Oven Dried Orange Slice Ornaments
Oven dried orange slice ornaments turn dried orange slices into festive, fragrant Christmas decorations. Learn how to make dried oranges in your oven and turn them into rustic decorations with our easy tutorial.
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The holiday season is officially here and that means it is time to make all the things!
At least all the things that look pretty and make your house smell ah-maz-ing.
(Here’s looking at you Christmas simmer pots!)
And this year, I’m making these beautiful oven dried orange slice ornaments.
They are super pretty, smell so good, and safe to eat if you have kids that like to put things in their mouths.
Toddlers, am I right?
And you really don’t need much to make them- just some oranges, a knife, and twine.
Then you’ll be on your way to eco friendly, wallet friendly, vintage holiday decor!
Why do people decorate with dried orange slices?
Decorating for the holidays with dried fruits was very popular all the way up through the 1800s when glass ornaments became more available.
Orange slices in particular were very popular because it symbolized the return of the sun, warmth, and longer days after winter solstice.
Oranges also were popular since they are tied to other Christmas traditions like St. Nicholas, who according to lore left gold coins in people’s stockings. Eventually people started leaving oranges in stockings instead of gold to symbolize the coins.
Today people do it to give their Christmas decorations an old fashioned vintage feel.
Some may also do it because it is an affordable, eco friendly way to make a lot of ornaments.
Materials
To make the dried orange slices you just need:
- Oranges– This tutorial shows navel oranges, but you can use clementines, tangerines, blood oranges, any combination of the above.
- Parchment paper– To line your cookie sheet with so the oranges don’t stick.
- Cookie sheet(s)– For the oranges to sit on in the oven
- Knife and cutting board– To slice the oranges thinly. You could also use a mandolin.
- Paper towels– To pat the oranges dry before putting them in the oven.
To turn the dried orange slices into orange slice ornaments or orange slice garland you’ll also want:
- Twine– You could also use ribbon or raffia but I love the rustic, earthy look of the twine.
- Scissors– Both to cut the twine and to poke through the orange slices if needed.
How to Make Oven Dried Orange Slices
1. Cut the orange slices.
Slice the orange slices so they about an 1/8 of an inch thick.
You don’t want them to be too thick or they will take forever to dry.
2. Pat them dry.
Set the orange slices on a paper towel lined plate.
Once you have a single layer of oranges on the paper towel, cover the layer with a paper towel.
Stack another layer of oranges on top of that layer.
Cover with a paper towel.
Repeat until you’ve got all the orange slices stacked and covered.
Let them sit for about 10 minutes and press gently down to encourage the slices to release some of their juices.
3. Oven dry the oranges.
Lay the orange slices out on a baking sheet you’ve lined with parchment paper.
Put them in a 200 degree Farenheit oven and let them slowly cook.
45 minutes in, carefully flip them over with a spatula.
Let them bake at 200 for another 45 minutes or so, flipping them over again.
Repeat this, flipping the oranges every 30-45 minutes until there is no moisture left in the orange slices.
This can take up to 4 hours.
Once they are dry, remove the trays with the oranges on them from the oven.
Let them cool until they are cool enough to handle.
How to Make Dried Orange Slice Ornaments
Once you have made the oven dried orange slices, it’s really easy to turn them into ornaments.
1. Poke a hole through the flesh of the orange slice.
Using scissors, carefully poke a hole through the fruit of the orange slice.
Since it will have a leathery consistency, it may be a little tough to do.
2. Thread a piece of twine through the hole.
Work a piece of twine or ribbon through the hole in the orange.
Tie it together in a knot or a bow.
Repeat until you’ve used up all the orange slices.
That’s it!
You’re ready to hang the orange slice ornaments on your tree!
How to Make a Dried Orange Slice Garland
Dried orange slice ornaments are just one decorating possibility!
You can also turn them into an orange slice garland for your tree or your home decor.
