Hi friends! Okay, so we have used this technique for years when making our own orange garland. Its pretty fool proof, my only tip is to make sure you flip the oranges over every 30 minutes on a timer. This way you can't forget about them dehydrating.
I actually dried oranges and grapefruits together to add dimension and color. Its fun to change things up. We use a needle and thread or some twine to make these into Christmas Ornaments, wrap them onto handmade gifts and I even hung these on my daughters bedroom wall to incorporate some fun handmade elements. They love crafting with me so its a win-win.
WHAT YOU NEED:
-2-3 Oranges or a Grapefruit for added color
-Parchment Paper -Twine/String -Paper towel
HOW TO MAKE YOUR GARLAND:
-Prep the oven to 200F. We are dehydrating, not cooking. - Cut your oranges/grapefruit into 1/4" slices. -Grab some paper towel and soak up alllll the juices- the drier the better but don't squish them :)
-Lay your parchment paper onto a baking sheet and lay your cut pieces flat.
-Here is the key to success- set a timer and flip your oranges every 30 minutes! This will ensure close monitoring as well as even dehydration. They typically take a good 4 hours to dry out.
-Leave them out overnight to ensure they have cooled and hardened enough to be poked and coaxed into a garland or gift wrapping situation.
Thats IT! Super easy and fun for the kiddos too. My latest batch was from some oranges that were getting old and didn't taste great anymore. Super inexpensive!
I'll be sharing a fun spicy room spray DIY soon that you can spray on your garland to add any vibe you want. I like using cinnamon bark and Christmas spirit essential oil blends and spraying that over erryyything! mmmmm smells so good!
Let me know if you try it! Tag us over on instagram @littlesandspice
