Dried Orange Garland: Buy One or Make It, and How to Keep It

A dried orange garland is worth making if you have an oven and an afternoon, and worth buying if you want even slices for a long run. Either way, look for fully dry fruit with no sticky spots, string it on natural twine, keep it out of pets’ reach and store it dry between seasons.

Should you buy or make a dried orange garland?

Buying and making a dried orange garland both end up in the same place, so the choice comes down to time and length. A long run takes a lot of fruit and a few rounds in the oven.

Read the materials line on any garland you buy. A few decorative garlands use faux fruit or plastic beads, which can’t be composted afterward.

Drying orange slices for a garland

Drying orange slices takes low heat and patience, and Clemson Cooperative Extension gives clear numbers. Cut the fruit about 1/8 inch thick, since thinner slices burn and thicker ones don’t dry well, and pat each slice with a towel.

Bake on parchment at 175°F or your oven’s lowest setting, no higher than 200°F. Keep the slices from touching and turn them every 30 minutes for 3 to 5 hours. A dehydrator set to 130°F takes 12 to 14 hours, with a turn every hour.

Cool them on a wire rack and check for soft or sticky spots. If you find any, Clemson suggests leaving the slices out to air dry for several days. Our natural Christmas decorations guide sets dried oranges alongside other natural pieces.

How to string a dried orange garland

Stringing a garland is the simple part, and spacing makes the most difference to the look. Lay out the slices on a table before you start, with the most even ones at the center of the run.

1. Pick the string. Natural twine or cotton ribbon can go in the compost later. Florist wire holds its shape on a wreath but must come off before composting.
2. Thread near the top. A large darning needle passes through the dried flesh easily. A single hole lets slices spin, while two holes hold them flat.
3. Space the slices. Knot the string or leave a gap of an inch or so, so that air can reach each slice.
4. Add a natural accent. Bay leaves, cinnamon sticks or small pine cones break up a long run.

Hang the finished garland away from steam and fireplaces. Kitchens and bathrooms stay damp, and a garland in one of those rooms may soften.

Keeping a dried orange garland for next year

Clemson says fully dried slices can keep for several years in a cool, dark, airtight container, so a garland can come back next December. Check each slice when you take it down, and pull any that have softened, darkened in spots or show mold.

Wrap the garland loosely in paper and put it in a tin or a sealed box with room to spare. Crushing it in a tight bag breaks the slices. When it is finished, take off any wire and put the fruit in a home compost pile, along with any plain twine.

Dried orange garlands with pets at home

Dried orange garlands need to hang out of reach of cats and dogs, because the ASPCA lists orange as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Its page names essential oils and psoralens, and it describes vomiting, diarrhea and depression as possible signs. It says the fruit is edible but the skins and plant material can cause problems, and a dried slice keeps its peel.

Hang the garland high, away from jumping spots such as shelves and sofa backs. Skip it on the lower branches of the tree, and sweep up any pieces that fall.

Hanging a garland outdoors for birds

A plain garland can also move outside once Christmas ends. Audubon’s holiday treats for birds include a garland of dried apple and fresh orange slices strung on thread, so a plain dried orange garland is a similar idea as long as it carries no glitter, varnish or wire. Hang it where your own cat or dog can’t reach, for the same reason as indoors.

For more on what to do with the tree, see Christmas tree recycling. Eco-friendly Christmas covers the other low-waste changes that fit the same season.