To do it:
1. Poke two holes in each orange .
Just like making the orange slice ornaments, poke holes through the orange slice.
Whereas when you make the ornaments you only poke one hole, for a garland you’ll poke two.
I generally poke holes in neighboring sections of the fruit.
Repeat until you have used your desired amount of oranges.
2. String the oranges onto twine.
Take the oranges and thread twine through the holes in the orange.
Push the orange down the twine so there are several inches of space on the end.
Repeat until you’ve used all the oranges, leaving a few inches of space between each orange.
Once you’ve used all the orange slices, cut the twine, leaving space on each end of the garland.
Tie a knot on each end to keep the orange slices on the garland.
Hang and enjoy!
How long do orange slice decorations last?
If you properly dry them and store them, you could in theory use them for 2 years.
However, I always toss my orange slice decorations at the end of each season since they are left out.
If you would like to reuse them, store them in an airtight container somewhere where it doesn’t get too hot or cold.
Do dried orange slice ornaments attract bugs?
Nope!
I haven’t noticed bugs on the orange slice ornaments, however, I live in an area where it is cold by the holiday season and bugs have gone back to where they belong for the winter.
If you live in a warmer climate, you should still be ok bug wise as the orange oils may actually deter bugs.
Do dried orange slices go moldy?
They shouldn’t!
The key is to dry them enough so there is no moisture left in the orange slices.
Tips and Tricks
- Patience, young Padiwan. These oven dried orange slices take time. Do not be tempted to rush the drying process by turning up the heat. Just keep slowly drying.
- If you turn up the heat, even to 225, the orange slices will start to caramelize instead of dry. Ask me how I know. You don’t want that because then the oranges will get spots of that caramelized color on them.
- When the orange slices are done, they should not be wet at all. They should be firm and almost see through in place.
- You can add additional elements to help make your ornaments or garland really pop. Some things to consider adding include ribbon, bows, glitter, beads, or any other festive art supply you have on hand.
Other DIY Christmas Decorations
- Easy Cinnamon Ornaments
- DIY Pinecone Gnome Ornaments
- How to Make Cinnamon Pine Cones
- Easy Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe
- Easy Salt Dough Ornaments
Did you make this? Let me know!
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Dried Orange Slices and What to Do with Them
Materials
- 4 whole oranges
- 1 spool of twine any color
- parchment paper
- 1 pair of scissors
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cutting board
- paper towels
- cookie sheet
Instructions
How to Make Oven Dried Orange Slices
- Cut the oranges into roughly 1/8 inch thick slices.
- Lay a sheet of paper towel on a plate or the counter.
- Place the oranges on the paper towel and use another paper towel to pat them dry. Continue until you have patted all the slices dry.
- Keep all the orange slices on paper towels. You can stack them with a paper towel between each layer.
- Let them sit on the paper towel for about 10 minutes. This allows the towels to absorb more of the juices.
- Lay the orange slices onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Heat your oven to 200 degrees Farenheit.
- Bake the orange slices for 45 minutes and then flip.
- Repeat this process of baking and flipping every 30 to 45 minutes until no moisture is left.
- The whole process can take between 3 to 4 hours, but it requires very little time actively doing anything. Once done, allow them to cool to a temperature you can safely handle them.
How to Make Dried Orange Slice Ornaments
- Poke a hole through the flesh of a dried orange slice about 1 inch down from the top.
- Thread your twine through the hole.
- Cut the twine so there is enough left to tie a knot and place the loop over a tree branch.
- Repeat the process for each orange slice.
How to Make Dried Orange Slice Garland
- Poke a hole through the flesh of a dried orange slice about 1 inch down from the top.
- Thread the twine through the first orange slice and slide it down a bit.
- Thread the twine through the second orange slice and gently push both further down the twine.
- Keep repeating the process until you have either run out of string or orange slices.
- Leave a small amount of space between each orange slice.
- To finish, tie a loop on each end of the twine garland, cutting off any excessive twine at the ends.
