I never thought of dried oranges for the tree or Christmas decor since I saw it on a lovely Instagram feed that featured adorable twins living somewhere in Sweden I think, or Germany.  Being of German descent along with Polish and Ukrainian I loved reading that before ornaments were a ‘thing’, that back in Germany, families used dry fruit and other things to decorate.  Wouldn’t dried apples and pears with cinnamon be so pretty?  I tend to go with a rustic, Scandinavian look at the Holidays and the orange slices was just what my little tree needed.  Check it out.  They add so much charm and homemade love to your tree.  If you really want to kick it up a notch, pierce some cloves on the orange reel, you’ll get a deeper orange and a lovely scent.

What you need:
Oranges

Cookie Sheet

Cooling rack

Here’s how to do it:

Slice your oranges, place them on a cookie sheet over a cookie pan. Put them in the oven on the lowest setting, mine was 170F.  Flip every hour or two and slowly dry them for about 4-6 hours.  The kids and I did this early in morning and by evening they were up on the tree.  It’s that easy.  Use whatever garland you’d like.
When the holidays are over, store them in a paper bag.  I’ve heard they get darker as the years go by.

They add such a beautiful glow when in front of lights.  I hope I’ve inspired you with a fun, beautiful and easy craft.  Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas.