orange slices as part of my Thanksgiving tablescape, and they were perfect for that classic festive touch.
You can also use shorter pieces of twine or ribbon to turn your orange slices into cute ornaments. The possibilities are endless—get creative and have fun!
Prefer to watch a video for this project? I’ve got a YouTube tutorial that walks you through making your own orange slice garland—check it out!
Looking for more festive decorating ideas? Check out this post to see how I decorated my small front porch for Christmas last year.
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