Holiday Activity: Homemade Dried Orange Garlands

I have always wanted to make homemade dried orange garlands to hang around the house during the holiday season and we finally tried it this year! I added the activity to my toddler’s advent calendar and it was a really low effort activity, which I feel we all need a little more of during the holidays.

You do have to run your oven for a few hours, so you’ll need to do this when you have a free day at home.

What You Need

Large naval oranges | I suggest 3-5. We used 3 and had enough for two garlands.

Sharp knife or mandoline slicer | We used a sharp knife and were able to create thin cuts. A mandoline slicer would make the job very easy though!

Kitchen towels | You’ll need 2 kitchen towels roughly the same size.

Baking sheets | We used 2 for 3 oranges.

Parchment Paper | I would usually suggest a reusable baking mat but parchment paper is safer to make sure they bake evenly and don’t stick.

Toothpick or large needle | A toothpick worked just fine for us.

Twine or string | Target has twine in festive colors.

Scissors | To cut the twine or string.

How to Make Homemade Dried Orange Garlands

Line your baking sheets

First, you’ll line 2 baking sheets with your parchment paper and set aside.

Preheat your oven

You’ll need to preheat your oven to 200F. Low and slow is the best method for these orange slices.

Slice the oranges

Next, thinly slice your oranges so they are about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Some of mine ripped open a bit but we still used them! Tip: Save your scraps for a simmer pot to make your home feel cozy and smell wonderful and festive.

Press the orange slices

To help get as much juice out as possible and make the drying process quicker, lay one kitchen towel down and place your orange slices along the towel. Then place another kitchen towel over the orange slices and gently press on them to squeeze the juice out.

Assemble the baking sheets

Place your pressed orange slices onto the baking sheets. Don’t worry about spacing them- the slices will shrink as they bake so they can touch on the sheet.

Bake your orange slices

Place the filled baking sheets in the oven and bake for 3-4 hours, depending on thickness and your oven. Flip them every hour to help them dry out evenly. They will be done when the center is firm. I left mine in for a little too long and some of the thinner slices were darker, but we used those to alternate with the lighter orange slices to make a pattern.

Cool and assemble the garlands

After cooling the orange slices, begin assembling the garland. We laid out the slices based on how we wanted to place them on the garland. Use your toothpick or thick needle to poke two holes across from each other on the orange. Be sure to poke the holes based on how you want the orange slice to hang.

Thread your twine or string through the first hole on the orange slice, weaving it behind the slice to the other hole, and pull the twine/string through the front of the second hole. This method ensures that you can’t see the twine or string across the front of the orange slices.

Continue doing this until all slices are on the twine or string. Then, determine the amount of string you’d like for hanging and cut the twine/string.

Create two loop knots on either side of the twine/string to hang around your home, or on your Christmas tree.

Enjoy your new homemade orange garland in your cozy, festive home for the holidays (with your orange scraps in a simmer pot!).