If you love simple and traditional Christmas decorations during the festive season, say no more: dried citrus ornaments are the easiest holiday craft idea that anyone can make (and we are here for it!). Hung on a mini tree, on a garland, or mixed into potpourri, they sure bring to our homes a fragrant flair and the happiest holiday vibes.
Are you ready? Learn how to make your own dried citrus ornaments by following these easy steps. Let’s get started!
Materials Required:
- Oranges (we recommend a mix of cara care oranges, blood oranges, and navel oranges)
- String for threading the ornaments
- Wooden beads
- Scissors
- Knife
- Peeler
- Cutting board
- Baking tray and metal cooling rack
- Parchment paper
- Needle
Related: How to Make These Stunning Pastel Drip-Painted Ornaments
Step One: Let’s Dry The Citrus
Let’s start by cutting our orange slices to 1/4′ thick while your oven is set up to 190F. Place the slices on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake them for up to 5-6 hours.
Crafter tip: The lower the temperature, the better the drying process! So check your citrus every hour or so and flip them to ensure an even drying process.
Step Two: Make a Classic Citrus Ornament
Once the citrus is visibly dry, remove them from the oven and let it cool on top of the metal cooling rack. Now, let’s craft an adorable, old-fashioned citrus ornament by threading twine through the centre of your dried orange and make a knot.
We added an extra touch with a few wooden beads in different sizes and tie off the end with a loop, ready to hang to our mini tree.
Related: 15 Unique Ornaments to Gift the Foodie in Your Life
Step Three: Make an Orange Peel Ornament
If you want a fun, different look, then this technique is definitely the one. Start by peeling an orange with a peeler (they don’t need to go to the oven), and using your favourite small cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the peel (It’s “HO HO HO” for us!).
Next, pierce a hole in the top of each shape, thread the twine and tie a knot. Et voila! How fun and simple are these dried citrus Christmas ornaments?
Images Courtesy of Maca Atencio
