When I got the idea to decorate our entire Christmas tree with handmade ornaments this year I wasn’t positive I could pull it off, but I did and it looks amazing. Today I am going to share how to make dried orange ornaments. When the holidays are over we put our tree outside and let the local animals, mostly squirrels, eat the edible parts of the decorations…. oranges, apples, cranberries, popcorn
SUPPLIES:
oranges
knife
cutting board
oven
string
cranberries
needle
1.) Cut oranges in 1/4″ slices.
2.) Lay oranges on paper towels in a single layer.
3.) Place another paper towel on top and gently pat to remove excess juice.
4.) Place oranges in single layer directly on oven rack and bake at 275° F for one hour, then 225° F for two additional hours. Make sure to flip the oranges every half hour to prevent them from curling and to release moisture from the oven.
5.) They may feel a little sticky when you first take them out of the oven, but will harden the rest of the way on their own. If you want to keep them once they are completely hardened you can spray them with a clear coat, but since we will put them out for the animals I left them as is.
6.) Using a needle, thread, and cranberries I decorated them and then hung them on the tree! I absolutely love the stained glass effect you get when they are in front of a light. Beautiful!
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OoOhh that’s cool – I love how the light reflects through the Oranges!
I love this idea! I’ve been looking for something to do with my planters and may have to try the orange slices. Thank you! I have it saved in Pinterest
Love this idea, Danielle! Especially because the animals can enjoy it, too!
I love this idea so much & it must smell great from start to finish! Thanks for the idea, I plan to do this with my grandsons.
I’m making these as I write this….I can’t wait to have them decorate the tree and then share them with the squirrels following Christmas….It’s a win-win all around!
The light will also heat the orange slice just enough to set off the fragrance. I’m doing this!
These are gorgeous! I love the fact that you put the tree out for the animals! We always donate our tree to Galveston beaches to help stop beach erosion. I’m thinking we could decorate this way, set it out by the deer feeder for a week after Christmas (ha! as if it would take that long!) until everything is gone, then take it to Galveston!
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